What do you do if you work full time and your kid is sick?
If you are a working parent, with or without a working parent partner, how do you provide care for your child or children when they are too sick to attend the care facility or school?
May 27, 2020
Parent Replies
In my experience, over 90% of the time either my spouse or I have to stay home with our sick kid(s). Usually my spouse because his job is more doable from home. We have occasionally convinced grandma or auntie to stay with a sick child, and Swiss Cheese has a couple of sitters who will stay with sick children, but I personally haven't found any reliable, consistent childcare solution for sick kids. Fortunately our kids are now in elementary school and rarely get sick anymore, but during their early years in daycare they were sick a lot. I remember one year where we had to cover 3/4 of the working days in January because our kids kept swapping illnesses. In retrospect, I don't even know how we kept our jobs other than by doubling down when we were at work and trying to be extremely productive while at home. I use all of my PTO every year (and some years some unpaid days off), and it's not because I'm taking fabulous vacations.
We had friends with nannies where the nanny would stay with sick kids, but then the nanny would be out sick sometimes too whereas a daycare center has backup care providers. An au pair situation might work as well, but is much more of a commitment.
I can't imagine finding anyone other than immediate family who will take a sick child during COVID.
It is tough. We used to use grandparents for illnesses that were not contagious or were under control, like ear infections, bacterial after the first few days of antibiotics, etc. and will start doing so again after it is safe to interact with grandparents. For now, we take turns caring for them if they get sick. Thankfully with the pandemic I'm working from home so nothing really changes if they are sick, but once I have to go back to work and school/daycare is back in session I'll go back to either taking day off or working from home if possible. Finding a nanny to care for sick child is tough so our options are only grandparents (if it is safe) or alternating days ourselves.