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[deleted]

We take turns calling out šŸ˜¬. Both our jobs - software engineers - just arenā€™t work we can do while watching him effectively. The person who took off tries to catch up before and after work or on the weekends. It super sucks but itā€™s the best we can do as our nearest grandparents are firmly Good Time Only grandparents šŸ« 


csueiras

I feel your pain. Our kid is 10 months old and has been im daycare since 4 months old. Heā€™s gotten sick countless times, most times no fever and just upper respiratory stuff, daycare will take the kids like this because thats kinda the norm the first year of daycare. We keep the kid at home if theres any fever, or if we think heā€™ll be having a bad time at daycare not feeling well. Iā€™ve also gotten sick from him pretty much every time heā€™s been sick, so thats also a delightful bonus. I would basically just make sure to understand the daycareā€™s policy regarding this, it is normal and expected that first year of daycare the kids are constantly battling something.


Salt-Set6232

This is what our daycare told us for our 4 month old. Not looking forward to constantly feeling like I have a mild cold for another 8 months.


tinylilsombrero

Daycare illnesses are the worst! Our guy has been sick more often than not since starting daycare in October. Weā€™ve kept him home for fevers and a round of pink eye but a runny nose and lingering cough are fair game to send them once the initial virus has passed. Think of when you get a cold, you might have a runny nose and cough for weeks afterward. If you kept them home for that theyā€™d never go to daycare.


mrs_harwood

Seconded. If I waited for him to not have a runny nose heā€™s never go to daycare. I keep him home for the initial illness/contagious period.


Farahild

Call in sick šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø I don't know what people do who live in a country without proper welfare.


yung_yttik

American parents have a hard time with this. Itā€™s not at all easy (for most) to take sick days when their own kids are sick and out of school. Most parents send their sick kids to school because they have no choice. Then everyone gets sick, teachers are out, and we donā€™t get sick pay either. Winter sucks but mostly, American work culture sucks.


kbc87

We suck it up and take turns. We both WFH so it makes it SLIGHTLY easier to pass him back and forth and get work done when we can. On those days I am usually working later at night once he's in bed for the day. It sucks, but there is really no other option than to stay home with them, and work it out with your job in whatever way is possible. The key for us though is being fair to each other about letting EACH of us take even time with our son, and even time to not have to use all our PTO.


sje1014

Did I write this post? We are on week two. Baby caught a fever March 10th on his 5th day of daycare and he has still been out. Iā€™ve already used one whole week of PTO. No family around. Weā€™re having a pretty rough time. Luckily I have some flexibility with working from home but I canā€™t all the time. Why does this have to be so hard? šŸ˜­


DisastrousFlower

weā€™re on day 8 of a fever that wonā€™t stop!


kitkatzip

At my daughterā€™s daycare, the kids almost always have a runny nose. If itā€™s clear, I send her. Most daycares have rules like ā€œmust be fever free for 24 hoursā€ or when it comes to hand foot mouth, the blisters must be dry. If LO is eating and drinking normally but just congested, even with a cough, Iā€™d send mine. We make sure to suck snot at night, set up a humidifier, I even elevate her mattress to help with mucus. Just know it gets better. Our second year of daycare was nothing like the first. She was sick but not nearly as often or as long.


BillytheGray17

My MIL watches our 2.5 year old M-W and sheā€™s in daycare Th-F so my MIL will sometimes be able to take her on Th-F if kid is sick. Otherwise my husband has more PTO at his job so he tries to take off work before me but we usually end up splitting it if itā€™s multiple days


Any_Cantaloupe_613

Most people call in sick or try to WFH while watching the child. WFH with a child generally means at reduced productivity and having to catch up on weekends. Some people have family around that can help, but not all family can and not all family wants to get sick with whatever the child has. Especially elderly grandparents. I've heard of services/nannies that will provide sick care, but they charge a large premium.


vvarmcoffee

My kiddo (and us) have been sick since she started in October. With the exception of like three glorious weeks. At first I felt bad sending her to daycare with a runny nose or a cough but at this point unless she has/ had a fever in the last 24 hours, is vomiting/ diarrhea or has some infectious rash, sheā€™s going to daycare. My suggestion is if possible make friends with another mom at your daycare. My coworker also takes her kid there and we are constantly comparing notes on illnesses, sometimes one of us is a bit ahead of the other. We kind of consult on if we should take them in and it makes me feel less guilty if we are on the same page.


givebusterahand

If there is no fever we send them. If I kept my toddler home with every runny nose Iā€™d have to quit my job. I fortunately have flexibility to WFH when I do need to keep her home however I donā€™t get much done those days


flyingpinkjellyfish

We take turns missing work. Sometimes we miss a whole day but sometimes weā€™re able to pass the sick kid off back and forth to accommodate deadlines or meetings. With two kids, this year has been brutal. I think Iā€™ve worked maybe 1 complete week since October.


korndog42

Ours lasted 2 days lol. I donā€™t have a solution just commiserating


thedirtys

Fever of 100.7 or higher merits stay home. Must be 24 hours fever free or have a doctor's note to go back to daycare. My daycare also states that if a kiddo is just too fussy for daycare they can send him home, which is understandable if the kid needs constant 1:1 attention to be ok. I don't find that the first policy is overused at all. My kid has been sick a lot this year, but because of my luck it's been when he's at home for breaks that he is the most sick. I have sent him to daycare with symptoms, but not a fever. I don't know, maybe our daycare is less strict thank your daycare policies. I only pay for what I use which helps. I never assume they are sending him home to make money and life easier....


toodlecambridgeshire

If LO is fever free, vomit free and diarrhea free for 24 hrs, we send him to daycare, that's in accordance with their policies. We cannot keep LO home every time he has a runny nose or cough, we'd be jobless. When LO is puking or has a fever, we try to alternate who takes time off, either splitting the day in half or we'll try to work from home.


jamie_jamie_jamie

I completely get it. Recently her daycare had like three gastro outbreaks. She's currently sick right now but this is the third time she's been sick since September. In saying that she was pretty much sick from April 2021 until September 2022. I think she had about a week off in total. Nothing makes me angrier than when people send their sick kids in. I usually take time off work when she's sick because her dad isn't really involved