What do you do when your nanny is sick?

[Anonymous]

We just hired a substitute nanny through an agency (the agency is through my employer) for a few days while our nanny was sick. I wasn't too comfortable with it but it was a last minute thing we have no family in town and the only other trusted sitter I know was busy. I'm wondering what people do to make sure they have a trusted backup when their nanny is sick or on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Build connections with your neighbors and other nearby parents. Sometimes they will let you nanny-share. Of course it helps if you can somehow help them out to.

[Anonymous]

Facing this exact same problem today and trying to figure out how long we ask the nanny to stay away, while managing emergency care. The agency solution really seems less than ideal but it's awfully hard to manage these sick days.

[Anonymous]

Some parents...

telecommute
use the drop-in daycare available at their company/employer
hire an on-call nanny through a local agency
pass their child to a friend's nanny for the day (pay for a one-day nanny-share, essentially)
call on neighbors/friends/family in the area for help (I've seen friends posting on FB looking for last-minute childcare)
consult Craigslist for available carers (not exactly recommended)
take a day off from work or split a half-day off from work with their partner (Parent #1 home in the morning, at work in afternoon, Parent #2 the reverse)

Sadly there are no miraculous suggestions that you haven't thought of already, just the regular challenge of arranging childcare in a country that isn't child- (or parent-) friendly.

[Anonymous]

I would never do Craig's list for last minute care. Way too risky, even when it's not last minute.

[Anonymous]

I would never grab a list minute sitter because I need to know who I'm leaving my children with.

I know my nanny is bound to get sick or take one of her PTO and fortunately I have family available but if I didn't I would hire a occasional sitter ahead of time so I know who she is. I would hire someone flexible who doesn't work Mon-Fri on the hours I may need her.

There's also IN-home daycare who don't charge a set rate so if you find one you like to use as a backup then that would be great as well.

[Anonymous]

"ake a day off from work or split a half-day off from work with their partner (Parent #1 home in the morning, at work in afternoon, Parent #2 the reverse) "

this is what we do. If nanny used a lot of time off beyond her PTO though i would have to come up w/ a new way to deal.