As a working mom, have you ever experienced gaps in childcare for your kids? Read on for suggestions to always be able to answer the question: What’s Your Childcare Backup Plan?

As I write this, my 16 month-old son is at home recovering from Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. It’s a horrible, contagious virus that causes fevers, a blistering rash, and mouth sores.

I was called to pick him up from his daycare a few days ago because he had a fever. There was still a full schedule of patients for my afternoon at work, and only one other provider in the office. I couldn’t possibly leave her by herself to see my patients plus hers.

My husband was the only supervisor at his workplace and couldn’t leave.

Our parents were unavailable.

We don’t have a nanny.

We were stuck

I had no choice but to bring him back to work with me. This is not the first, nor will it likely be the last, time that I bring a sick child to work with me.

Luckily, when I got back to work, everyone there was waiting for him. They were practically fighting over who would get to take care of him. He was hot and cranky. He just wanted to be held. I handed him off to our Medical Assistants and Office Managers, and I knew he was in good hands. They fed and changed him. Then put him to sleep. And I was able to see my patients.

Now, I know I’m lucky enough to be a Pediatrician, in a pediatric office, with an awesome staff. I know that not everyone has the ability to bring their sick child to work with them.

Kids get sick. Especially young children in day care. And, of course, if your child is too sick to be at the center or in school, they simply can’t go. If your child is cared for by a nanny or family member, their caregiver can also become sick or unavailable. You’re then stuck figuring out care for your child – sometimes at the last minute. It can be tough as a working parent to come up with a back-up plan for child care.

What’s your childcare backup plan?

So what do you do when you’re in this situation? Do you have a plan?

Here are my suggestions:

Have family members on call

This can include grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Have someone on call who can be available when you need them. Maybe someone who is a stay-at-home mom, works from home, or is retired.

Nanny/Babysitter

If you have a regular babysitter for date nights or special occasions, check with them ahead of time to see if they may also be available for last-minute situations like this. You can also call a last-minute nanny service. But it can be difficult to find someone you trust in a pinch.

Take turns with your spouse

If you are unable to find a caretaker for the day, alternate days off with your spouse. This will ensure that neither one of you is always having to leave work early or miss days because of a child’s illness. If one spouse has more sick or vacation time than the other – it’s only reasonable for that spouse to use their time to help out with child care when needed. You and your spouse could also try to split shifts for the day. One of you could work the morning and take care of your sick child in the afternoon, and vice versa. That way, neither of you will have to take the entire day off. My husband and I did a combination of this with my son over the past few days.

Bring your child to work with you

Again, this may not always be possible. But, in a lot of cases, your employer will prefer to have you at work with your child than to not have you there at all. This can be easier if you are able to work remotely from home, so it’s worth having a discussion with your employer about it.

Take the day

Sometimes you just have to pick your child up, take them home, and not feel bad about it. I’m lucky that I’m blessed with caring co-workers who are used to taking care of sick children. They always do an awesome job with mine. But, had I been in a situation where my child was too sick or uncomfortable, I would take him home and not think twice about it. The reality is that when a child is truly sick, nothing can replace the love and care that they receive from mommy. So, sometimes, you are the only option, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Your child only has one mom. It’s important to be there for him whenever you’re needed. Without feeling guilty.

My son is, thankfully, on the mend and will be back at daycare soon. You can read more about our HFMD experience HERE.

With everything in life, it’s important to have a plan for when things don’t go as planned. This is especially true with children! So, I encourage you to have a childcare backup plan. But if it boils down to it and you have to stay home – do it, and enjoy your snuggles with your little one.

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