How to Share Your Home Office with a Sick Child
Monday rolled around and I was ready to go. I showered early,
fired up the computer and pulled in all my email before my
daughter's alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. As I was making her
breakfast, my thoughts were focused on all the work I was going
to accomplish that week. Then she stumbled into the kitchen with
her announcement:
"Mommy, I don't feel too good."
Sure enough, she was running a slight fever. There was no way
she could go to school that day - and my game plan for the week
was going to have to be changed.
For me, the biggest benefit of becoming a work at home mom is
the ability to take a sick kid in stride. With no boss to answer
to, or co-workers to feel guilty about - and my office right
here in my home - a little fever is no longer a reason to
declare marital war (as it was in the bad old days when my
husband and I fought over which one was going to stay home this
time).
However, work at home parents do have to make adjustments when
their kids take a sick day - and during flu and cold season,
there could be a lot of those - especially if you have more than
one child and they catch the bug serially.
You know it's going to happen - so you need to be prepared:
* Got cold medication? Check your supply of children's pain
relievers (i.e., Tylenol, Motrin, etc.) Buy lots of it before
flu season starts. You'll know it's time when you see the
coupons in the Sunday paper. Either use them - or take that as
your cue to buy in bulk at your favorite warehouse store.
Many pediatricians advise against giving multi-symptom cold
medications (you know - the ones that promise to lower a fever,
relieve a stuffy nose *and* suppress a cough). Ask your doctor
his or her recommendation for your children at their annual
checkups, including correct dosages (which will change as they
grow). Write it down and keep it with your stash of medicine.
You won't believe how easy it is to forget this months later
when you actually need it!
* You probably already keep the fridge stocked with snack foods
your kids can get for themselves (it does not take a work at
home parent long to realize that this is essential with children
around!) You may need to supplement your pantry with additional
comfort foods. If they are old enough to stay home alone while
you go shopping, do it as soon as possible. Make sure you
include a variety of juices -- as the doctors say, their sick
little bodies need plenty of fluids.
If your kids are little - and you are unlucky enough to have the
bug hit when the cupboard is bare - you may need outside help.
This is a good time for a neighbor or friend to repay a kindness
and pick up a few things at the store. And instead of taking
time from work to make lunch, you all might enjoy having a pizza
delivered.
This is when I used to rely on the late, lamented Webvan to
bring some groceries. Although that big flashy online grocery
service died spectacularly last year, you may still be able to
find one that will deliver to your home. A quick look on a
search engine turned up these:
< http://www.PeaPod.com > goes to Chicago, Boston, Washington
DC, and some parts of New York state and Connecticut.
< http://www.GetGroceries.com > is a network of stores that
deliver to parts of Colorado, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina,
Texas, Utah and Washington state.
< http://www.NetGrocer.com > offers nationwide grocery delivery
- but they accomplish this by shipping through Federal Express.
While this might make sense if you want to make sure you never
run out of non-perishable staples like macaroni and cheese, this
won't work in a sick kid situation.
Safeway is experimenting with home deliveries, and if you live
in Portland, OR or Vancouver, you are in luck. (And if so,
please go to < http://shop.safeway.com/ > and start using the
service whether your child is sick or not! If their test is
successful, a national rollout would be a godsend!)
* You should have an "activity kit" that you can bring out on a
sick day. Be on the lookout for children's videos that go on
sale, computer games that could be fun and educational, coloring
books, crayons, stickers, etc. Stash these in a closet until
they are needed. This could give you hours of uninterrupted work
time before they start complaining that they are bored.
* You probably try to limit the amount of time your kids spend
watching television. But when they are home sick and you are
trying to get some work done, the TV can be your best friend.
There is no better time to relax the rules a bit - and one
Nickelodeon-saturated day will not hurt them in the long run.
* Accept the fact that you will not be as productive this week.
If do not already have a to-do list, start one now and rank your
priorities. Chances are, you'll find lots of tasks that can wait
a few days until your child is back in school.
Plan to do only what is absolutely necessary. If you're lucky,
you may even be able to tackle a few of the things that are
lower on the list... just don't count on it.
* Rely on your voice mail system. Change your outgoing message
to reflect the fact that you may not be available during regular
office hours. You don't have to reveal your reason if it is not
appropriate. Simply state that you will be out of the office for
a few days but will check in for messages. Prioritize your calls
and return them accordingly.
* You may need to cancel or reschedule your appointments. If
this is not possible, enlist a friend, family member or
babysitter to stay with your kids while you are out-- and don't
feel guilty about it.
Above all, cherish this time when your kids need you to care for
them. In sickness and in health, these years are special ...and
they don't last forever.