Reply to How do working parents arrange emergency/backup child care?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here again. As a new hire, when is it appropriate for me to raise the issue of wanting to work from home (when DH can't cover) when the kids are sick? Should I just bring it up when it has to happen, or does it make sense to talk to my new supervisor in advance?

I know other parents are dealing with this issue constantly, and I'm not the only one, but I am so afraid of coming off as the new hire who can't seem to get her $hit together when it comes to dealing w/ kids. If I had more seniority I wouldn't be so worried.[/quote]

I would strongly urge you not to suggest that you intend to telework to cover sick kids as a new hire.  That makes it sound like you intend to use teleworking as child care- something that is prohibited in the federal government and by most employers.  Honestly, if you were my new hire that suggestion would make me hesitate to let you telework at all.  (As a mom of elementary school kids I get it- you actually can have older sick kids at home and work a lot, they mostly just watch tv and play video games.  But I am warning you, unless your supervisor has kids who are exactly the same age as yours- they will most likely not get this and not look kindly upon this request.)
If your DH has the leave- have him cover all sick days and routine doctors appointments.  I would make this true for the first month you are at your new job- possibly the first two months.  You want to come no strong and show that you are totally committed to the job.  
Snow days I would put in a different category.  If there is snow, then lots of people are impacted, and things usually change at the office anyway.  I wouldn't worry to much about taking off/ teleworking on snow days.  
I don't know what type of job your DH has- but there need to be very few days that are truly 'he can't miss' days.  
I know co-workers who have found the splitting the day method to be effective.  My DH and I both have long enough commutes that we would waste to much time doing that.  Instead we basically trade days back and forth.
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