Sick Kids, Work Woes.
It’s day 74 of February, and before my alarm even goes off my 10 year old daughter stumbles into my room to tell me that her throat hurts and she doesn’t feel well. I suggest she gets a drink of water and go back to bed, sure it’s just dry air.
Unsurprisingly to anyone who has school-age kids, when I checked on her an hour later, her cheeks were bright red, her face was hot, and she was indeed running a fever. I sighed, as my husband was leaving on a work trip today, so I was going to be the one staying home. Again. For the 7th time in 3 weeks. So I did what I try to do most days: ask myself “how do I let this be easy?”
We are very fortunate in that a fever and yet another sick day for my kids means inconvenience and frustration, but never true worry for their long-term health.
Whether you’re in a season of life where your kids are in daycare and have a neverending cold, or you have school aged kids who pass germs back and forth on the playground, juggling your own business while taking care of the tiny humans you love takes some skill. There are no paid sick days, and often we don’t have a full team to delegate to. We’ve had plenty of meltdowns over the years (mostly mine), so here are some things to make it easier when your kids are home sick yet again.
Prioritize Your Tasks
List out all of your work tasks and responsibilities. A brain dump in a notebook is a great way to get it out of your head and in front of your eyes so you can move on to the next step.
Prioritize them based on urgency and importance. I like to use a 1, 2, 3 ranking system.
Determine which tasks can be postponed and which ones cannot. Seriously, most of these can wait… but which ones cannot? Circle those bad boys.
Set Expectations With Your Team and Clients
Notify your clients that your child is home sick and you may have to adjust your work schedule or deadlines. Avoid making absolute promises on time frames, as your kids’ immune system isn’t going to stick to a schedule.
Discuss potential solutions, such as working remotely or delegating tasks. This is a great time to minimize what needs to get done. Lean on your team if you have one, or give yourself extra time.
Create a Flexible Schedule
About that schedule… you’re likely not going to get 8 hours of work time uninterrupted, but truly, you probably don’t need that to get your most important tasks done (ever).
Establish a flexible work schedule that accommodates your child's needs. You’re a parent first. CEO second.
Determine when you can work during the day and communicate these hours to your staff or clients. Remember that they are humans too, and have loved ones. Most people are so understanding if you communicate well and work with them.
Consider working early in the morning or after your child has gone to bed.
Put Your Mask On first
Recognize that taking care of a sick child can be emotionally and physically exhausting. Remember to drink your water, eat some vegetables, and take your vitamins. Running yourself thin while trying to do it all is a recipe for you also getting sick.
Take breaks when needed to recharge and refocus. If it’s possible, consider a true sick day, and take the whole day off!
Use breaks to spend time with your child and help them feel better. Snuggles fix a lot, and if you’ve been losing sleep with a sick kid, a power nap on the couch is pretty productive.
Lean on your village
This can look like asking a neighbor to drive your other kids to school, ordering popsicles and groceries instead of driving to the store, ordering takeout for dinner, rescheduling any meetings that require your full attention, etc.
I know how fortunate I am to have family nearby that can help, and good friends to vent to. This time, I asked my husband to take care of a couple house chores before he left, I rescheduled my meetings, asked Dena to cover the front desk for me at CoHo, and ordered kitty litter to be delivered instead of running out for it. I also asked my retired MIL to be on standby for tomorrow, should my daughter need to stay home again.
I’m going to drink my Emergen-C, work on the couch under a blanket while the Disney Channel plays on the TV, and refill my girl’s giant water bottle as often as she’ll let me. I’m trusting that my business will be fine without me today, and knowing that this is just part of being a CEO Mama.
What are your favorite ways to survive another sick day with the kids? Come over to Instagram, and let me know!