Looking After Sick Kids When You're A Working Mom

Kids get ill all the time in almost every family I know. It’s fine for those that only have one parent working, but what about the rest of us?

In most cases, your little ones will need rest and recuperation, and they will also need their moms and dads there to look after them. It’s not like you can take them into work for the day if they are vomiting, coughing, and sputtering.

So, if you are a working mom and struggling to know what to do - here’s a quick guide to dealing with your sick children when you got to pay the bills.

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Keep on top of health issues

If your child has a cough or a runny nose, deal with it as quickly as possible. Blasting those symptoms will help your kids recover quicker. And, it will prevent things from developing to a more debilitating condition. I’ve also written a guide to how to care for injured kids - which might be relevant here, too.

I like to keep a good stock of medicines and natural remedies on hand, for any occasion. Take a look at these ideas for treating congestion - www.homeremedyshop.com/. Maybe it’s worth having those ingredients on hand? The more you do to prevent illness, the more you can avoid taking time out of work for childcare.

Understand your rights

First of all, check your employment contract. You may be entitled to unpaid leave to look after your children when they are ill. It’s important to talk with your employer about the possibility of needing to get away from work.

They may be open to the suggestion of solutions such as home working. Good companies will be happy to be flexible, but there are no guarantees, of course. It’s one of those things that you need to approach as soon as possible, though, and not wait until your child gets ill.

Go for flexible childcare

Depending on your job, you might find it difficult to get time off. If you’re a police officer, for example, then you just can’t stop chasing a criminal because your eldest has a bad case of the sniffles. So, when you are looking for childcare, make sure it is flexible and fits your needs.

Live-in nannies or au pairs are ideal - the latter tending to be cheaper than the former. You can also make use of your close family. Perhaps your retired parents can be on hand to take up the reigns when you need to work? The point is to give yourself plenty of options.

Split up your days

In some cases, there will be no option than for one of you to stay at home. If this is ever the case, think about splitting the day in half. One of you can stay at home in the morning while the other can back in the afternoon.

If you both get unpaid leave to look after your kids, think about who will be losing the least amount of money. Doing so will reduce the impact of your time off to your income.

How do you deal with working and looking after sick children? Let me know in the comments section below!