This Really ****s....

[SuzanneL70]

My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!

[CheekyChick]

I have assistants, so leaving is a non-issue for me. If I were you, I would purchase a used baby seat in the event of an emergency. Getting to your son would be difficult if you don't have anywhere to put baby in the car.

Oh, and you're NOT a horrible mommy. 45 minutes of resting at school is not the worst thing a child could go through. He will forgive you. Just give him lots of TLC tonight.

[laundrymom]

Don't beat yourself up about it sweets. Maybe you could make nice with a neighbor? Or a friend? I personally had my parents, my pastor, friends, a neighbor and a few others when my kids were small. I did hear of someone sending a taxi once.

[SilverSabre25]

I was also going to suggest a neighbor

[Christian Mother]

Awww...that really bits it..

I try not to think about situations like that bc I'd be in the same predicament. I have 4 kids and although I have car seats...I wouldn't have room bc my car only seats 5. My husband has more flexibility but he spends his days doing side jobs which take him all over the place. If he was across the city he'd not be back in time to get to my son if he was sick. The kicker here is for us...the school is on the same block as the house. If I knew that one of my neighbors where home I'd run over and have them stay with my kiddo's so I can pick my son up quickly. Starting next week my daughter starts preschool and I am going to have to tell the parents that drop off early that they'd have to be here before 8am as I will not be there as I'd be dropping my daughter off they'll have to wait. Then my dh would pick up at 11:30am each day and then she takes the bus to go back to school for her speech therapy class. I have a home visit either tomorrow or next week and something I want to discuss is if there is a bus system that can take her but I don't think there is for pre school just the special ed class. She would be starting head start and I don't think they offer bus transportation. Really hard on us who don't have assistants or a bigger car. I'm upside down in mine. I can trade mine in for a bigger one bc of that not to mention my husband being unemployed....awwww!!

[wdmmom]

I have an assistant but typically she only works mornings. If my kids get sick or have to be picked up for whatever reason, my DH does it. He has flexibility with his job. If for some reason, he's unable to, my MIL is next in line.

[youretooloud]

When my kids were in school, we lived a few blocks from the school. I would have felt bad waking them all up, but I would have done that.

Plus, my Mom lived very close.

Plus, all my daycare kids were kids of teachers at that school, and one of them would have driven her home if it was important.

But, when we moved, my youngest's school was four miles away... it ****ed SO bad. I hated that with a passion.

[HeatherJ]

The school should have emergency contacts for him listed in his file. Could any of those possibly pick him up if this were to happen in the future?

[Meyou]

I ask my mom to go and pick them up (she's retired) or I'll get the school to send them home in a taxi. Our city has certain taxi drivers that go through special screening to be allowed to drive children without an adult.

[Pammie]

Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school?

Yup. I started doing daycare because my kids came first. That never changed from when my kids were infants/toddlers, til when they were in middle/high school, til now- one still in college If my kids need me, everything else is secondary. This is something that I still emphasize in interviews.

On occasion, this meant that I had to do emergency runs to school to pick them up in situations like yours. If that meant that everyone got woken up from nap to take a ride to the school - then so be it. The kids would be rewarded for their good behavior and cooperation with a movie, special snack and blanket time when we got back, if they couldn't go back to sleep. I never had back-ups, neighbors that could pick them up at school, and dh's job has little flexibility for him to leave his workplace on a moment's notice. It never happened that often, but the times that it did, I told the dcps at pick-up, and warned them that naps were cut short that day, but they were all understanding, and never complained.

Now today it means, if dd shows up at the house needing anything from me - the dc kids go play toys.

My kids always come first

[Kaddidle Care]

My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!

You are no different than any other working Mom except that you work from home. If a working Mom that worked in the office couldn't leave right away they would understand.

I work in a Center and there have been times that I was called and it takes time to get someone in to cover if I have to leave. 45 minutes - I would probably have had the child rest like you requested so long as he wasn't puking up a storm.

It is good to have emergency contacts though. Unfortunately, just like what happened in your situation, timing is never perfect.

[joysjustlikehome]

I think no matter what we do as Moms there is going to be guilt. I hope he's feeling better today (((hugs))) ~Joy

[countrymom]

My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!

it happens here too, usually dh picks up, but there are times he can't. I wish we had a nurses office, we don't so they have to sit at the office and wait.

[kimsdaycare]

I can't transport - have neither the vehicle or restraints required to do so.

DH is usually the one that picks up, does conferences etc.

My mom didn't drive. She always sent a taxi for me.

[SuzanneL70]

Thank you all so much for your replies! I got a little choked up reading them. (I'm a sap, what can I say?) I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to know I'm not alone in these challenges. It helps to put things in perspective and remember why I chose to do childcare in the first place. To be here for my kids!

Yesterday my son didn't stay in the nurse's room- he chose to go back to class and by the time he got home, his headache was gone and he was fine. :-)

I am definitely going to purchase an infant car seat for emergencies though. In the event of an emergency, I wouldn't hesitate to wake up all the sleeping kiddos. I'm just grateful to have a mini-van that seats 6.

Thanks again!! :-)