Sick kids

Sometime in the fall or winter and maybe once again in the spring, our children inevitably catch a bug that gives them congestion and a runny nose. For some, the illness can be a lot worse. The kids may end up with a fever, diarrhea and other symptoms. Some might even get a virus or infection that drains them for days.

Most child care centers and preschools have explicit rules when it comes to sick kids: Please, mom and dad, don’t bring them to school. Please don’t make all the other children sick, too.

Parents who work outside the home usually have to take sick leave or a vacation day to take care of their kids. But this option isn’t available to everyone.

According to the Project on Global Working Families , more than one in three families have family caregiving needs requiring two weeks or more of their time each year. While 50 percent of parents with paid sick or paid vacation leave stayed at home with their sick children, only 13 percent of those without paid or vacation leave were able to do that. The Project also found that nearly 60 percent of poor working mothers had no sick leave.

What do you do when you have a sick child?
a) Take a day off and stay home with your kid
b) Tell your boss that you’re working from home
c) Call a relative
d) Call a friend
e) Send them to school/daycare anyway if they’re not feeling too bad – skipping work is not an option
f) Other