Work at Home Moms Don’t Get Sick Days
Read more about: Featured, Time for Myself, Working at Home
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There are definite pros and cons to working at home. While we all know I’m a “believer in balance,” today I’m going to focus only on the cons of working at home. (To be true to my moniker, I’ll write about the pros another day. 
) Today, it’s all about the cons. Well, actually, just one con really . . . work at home moms don’t get sick days! We don’t get paid vacation either, but I said I’d limit the post to one con. I don’t want to be too negative!
When I worked outside the home I got five sick days a year. I miss my sick days. Not because I’m sick a lot. Not because I even used them that much. But because they were always there when I needed them. I could use my sick days not only when I was sick, but when I had doctor and dentist appointments.
Now, as a work at home mom, I’ve had to take my baby with me to the dentist, doctor and to that oh so dreaded appointment with my ob-gyn. When she was an infant, it wasn’t such a big deal. She would usually stay content in her car seat. When she didn’t, I’d give her a bottle. No biggie. What’s the problem then? She outgrew the car seat and started walking. The nerve of her! Her developmental milestones have made going to these appointments quite a bit more challenging!
At my last ob-gyn appointment, my toddler got so fussy I had to hold her on my lap. Yeah? During the appointment. So? While my feet were in the stirrups! Oh. Oh! Now you get the picture. Frankly, if I could’ve grabbed my camera, while balancing my baby on my belly with my legs propped open, I would have! It seriously was a sight to be seen. (From the waist up of course! )
I had to do the same balancing act at the dentist too. While I was pleased to have my pants on this time, it was a challenge to keep my toddler from ripping that machine thingy that hangs over your head out of the ceiling while keeping my mouth open and trying not to wince at the ear-splitting amplified sound of finger nails being dragged down a chalk board that water pick makes.
So do I want to work outside the home to get my sick days back? Not a chance. The pros of working at home so outweigh the cons. However, I will force myself to get up even earlier so I can nab the first appointment of the day. That way my hubby can watch turbo tot before he goes to work while I get that quality time by myself in the stirrups. Lucky me.
Shannon Hutton draws on her experience working full-time, part-time and from home with three kids to blog about the universal challenge of achieving work-life balance. She also uses her Master's in Education and professional experience as a School Counselor to address parenting and school issues in her weekly 
My only complaint about sick days is never having enough… I wish I had more flexibility in the time that I’m allowed to take off, but I guess it is good to have the days that I do have. It’s all about trade-offs…
Deb - Mom of 3 Girlss last blog post..Another Meme Monday…
The biggest problem with being a full time mom and a full time employee is even when I take a sick day, it’s never for me, it’s always for one of the kids. So when I get sick, I generally have to tough it out and try to share with everyone else at work. Then I get to watch them all take sick days, while I sadly sit there and wait for one of mine to succumb to a horrible disease again so I can take an extra day off to catch up on cleaning, er, care for one of my darlings.
JTs last blog post..Happy Mother’s Day!
Well there’s always the Temp help service.
Love DAD
Shannon, don’t forget the guilt you have for thinking it’s unfair to have to sometimes drag your children with you. I’m 61 and still find myself feeling guilty for all I had to do to make my life work while managing the family to make ends meet. It never leaves you and of course it’s not true. We were and are supermoms etc, however, the guilt we have lingers for life. Sometimes I have to remind myself to just get over it and tap myself on the shoulder and say Dorothy you are and were amazing…
Same to you…
My best,
Dorothy from grammology
remember to call gram
http://www.grammology.com
Dorothy Stahlneckers last blog post..Do you regularly justify what your doing?
No, drop in child care near your home. It can be a lifesaver and you can literally see the stress barometer drop when you have a deadline or appt. that is not “family-friendly.” Or if you are not feeling “family-friendly.” Really, after years of not having any back up, I found some and that creates balance.
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I’ve been there! I’ve had to drag my (now 11MO) toddler to eye exams, meetings, luncheons, ob-gyn appts — the whole lot. Not ideal.
One thing I’ve been able to do a few times is set up lunch time appts for things that are near my husband’s office so he can watch my son on his lunch break. I can’t do it too often but it does work. My husband gets to “show off” the baby to all of his co-workers (many of whom are moms and love seeing him!) and I get an hour or so free to do what I need to do.
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Oh my. I always made it to my appointments alone, thank God. But the image you presented was priceless!
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Making appointments is the hardest! My son went with me for my one year post birth gyno appt. I haven’t been back since. I saw the dentist while pregnant and the not again until he was 3 1/2 and I just got new eye glasses, 1st time in 3 yrs. Now that he is 3 1/2 and very verbal, my mother will watch him for a few hours (not more than 3, she is 80yr old)
Everyone always says the first yr is the worst, I disagree. I use to go everywhere with him and now I rarely go anywhere that isnt child friendly, unless I have another pair of eyes and ears along to help me.
Nodins Nests last blog post..Comfort Crafting
Uhhh…yeah, been there before (the obgyn story). Thankfully, my sister works at the dentist office I go to so she helps with the baby while I’m in the chair.
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