It depends on which kid is sick and whose schedule is more open... if the kids are really sick then I will usually do the doctor visit, but if they're just a little bit sick then she will work from home while they play or watch videos. She definitely takes more sick days than I do overall.
If you both work, how do you decide who takes the day off to watch sick kids?
pomegranate / 3113 posts
My DH's schedule isn't the traditional "9-5" so he has a lot of free time during the workweek. However, when he has to work, he really HAS to be there -- it causes a lot of headaches for everyone if he calls out. So as long as he doesn't have to be at work, he stays home so I don't have to use my sick days. But if he's scheduled to work, I take off. And sometimes we're able to split it so I can at least work a half-day.
cherry / 181 posts
I haven't gone back to work yet, but I'll definitely be the one to take time off. My Dh is a doctor, I'm a teacher. I have a much more flexible schedule!
coconut / 8430 posts
We split the last sick day, but usually I have the more flexible schedule so I take the day off.
grapefruit / 4056 posts
If it is last minute he takes the day off, if we "see it coming" I do (I work in NICU and it is hard to fill in for shifts last minute so we try not to put my work in a bad position)
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
First plan is to call my mom and pray she can take her. If not, then I take the day off though I hate to do it. I have sick days and a pretty accommodating work environment - DH doesn't have that same flexibility. If I couldn't for some reason, Dh would stay home and work from home, though it's definitely not ideal
nectarine / 2797 posts
I can do some work from home so unless I have a meeting in office I am the one to stay home. DH will try and go in a little late so I can get my most urgent work out of the way first thing.
cantaloupe / 6692 posts
My job is typically more flexible than DH's. I usually am the one to take off work if T is sick. I have a typical 9-5 office job and an understanding boss with a child of his own. However, DH has a set amount of work volume to do each day, so he can get all of this volume done quickly if he needs to leave early and not have it counted against him. So that's helpful.
honeydew / 7303 posts
We usually take turns unless someone has a reason they really need to be at work. My dh can work from home so he usually does that if its not too serious.
cantaloupe / 6869 posts
We figure it out according to who has the most work due/meetings coming up etc. we also try to alternate days if we can.
cherry / 118 posts
Neither of us have flexible jobs which is why we switched from daycare to nanny. That way nanny can just care for sick kiddo. The only time we call out sick is if she is sick enough to need a doctor appointment. In that case it's almost always DH who takes her. We've also split the days in the past where I will work the morning and leave at noon so DH can work at least a half day as well.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Unless I have a client mtg or conference hat can't be rescheduled, I can work from home and my mom is our primary care. Dh has the ability to change his schedule most days but it's just easier for me since I can wfh and a large part of his job is boss/client facing!
pear / 1812 posts
It's usually me since its easier for me to get away than it is for him. I also have separate sick/vacation/holiday/and comp time (accrued from overtime since I work for the city) and he only has one lump PTO. Technically I have more time to spare.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
We are both teachers so it will depend on what kind of day we have planned (meetings, evaluations, tests, etc) but also whoever still has sick days left.... we accrue 10 a year, but I'll have used up all of mine during FMLA and he will use his up by taking 2 weeks off after the birth. Otherwise we get docked about $100 of pay.
grapefruit / 4671 posts
Unless I'm at a conference or travelling for business I do it because DH is a teacher and it is easier for me to WFH than it is for him to get a sub.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
Rock, paper, scissors. 
Seriously, though, depends if we see it coming and then whoever has the lighter day stays home. Sometimes we split days depending on the situation.
pomegranate / 3105 posts
it will be me - DH gets no sick days, and I can work from home anytime
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
Thankfully we both have pretty flexible jobs so we really just play it by ear. On a couple occasions, we actually both stayed home because it was good to have both of us around to help with nose cleaning (yay feisty toddlers) and things like that. I started a new job recently and of course LO got sick the same week, so my husband was able to stay home with her so I didn't have to call out on my first week of a new job. I like to be home because I'm more observant when it comes to symptoms, etc., but if I can't be, he has plenty of flexibility.
clementine / 778 posts
It would be DH. He has more leave and flexibility. If he has to be at work or is deployed, DS will go to our backup babysitter.
pomelo / 5621 posts
We try to take turns but I take more of the turns. We go by who has a heavier workload or a deadline coming up. If we think it will be two plus days we will alternate days at home.
I'm set up now so I could do a majority of my work from home, so that will make it a bit easier in the future when DS is sick. Since my manager is a father he understands having to stay home or sometimes leave early and as long as it doesn't put me behind in my work it is ok.
papaya / 10560 posts
We try and alternate whoever got the last illness or at the very least alternate days if they have to be out more than 1 day.
blogger / honeydew / 7081 posts
It all depends on the day. Sometimes, my mom can take her, which is awesome. DH is home Fridays and has a pretty flexible Monday schedule, so if it's one of those days, he usually stays home. If he really has to be IN the office, I'll take a sick day. But with only 5 of those in a year, I try not to use them if someone else is available.
persimmon / 1367 posts
We alternate days, and also take into account what we each have going on that day. Sometimes we split says if neither of us can miss a full day. What I wouldn't give for a local family member or babysitter that is home during the day!
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
This is one of the few perks of working stacked shifts. D can watch him most of the day and go into work after I get home (I try to leave early). My ILs have also watched him when he's had to be out several days in a row. And my mom lives with us now.
But D has way more time saved up then I do, so in general we try to work it so that he takes his.
eggplant / 11824 posts
There is no default person, it really depends on the day and what we each have going on. DH usually teaches either morning or afternoon blocks of time, so often we split the day. I can easily work from home unless I have like a big presentation or something so it's also easy for me to just WFH on lo's sick days. We really try not to prioritize one career over another.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
DH has way more PTO than I do and the ability to work from home, so he almost always stays home with her on sick days/days when the school is closed.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
Totally depends... DH's schedule is more flexible than me so it usually would be him, but then he would have periods of time where he's very busy or has way more commitments than me, so then I'd just take off.
pomelo / 5220 posts
DH has more flexibility and can work from home but... he also has a way more intense job and is the main provider for our family. I usually do it, but I'm also more of the "caretaker" and stay calm under pressure a bit more so if the LO is sick, I probably handle it better.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
I do because my work is flexible and I can work from home. DH can't.
pomegranate / 3032 posts
Some days like this week, my MIL will watch her at our house. If we know the night before that she will need to stay home hubs will stay home, because he gets more vacation days than I do. If we discover it in the morning then I have to stay home because hubs is out of the house by 5:45 and we dont wake up until 6:30 and he's already at work.
grapefruit / 4988 posts
We try to split them evenly as much as possible, which is possible since our work situations are different. I have a fixed number of days off available, so we have to be aware of that, but when I'm off, I'm off. DH literally has no policy on days off and can take time off whenever, but he's expected to keep up with work and will often have to work nights and weekends. One thing we often do is both stay home with LO, and then we will both be able to do a half day's work from home.
clementine / 849 posts
Usually DH stays home, because he has more PTO than I do. However, I can come in late and not use a PTO day. A lot of times, I'll stay home until 10 or so, while DH goes into work and gets his stuff done for the day, and then we switch.
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