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SuzanneL70 03:11 PM 11-09-2011
My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!
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CheekyChick 03:26 PM 11-09-2011
I have assistants, so leaving is a non-issue for me. If I were you, I would purchase a used baby seat in the event of an emergency. Getting to your son would be difficult if you don't have anywhere to put baby in the car.

Oh, and you're NOT a horrible mommy. 45 minutes of resting at school is not the worst thing a child could go through. He will forgive you. Just give him lots of TLC tonight.
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laundrymom 03:39 PM 11-09-2011
Don't beat yourself up about it sweets. Maybe you could make nice with a neighbor? Or a friend? I personally had my parents, my pastor, friends, a neighbor and a few others when my kids were small. I did hear of someone sending a taxi once.
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SilverSabre25 03:45 PM 11-09-2011
I was also going to suggest a neighbor
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Christian Mother 06:58 PM 11-09-2011
Awww...that really bits it..

I try not to think about situations like that bc I'd be in the same predicament. I have 4 kids and although I have car seats...I wouldn't have room bc my car only seats 5. My husband has more flexibility but he spends his days doing side jobs which take him all over the place. If he was across the city he'd not be back in time to get to my son if he was sick. The kicker here is for us...the school is on the same block as the house. If I knew that one of my neighbors where home I'd run over and have them stay with my kiddo's so I can pick my son up quickly. Starting next week my daughter starts preschool and I am going to have to tell the parents that drop off early that they'd have to be here before 8am as I will not be there as I'd be dropping my daughter off they'll have to wait. Then my dh would pick up at 11:30am each day and then she takes the bus to go back to school for her speech therapy class. I have a home visit either tomorrow or next week and something I want to discuss is if there is a bus system that can take her but I don't think there is for pre school just the special ed class. She would be starting head start and I don't think they offer bus transportation. Really hard on us who don't have assistants or a bigger car. I'm upside down in mine. I can trade mine in for a bigger one bc of that not to mention my husband being unemployed....awwww!!
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wdmmom 07:10 PM 11-09-2011
I have an assistant but typically she only works mornings. If my kids get sick or have to be picked up for whatever reason, my DH does it. He has flexibility with his job. If for some reason, he's unable to, my MIL is next in line.
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youretooloud 07:54 PM 11-09-2011
When my kids were in school, we lived a few blocks from the school. I would have felt bad waking them all up, but I would have done that.

Plus, my Mom lived very close.

Plus, all my daycare kids were kids of teachers at that school, and one of them would have driven her home if it was important.

But, when we moved, my youngest's school was four miles away... it sucked SO bad. I hated that with a passion.
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HeatherJ 09:00 PM 11-09-2011
The school should have emergency contacts for him listed in his file. Could any of those possibly pick him up if this were to happen in the future?
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Meyou 01:41 AM 11-10-2011
I ask my mom to go and pick them up (she's retired) or I'll get the school to send them home in a taxi. Our city has certain taxi drivers that go through special screening to be allowed to drive children without an adult.
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Pammie 03:22 AM 11-10-2011
Originally Posted by SuzanneL70:
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school?
Yup. I started doing daycare because my kids came first. That never changed from when my kids were infants/toddlers, til when they were in middle/high school, til now- one still in college If my kids need me, everything else is secondary. This is something that I still emphasize in interviews.

On occasion, this meant that I had to do emergency runs to school to pick them up in situations like yours. If that meant that everyone got woken up from nap to take a ride to the school - then so be it. The kids would be rewarded for their good behavior and cooperation with a movie, special snack and blanket time when we got back, if they couldn't go back to sleep. I never had back-ups, neighbors that could pick them up at school, and dh's job has little flexibility for him to leave his workplace on a moment's notice. It never happened that often, but the times that it did, I told the dcps at pick-up, and warned them that naps were cut short that day, but they were all understanding, and never complained.

Now today it means, if dd shows up at the house needing anything from me - the dc kids go play toys.

My kids always come first
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Kaddidle Care 05:28 AM 11-10-2011
Originally Posted by SuzanneL70:
My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!
You are no different than any other working Mom except that you work from home. If a working Mom that worked in the office couldn't leave right away they would understand.

I work in a Center and there have been times that I was called and it takes time to get someone in to cover if I have to leave. 45 minutes - I would probably have had the child rest like you requested so long as he wasn't puking up a storm.

It is good to have emergency contacts though. Unfortunately, just like what happened in your situation, timing is never perfect.
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joysjustlikehome 05:54 AM 11-10-2011
I think no matter what we do as Moms there is going to be guilt. I hope he's feeling better today (((hugs))) ~Joy
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countrymom 06:24 AM 11-10-2011
Originally Posted by SuzanneL70:
My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!

it happens here too, usually dh picks up, but there are times he can't. I wish we had a nurses office, we don't so they have to sit at the office and wait.
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kimsdaycare 06:56 AM 11-10-2011
I can't transport - have neither the vehicle or restraints required to do so.

DH is usually the one that picks up, does conferences etc.

My mom didn't drive. She always sent a taxi for me.
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SuzanneL70 09:56 AM 11-10-2011
Thank you all so much for your replies! I got a little choked up reading them. (I'm a sap, what can I say?) I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to know I'm not alone in these challenges. It helps to put things in perspective and remember why I chose to do childcare in the first place. To be here for my kids!

Yesterday my son didn't stay in the nurse's room- he chose to go back to class and by the time he got home, his headache was gone and he was fine. :-)

I am definitely going to purchase an infant car seat for emergencies though. In the event of an emergency, I wouldn't hesitate to wake up all the sleeping kiddos. I'm just grateful to have a mini-van that seats 6.

Thanks again!! :-)
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Country Kids 10:11 AM 11-10-2011
I have had two, mind you two major emergencies in my life where I was needed immediately and couldn't go.

First one, my son was in a wreck on the way to school. A car hit the bus and several children were transported to the hospital, my son was one of them. I was able to get a hold of my husband and he was a mile away so he went in the ambulance with our son. I was able to get a hold of my sub luckily and she came to watch the kids while I went to the hospital. Luckily it was nothing big but if it had been, but it wasn't.

Second time, husband was rushed by ambulance in the storm of the century (snow) to hospital with irratic heartbeat that they couldn't get down and didn't have the drugs on board to do. Luckily right as the loaded him up heart went back in rythym but still needed to go in for observation. His work called and offered to watch my daycare children but legally I couldn't do and my sub was unavailable. Was watching teachers children and none of them could leave work due to the storm, schools closing, but not soon enough, and no subs able to get in. I felt like the worst, worst wife and person in the world. My husband was laying in the hospital needing me (they were still looking at what was wrong) and I couldnt be there. I think if I had this come back up, I would have let the person from his work come and watch the kids, call liscensing and tell them what was up and call all the parents and let them know what was up. I will never let that happen again and I think after my last parents said no transportation and I went ahead and started scheduling field trips still and letting them know that I did have a life, my sub had retired, and if they wanted the type of care I provided their child would have to be transported. Everytime we are on a fieldtrip I get so many thank yous for what you do from them-go figure.
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Heidi 10:35 AM 11-10-2011
In Wisconsin, our emergency providers have to have a background check done, and have SIDS and Shaken Baby Training. EMERGENCY providers! So, I can't call a neighbor, my MIL, or anyone else I know to take over and call parents for pick up. Heck, I can't even call the mom of 4 of my kids (who works nearby), and have her stay here until the other child gets picked up. Funny, eh?

To transport children in any vehicle what has more than 6 passengers (so, any thing with a third row seat), I have to have an alarm system installed in the car that in theory prevents one from forgetting a sleeping child in the back.

The school system, which transports 60+ kids on a bus, only has to have the driver walk to the back and place a placard saying "this bus has been checked...", while I have to put in a $300 alarm system.

Also, no child under the age of 13 may ride in the front seat (even with an airbag sensor). Not even my own 12yo.

Guess how often I go anywhere?
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WImom 11:35 AM 11-10-2011
Originally Posted by bbo:
In Wisconsin, our emergency providers have to have a background check done, and have SIDS and Shaken Baby Training. EMERGENCY providers! So, I can't call a neighbor, my MIL, or anyone else I know to take over and call parents for pick up. Heck, I can't even call the mom of 4 of my kids (who works nearby), and have her stay here until the other child gets picked up. Funny, eh?

To transport children in any vehicle what has more than 6 passengers (so, any thing with a third row seat), I have to have an alarm system installed in the car that in theory prevents one from forgetting a sleeping child in the back.

The school system, which transports 60+ kids on a bus, only has to have the driver walk to the back and place a placard saying "this bus has been checked...", while I have to put in a $300 alarm system.

Also, no child under the age of 13 may ride in the front seat (even with an airbag sensor). Not even my own 12yo.

Guess how often I go anywhere?
I'm in WI and rolling eyes with you! My neighbor is my emergency back up so I atleast have her who is home most days but if she wasn't then Dh would have to leave work. The thing that sucks the most is the transport thing. My kids school is less then a mile away but I still couldn't transport with out that alarm system. (So I have to rely on friends of my kids to take them to anything before school - I REALLY hate that!!)
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boysx5 01:15 PM 11-10-2011
one part of this job I really hate I also have dh to get them or I use a neighbor if I really have to
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dEHmom 01:19 PM 11-10-2011
i'm in a predicament of finding a way for my kids to get to and from school everyday. being licensed I don't have enough room for all the kids in my van now. Which I bought last year so I had room for daycare kids too! Hmmm.....a 12 passenger van. Shopping around now.


45 mins isn't too bad for your son to wait. It's right at the end of the day, by the time you got there, it would almost be home time anyways. don't beat yourself up about it.
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PitterPatter 05:56 PM 11-10-2011
Originally Posted by SuzanneL70:
My son, 11, just called me from school and said he's not feeling well and wanted me to pick him up. As I have 3 napping children and one baby without a car seat, I can't exactly do that.... I called my dh who is on his way to a meeting in another town. I told the school secretary to let him rest in the nurse's room until its time to come home on the bus- which is only in 45 min. Still, I feel like the worst parent on the planet. Its not that I haven't thought about what I'd do if this happened, but the answer has always been that my dh would pick up. He owns his own business too and has more flexibility...NOT today! Ugh..

For those of you with kids in school who don't have an assistant (or 2 or 3), what plan do you have in place for these situations?
Would any of you wake up all your napping children and take them with you to pick up your sick child at school? I know I would if it was an emergency...I don't have any back up. Again...ugh!
I feel bad for you, I'm sorry! Don't beat yourself up though you planned as best you could. Here I have my Mom usually, she would even leave work to pick him up if needed but you couldn't take a child with no seat. We have had cases where a school counselor even the principal have drove children home so perhaps next time someone will offer you. Hugs to you and your son.
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