Since our children aren't usually courteous enough to get sick on a Friday afternoon (thus ensuring recovery by Monday morning) at an hour early enough that the pediatrician's office is still open, yet late enough for the parents to leave work without guilt, we have to go through several gyrations in order to stay home with an ill child on a weekday. Busy Dad is a teacher, but the beauty of it is that he is also in charges of placing substitute teachers at his school, so he can easily work out his own coverage most of the time. But, the flip side of that is that even when he's off he often has to go into school before it starts to get all the coverages settled, as it is a large school with faculty in and out for various things. This means that he's often toting a sick child with him when he does that. I'm sure the office staff conveys their appreciation for that in various ways.
For real, though, our kids have a pattern of getting sick on the days that are really, really, really bad for us work-wise, and there's really not very many of those days in the entire year. For example, The Preschooler Formerly Known as Busy Baby was up vomiting last night. All of it. Busy Dad has only been in school a few days and, usually I can stay home if he can't. However, today? One of the very few days in the whole year that I MUST be there. *insert lots of complicated plans here*.
Several years ago, when Busy Boy and Busy Girl were little, they were both sick on a day where both Busy Dad and I both had to be at work for certain parts of the day that were very close together. My parents both work, so family care isn't an option for us. So, we loaded them up and we all went to my place of work. I did my thing while he took care of the kids and then we got back in the car and went to his place of work while I took care of the kids. I'm sure we were quite the sight. Please note, however, that when I refer to taking an ill child out of the house in these situations it's only when they are feeling OK overall, but are sick enough to be out of school.
Oh, and before anyone gets all, "Well, then you shouldn't work if you have kids", don't, just don't. I have been up all night and I will fling vomit at you.
Anyway, it all comes with the territory of parenting and it just serves to enhance our planning skills, I guess. And, boy have we developed a heckuva set of planning skills.
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Days like you just described make me thankful I don't have to have an outside job right now.I can remember way to many of those days.Hope "the busy's" are feeling all better soon!
Yikes! Sounds like you had an adventure of a night!
Hope Busy Preschooler feels better soon!
For us, it's the other way around - seems like my son always gets sick,sick,sick on Saturdays when our family doc is not around, so I have to decide whether or not he's sick enough to bother our doc with a call on a saturday or - worse yet - to take him to one of those rapid response type of places.
Hope your little guy's feeling better soon - definitely before Saturday!
I am so with you on this-- if they are going to get violently ill, it is going to be the night before I have a great big huge massive case or presentation. and so the juggling act begins, of who is staying home. ugh ugh ugh.
hope he is feeling better this morning!!
You are handingling this much better than I usually do. At some point in the middle of one of those nights I'm freaking out because I know the day is going to be total hell. I hate the feeling of "I shouldn't have to chose" but you do! My worst is feeling the fever in the morning, giving a good dose of motrin and then dropping them off so I can make the morning meeting and then pick them up when the fever comes back later in the day. The fact that you're dragging them around in the car is much better than what I did - if it helps! hang in there and go to bed with them tonight at 7.
Well, I would say you are entirely too clever for the gods-who-try-to-screw-you-over.
My favorite is when people without children think we use sick kids as an excuse for us to get the day off.....next time that happens I just may fling a little vomit of my own.
**Why hasn't someone somewhere tried a business venture for "sick child care"? I know there have been days I'd pay through the nose for it.
Hang in there! Don't worry about the other sick bastards who don't understand. heehee!
I'm a teacher and I go back next week. I haven't worked since the end of January of this year. It'll be my first time back at work since right before my baby was born. I don't want to leave him, really, but I have to work.
I had a dream last night that I called in sick on the first day.
Been there. You have my sincere sympathy.
-G
I hope you get some sleep tonight and that the PFKaBB gets better soon. Their sense of timing is impeccable.
Diet Coke coming your way!
Oh girl! I am dreading the day that both of mine are sick at the same time...I'm sure my number will be called soon!
I can so relate to this. You know what pisses me off the most? When I would take MY earned sick days, part of my negotiated contract, to stay home and tend my sick child (but work when I myself were sick) and someone have the nerve to complain I was out because "her kid was sick" ... arggghhhhh!... having the nerve to complain about HOW or when I used MY sick days but when they used theirs no one should have a comment. I always saved my sick days and personal leave days in case my kids were sick or I needed to be at school with them.
OOHHH so so sorry the Busy Children are under the weather. Especially Busy little man.
Ugh, hope he feels better soon so that you and Busy Dad aren't jumping through sick kid care hoops.
Geez, that brought back floods of bad memories; thank God we have grands close by...and I was in "outside sales" (read that: flexible) when the kidlins were that young. I hope you've got a good carpet cleaner for last night's stains :)
So sorry to hear about your sick child. How did you finally settle who was gonna stay home and who went to work? Hope it isn't passed on to the rest of the family and you can get a good nights sleep tonight. I hate when the little ones are sick.
Amy shouldn't feel too bad about dosing with Motrin and sending the kids off to daycare/school. There are PLENTY of parents who have done that in a tight spot... myself included.
I went through the same thing yesterday & Monday. Same guilt, but not dragging the kid with me. I've come to realize in the past few years that my son will also come first & anyone that wants to complain can bite me!
We shouldn't be made to feel guilty about staying home to care for a sick child and we work because we have/want to, not because we have nothing better to do with our days.
My company offers emergency child care, which is available if your kid is too sick to go where they normally go, or if your regular childcare falls through without notice. They send out a nanny, screened by an agency, to your house. You can use up to ten days per calendar year and it costs the employee $2/hour + $1/hour/kid for more than one kid. The actual cost is $16/hour, but the company pays the difference.
Nice, eh? :)
One of the main things I love about your site and writing is that you ARE A busy family and you make it work! So, you will never catch me saying don't work. Ever. I work, and there are days we all have difficulties and you do what you have to. I am fortunate that my mom works with children and in a pinch, I can drop the kids at her office. Only in a pinch, but the option is there. That and great day care. Anyway, you really do help me see that you can have kids, work, and have a nice well rounded family! Thanks!
arrrggghhh at the *you shouldn't work if you have kids* idiots.
Very few families can survive on one salary these days.
It's obvious you do the best you can with a hectic schedule. I'm figuring that might be the reason this blog is named Busy Mom? I mean I could be wrong...there's so many ways to read into that /sarcasm.
You go woman! You have a gorgeous family and happy children. I'd say you're doing something right. (except for that whole crockpot thing...that might be somewhat of a sticking point)
Having been a stay at home mom for years, it never occurred to me to tell you that you shouldn't work!
I am, however, sorelyl tempted to scold those who blithely told about going to work sick or dropping off their sick kids at day care. But I'll pretend to be ignorant and assume they don't have anything contagious.
Doesn't it ALWAYS happen that way??!! It's "The Law of Having Children"!!!! When I was a working mom----it NEVER failed!!!! But...you do seem to have very creative ways to handle your situation---much more creative that I EVER was!!! MANY kudos to you...AND you have a wonderful sense of humor!! I think you do a great job!!
You truly put raising multiple children out there for people to see how it really is!!
I'm with you on the vomiting thing! Flu...Me and my middle and youngest all had it together--in the middle of the night (Sunday), of course!! When dad got it...he got it towards the END of the work day, came home took a shower and went to bed at 6pm and slept till7am!!! What is up with that??!! So unfair!! :)