Who is expected to take days off to look after sick children?

threemuttleys

Im on Mat leave atm, but when I go back to work, it will depend on who can do it. OH can easily work from home, whereas I wouldnt be able to.

pozalina

If it is normal illnesses like a chest infection or chickenpox my DH does it as he only works PT and earns a lot less than me. However, when ds1 was seriously in hospital for over a week we both immediately knew that I was going to be with him the whole time so I took the time off. Sometimes we do have the discussion 'can't you do it?' but due to the way I work (multiple appointments in my diary that would have to be rebooked) it is less disruptive for DH to take the time off. We are both lucky with understanding employers as well.

jackieglasgow

I usually do, as I only work p/t but hubby works FT and is self employed, so no working for sick kids = letting customers down = looking unreliable = even less money coming in. Usually I have only needed a day, and have moved my day off if it stretched to 2, but last week DS1 was ill Tues - Friday and DS2 Wed - Friday, I took Tuesday off, and worked Friday instead, thinking he would be fit for school, but when DS2 woke up sick too on Wed, I had not choice but to take the day off. I am working this Friday to cover that one. THEN they just weren't getting any better, so OH had to take Thursday and Friday off which means that we are a fair bit down income wise this week as he earns more in one day than I do in 2. This is the first time it has been so serious, usually if I can the kids go to my sister, but her husband is recovering from serious illness, and unfortunately MIL is too ill to look after them. Fine if they are just needing looked after - they are 9 and 11 - but if they are ill, she can't be expected to do that.

I thought it was meant to get easier as they got older

liney

In my opinion both parents are responsible for the care of sick children although it may be more convenient for one of the other at certain times.

From an employers point of view I feel it is unreasonable for one parent and therefore one business, to bare the brunt of the disruption that emergency leave causes.

Kaz2904

I work nights so that we don't have this issue. On the rare occasion that I work a day shift, if one of the kids was ill during the night, I would ring work. DH is happy to be there because like he says, nobody's going to die if he doesn't go into work. Someone could if I go off and leave the unit short staffed.
We have only once had the issue that I might have to go to work when he was already at work and that was when a major incident was called in. I rang him and he would have come home if needed. It turned out not to be a major incident in the end so all was ok. It's just one of those things and why it is easier for us for me to work nights.

1jim

both of us. Tend to take it in turns, usually look at what each of us has on at work and if theres anything that is "important" and cant be moved around. Usually works out about 50-50,

Jesswithwings

Kaz2904 wrote: »

I work nights so that we don't have this issue. On the rare occasion that I work a day shift, if one of the kids was ill during the night, I would ring work. DH is happy to be there because like he says, nobody's going to die if he doesn't go into work. Someone could if I go off and leave the unit short staffed.
We have only once had the issue that I might have to go to work when he was already at work and that was when a major incident was called in. I rang him and he would have come home if needed. It turned out not to be a major incident in the end so all was ok. It's just one of those things and why it is easier for us for me to work nights.

Exactly this! Thankfully DH is the boss of his department so in theory if I ever did do a day shift or was on a course and the kids got ill then he *could* take time out if he needed to.

Mankysteve

When I was a kideo Me and my siblings never really had days off sick but if we did it would have been mum but only because my dad's a pansy and can't do sick or blood without half fainting. And he was a residential social worker at one point.