If a family member watches LO

What do you do on days that they are not available? My MIL has some doctor's appointments coming up and I am not sure what to do. Do you have a back up person or do you take off from work?

Re: If a family member watches LO

My MIL watches DD and when she needs off, I just take off of work. If she will be gone for a few days, DH and I will usually coordinate so we each take some time off. My job and boss are very flexible and understanding though.

Re: If a family member watches LO

Both boys are in daycare and my parents watch them on Fridays. Since it's a different situation I'm able to just call daycare and ask if I can send them in. I offer to pay for the day and they never took me up on it (only did it once though)

You know anyone else who can watch the baby? Friend? IL's?
If you have no other option then take the day off

Re: If a family member watches LO

My aunt watches her during the summer. I made it clear to my boss if my aunt needs to go to a doctor (she’s 70 so she has stuff she has to go for) or any reason she’s sick or can’t watch AJ then I’ll be out of work that day.

Best part of my office is that EVERY ONE with the exception of 2 has had or has kids. Even the men totally get it and support family life and its 100% required you be a good parent first and good employee second. Home life is part of work life because if you are busy worrying about home life you’re useless in your work life.

Yeah, that’s why I moved to Texas (generally speaking most companies here are that way) and yeah, its why I put up with not having a decent raise ever in the nearly 5 years I’ve worked for this company. Haha But here’s to hoping this year is better tho (cross fingers)

We (my hubby and I) agree to rotate where possible. If I need to be at work desperately and we need to be home for her, he’ll take the day and vice versa. However if we both need to be at work then we do half days. His company is much smaller – like less than 10people. So he’s a pretty big piece of their working machine. That said, they too feel family first.

Re: If a family member watches LO

My parents watch DS. If they can't watch him they usually let us know in advance and DH and I coordinate who will take off.

Re: If a family member watches LO

My grandmother watches DS and I swear she has an appointment every week.

She schedules them in the afternoon so she is always at my house in the morning and either my MIL will drive up (about 1 hr away) and relieve her or my sister will pick him up for the rest of the day.

Re: If a family member watches LO

we just had this come up for the first time (it's been a week and a half that dh and i have both been at work on some days). MIL watches her on days we're both working, but next tuesday she has a dr appt in morning. My mom will be covering the morning since she's available.
If my mom was out of town (they have a home in another state as well), one of us would have to stay home, or she would have to try to move the appointment (which wouldn't be totally unreasonable since she only watches dd 1-3 days a week, so she does have off days to do stuff).

Re: If a family member watches LO

My parents watch ds 3 days a week, so we're lucky in that they either make their appointments on the days they don't have them or, since they're both home, they just take ds with them. If they're going away or something, dh will usually take off because he literally has 10x the amount of sick & vaca time than I do.

Re: If a family member watches LO

My mom watches DS during the week.

If she isn't feeling good or needs to go somewhere, I take off or call out sick (even though I'm not suppose to use sick days to take care of my child )

Re: If a family member watches LO

See if my in laws can watch her, if not then DH or I have to take the day off

Re: If a family member watches LO

My mom watches my son 5 days a week. My father is her back up if she has to go to a doctor's appt, which is pretty frequently.

If my father is unavailable, then my husband takes off from work. If he can't do it, then I have to take off. My husband and I alternate, but my job isn't that flexible.

Message edited 1/26/2012 11:22:51 AM.

Re: If a family member watches LO

My SIL just started watching our DD. Before DD arrived I also had an offer from a good friend to be our sitter. Unfortunately this friend does not drive so I didn't feel comfortable with her doing it full-time but she will be our back-up. She's not far from my DH's job so he can leave our DD there on his way to work. If there is ever a time that both my friend and SIL can't watch baby we DH and I will take it in turns to take time off work.

Re: If a family member watches LO

I'm going through the same thing right now and I have no other option than to work from home some days and take a few vaca too. I don't want to take advantage too much by working from home 6 business days in a row.

I'm in advertising and work in an agency where few are married with kids and live in the burbs. I know what "working from home" can look like to others.

I was curious if there was any daycare that operated on an "as needed" basis in case this happens again. Anyone have an info on this?

Best of luck.

Re: If a family member watches LO

Re: If a family member watches LO

If I can find coverage, we do that. Otherwise, either DH or I take off of work.

Re: If a family member watches LO

Both my mother and MIL watch DD so - I will ask the other if they are available, if not then DH or I take off of work for the day but both my mother and MIL have just brought DD to their doctors appointments or other appointments they have in the past.

Re: If a family member watches LO

My inlaws watch dd. If they cant for some reason I end up taking the day off from work.

Re: If a family member watches LO

then i usually take the day off from work or a half day if its possible to work around whatever it is shes doing.