WDYD when YOU are too sick to take DC to school?

[ha98ed14]

Just wondering what you do when you can't get DC to school because of your own medical challenges. Does it ever happen?

[niccig]

DH has been able to do it. If not, I would be calling a friend/classmate to see if they could pick DS up on way to school, or he would be staying home with me. I HATE being home sick and having to care for DS, but if I couldn't get him to/from school, it would be a TV day for us.

[belovedgandp]

I have gone in my pjs with a barf bag, not fun but I have done it. That was younger kids where they had to have a carseat and I knew few people at the school. Fortunately there was curbside drop off and pick up.

By elementary school it is a little easier since they only needed a booster and we went to the neighborhood school. I do not carpool with neighbors but have two or three that I know well enough to call the morning of school in an emergency.

[YouAreTheFocus]

I can't really answer for myself, b/c DH does all the pickups/dropoffs. But if he was too sick to do it, I would take DC to school. There have been times that DH stayed home sick but still took DC in, then came home and went back to bed. We are just us, no family, etc to call on. If both of us were unable, DC would be staying home.

[BunnyBee]

DH and I had some horrible, awful, incapacitating stomach virus at the same time. Kids watched TV and foraged for food. I was afraid to call a friend in case DC were contagious/about to get it too. Otherwise, DH has taken them or taken them to a friend's house when he had to be at work before school started. Their kids went to the same school and we have helped each other.

[Pennylane]

Two weeks ago I took my dc with a barf bag in my lap. I barely made it home. I wouldn't have taken them in until later if it hadn't been the second day of school. In that case, I would have called the office to let them know and taken the dc when able.

That reminds me, I keep meaning to get the bus schedule just in case this ever happens again. First time in 6 years I really did not think I was going to make it!

Ann

[BabyBearsMom]

That happened to me this morning. I was throwing up so DH dropped the girls off

[123LuckyMom]

If DH couldn't do it, I would call my friends. When I was pregnant and ended up bedridden and in horrible pain, DH took DS to school in the mornings, and my BF brought him home each evening. She had an extra carseat. It would be a challenge now, because we both have an additional child, but I know I'd be able to work it out somehow.

[daniele_ut]

I have several mom friends in the neighborhood who can take DD to school in a pinch.

[KrisM]

Mine take the bus or walk/bike. I'd send those needing a bus to a neighbor's house.

[ZeeBaby]

Hasn't happened yet, but I imagine DH would have to take them or I would take them sick. I would not keep them with me unless I was unable drive. I drove them 2 days after minor surgery.

[SnuggleBuggles]

In 2nd grade, ds1 told his teachers that I was picking him up, no bus. He was wrong and I don't know how they believed him with no note!! Anyway, I was laid up in bed with the real flu. I had to drag myself there (plus pack up ds2) to get him. Basically, you just muddle through as needed!

[cono0507]

Not when I was sick by DS was sick and I didn't want to wake him to bring DD to school so she just went with the neighbors.

[JBaxter]

Its never happened here either but I guess I'd call a neighbor, have them catch the early bus or have DH take them

[connor_mommy]

I would have DH do it. If he wasn't available, I guess I would send them with my neighbors.

[eagle]

dh does it. but sometimes hes not around. if i have a migraine and i cant deal and dh is not around, my child just stays at home and fends for himself until im better able to cope. its happened twice. if i made more friends around this town, im sure i could ask friends to pick up, etc, but i havent yet made friends like that.

[wellyes]

Two weeks ago I took my dc with a barf bag in my lap. I barely made it home. I wouldn't have taken them in until later if it hadn't been the second day of school. In that case, I would have called the office to let them know and taken the dc when able.

That reminds me, I keep meaning to get the bus schedule just in case this ever happens again. First time in 6 years I really did not think I was going to make it!

Ann

I think bringing the kid in when you can is an ENTIRELY reasonable way to go, if you don't have a handy spouse or neighbor or friend to help out. It's important to be prompt, catch the bus, etc etc but on days when mom's sick, you just do what you gotta do.

[queenmama]

FIL takes him to school quite often, but if it was "my" day and I was sick DS would stay home. It's an hour trip to and from school, not worth it I'm feeling awful since I almost always have to pick him up as well.

Lara

[ilfaith]

It has only happened once. DH was out of town and I was so sick I couldn't even get out of bed. The boys were in private school 20-25 minutes from our house and there was nobody else in our neighborhood who went there. So I kept them home. They managed to forage for breakfast in our kitchen (granola bars of something), and I eventually managed to get up and make them lunch.

I should add that I only ever get sick when DH is out of town.

[mackmama]

I'd ask DH to do it.

[bisous]

It hasn't happened to me yet but I think having a backup in place is a good idea. Also, OP, you are in CA. Lots of parents here have a fairly intensive process for picking up kids. Whereas you CAN use the drop-off/pick-up line, parents at our school really like to park and walk to the entrance of the school, then escort the child back to the car. Sometimes when I do it this way it involves lots of walking and I can imagine that if I was sick it would be awful! So I've taught my kids how to use the drop off line just so if I really needed to on that day, I could, if that makes sense!

[Pear]

DH is my primary backup. We also have family in town and I have called them for help. They can drive to my house and then drive my car to school.

I have also thrown up while driving. Thankfully the trip is short and I can safely pull over.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

well DH usually does drop off/pickup, and once he was had a stomach bug and nearly puked while picking up the kids..luckily i came home soon after and took over. if one is sick the other will take over.

DH travels a ton though so and.we have no family in town, dont' really know our neighbors. in that case, if i had a stomach bug or whatever, i'd be driving with a barf bag. no way in heck would i keep them home..i'd be way, way more miserable. now that i work full-time, it's less of a worry. when i was a SAHM it was harder bc if i was sick or had a migraine, it was just tough, for the entire day. whereas now, school is just 5 minutes away so it's not a big deal. i worry way, way more about the kids being sick. if the kids were totally healthy and i happened to get a migraine or stomach bug or whatever, i'd just bite the bullet and do whatever it takes to get them to school and then just come home and collapse. I dont' know, i guess i had really rotten morning sickness in both pregnancies so i would spend the first 24 weeks i would go everywhere with a hospital-grade barf bag in my purse :) and i've puked in the car many a time when i was preg.

anyway, interesting thread. though i'm wondering OP maybe means more serious health issues as opposed to a tummy bug or migraine...like surgery recovery, or back issues where you literally cannot drive. i honestly don't know what i'd do if DH was OOT and i threw out my back or something. I do have an membership to an on-call nanny service, so i'd probably use that for the bulk of the day, but i'd don't know what i'd do for nighttime etc.

[Carlasmom]

We live in Switzerland. Here it is common that kids walk to school alone starting first grade, some even earlier. That is what my kids do. So my being sick would have no impact on how they got to school. It might affect their breakfast choice :).

My preschooler stayed home with me once when I felt too sick to take him even though his school is only a five-minute drive from our home.

[ha98ed14]

It hasn't happened to me yet but I think having a backup in place is a good idea. Also, OP, you are in CA. Lots of parents here have a fairly intensive process for picking up kids. Whereas you CAN use the drop-off/pick-up line, parents at our school really like to park and walk to the entrance of the school, then escort the child back to the car. Sometimes when I do it this way it involves lots of walking and I can imagine that if I was sick it would be awful! So I've taught my kids how to use the drop off line just so if I really needed to on that day, I could, if that makes sense!

This is us. The school actually encourages parking and walking in. It has a rediculously small drop off lane (it's actually a circle) and you aren't allowed to drop off anywhere close to the school if you don't go into the drop off circle. Some parents let their older kids off on the block or two before the school and the kids just walk up to the school. This is allowed, but DD would panic. (Perhaps she sould be able to do it, but we're not there yet.)

Yesterday, I thought I would lose it on the way. I wanted to keep her home so bad, but I pulled it together and did it. I was so embarassed walking up to the school looking like death warmed over. I swear there are moms who use drop off as their personal fashion show to display their newest $100+ work out attire: I call them the LuluMoms in my head.

DH can't do it because he is a teacher and has his own class to teach. They are at different schools across town from each other.

I'm comforted to know that if I had kept her home, it wouldn't have been a huge deal.