I'll be honest the whole transition back to work was tough (but I'll leave that for another post). We cobble together childcare on those three days. One day hubby has Xander, another day my mum and then he goes to nursery one day a week, however one thing I didn't consider is what happens if you're ill AND what happens if your little one is ill OR the person who is suppose to be looking after your little one whilst you're at work?!
All of a sudden I've gone from a worker with a fairly good attendance record to someone in the past I would have complained about, problem being it's all utterly beyond your control. If you're child is ill then no one will look after them, you have little choice but to forfeit a day of work to care for them. Then conscious you've already taken time off work (and may need to again in the future), you then go into work ill ... And that makes you more ill. You can't win!!
I've recently had to take two weeks signed off work for being unwell, I simply had been Ill too long and ran myself into the ground. But how easy is it to recover with a toddler running around insisting on constant 24 hour entertaining! This is when I came to the realisation once you become a mother there's no such thing as sick days ... In fact sometimes work is viewed as having a rest!
So my question for you is: how do you deal with the daily grind of work alongside children? Who helps out when you or your little one is ill? How understanding are your work when you call in sick or call in to take a day off to look after your little ones?
Please leave comments below (and please do not leave explicit names of workplaces in your comments)
IT sure is an eye opener I know. I went back to work FT after having Keagan (back then we had far less paid maternity compared to now & I just couldn't afford to stay off) boy was it hard, and even harder when he was ill. Thankfully I had my mum who would look after him no matter. But I made myself ill trying to work FT & look after a little one. So I went PT. But even that didn't help if mum was ill! Thankfully my work were great we were being made redundant so the last 18 mths was more abt doing everything to keep us till the end. But even now, K is nearly 16 and you still get the phone calls if they are ill and school. I still have to go collect him. I guess being a mum is a 24 hr thing that never really stops! Once you think you can finally stop doing all that, the grandchildren arrive! Or that's what my mum said anyway!! Take care Zo xx
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