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I quit working to be a SAHM when our first was born and I was lucky to have my mom nearby who could watch the kids when I had a doctor/dental appt come up.
Before we had kids both my husband and I worked long hours, sometimes on weekends with occasional business trips. It was great when it was just us to consider but once we had a baby something had to give.
I've seen other couples stagger their work schedules so that one of them is home with the kids during most of the day. They might put the kids into daycare for 2 or 3 hours a day which gives the kids time to play and socialize with other children.
You just have to be creative and do what works for you.
Some go to work anyway. I was shocked when my coworker said the other day that her 9 yr old son was home sick and ALONE. He had a fever and had thrown up that morning. She had given him tylenol, which he kept down, but I would have stayed home with my kid! A phone call away doesn't cut it imo.
Some go to work anyway. I was shocked when my coworker said the other day that her 9 yr old son was home sick and ALONE. He had a fever and had thrown up that morning. She had given him tylenol, which he kept down, but I would have stayed home with my kid! A phone call away doesn't cut it imo.
I'm sure there are some who have to weigh staying home with a sick 9 year old who will most likely sleep all day with their livelihood.
My husband and I worked different shifts, and considered it one of the "joys" of parenting. Some kids can stay by themselves by a certain age, as with cell phones today, it is a much different world. Degree to which they are sick, or maybe the required days after the fever or something is gone makes a difference.
When I was a kid and out of school sick, I'd be at home alone. I don't think kids need caretakers all day, I didn't.
Depends on the age of the child and the level of illness. If one of my high schoolers is home vomitimg and febrile, damn straight I’m going to take the day off to care for them. Dehydration and all that.
We're one set of grandparents. We gratefully help out taking care of grandkids when childcare arrangements break down.
We also compete with the other extended family grandparents who live nearby to help out. We all enjoy it.
We think it's our duty and and it's so much fun watching them grow up.
There is a huge advantage of having extended family nearby.
Our problem as grandparents is that both our sons-in-law have their families living too far away to help out. We enjoy helping with the grandkids too and have been doing it for eleven years now. But it would be good to have backup from the other side.
We do a school run for each daughter weekly but when you throw in an extra day for a sick child (first since Covid last week of a 7am call) a night for each of them for going out, it can end up being very busy.
What is a parent who is at home all day? A stay at home parent. If they are also working for someone else and getting a paycheck while they are at home, they are a SAHP and working.
I have never had anyone, myself included, that had to create a commotion and tell everyone in the office that I am leaving to pick up my sick kid. Of course it is easier to WFH because no one has to know that you are not actually working when you are taking care of your children. It is a great option for any woman planning on having a family if they can find it. Sometimes it is the only way to balance kids and career.
There's a world of difference though between say a parent of a toddler that is paid hourly for doing non-stop call center work and the parent of a 5th grader who does project/output work on salary.
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