Sick kid! How to keep working?
Blackberry on standby. Alarm clock set. Teeth brushed. Tweetdeck closed. A good night’s sleep was heading my way. And then… BuuaaaaaAAARF! One of my kids. We picked her up early from school yesterday with a high fever. We thought it was a cold, so the heaving was an adventurous surprise. The night was not as restful as it had initially implied itself to be.
I guess that’s the beauty of telework. Dry-heaving aside, the flexibility to work anywhere is definitely appreciated. There’s really no reason my daughter’s stomach flu should interfere with getting things done. She’s curled up beside me, Sprite and bucket in hand. If she needs me, here I am.
If you have kids, I see your head nodding with empathy. If you don’t have kids, please nod anyway. I could use a little affirmation today.
I can’t telework. What should I do?
- Say it’s H1N1. Tell your boss Uncle Sam says you should stay away for a week. (No. Don’t lie to your boss. Stop googling H1N1 symptoms.)
- Use a personal day. Sure, that vacation will be short-changed, but you’ve got vomit to mop.
- Phone a friend. But start with family. Family is less likely to screen future calls after your child gives them a reason to mop too. Then again, I’ve managed to make stronger friendships through baby diaper blowouts… your decision.
How can I manage work and my sick child?
I can telework. How can I manage work and my sick child?
- Talk to your supervisor and coworkers. If you don’t do this, you’ll appear a little flaky and forgetful. Just let everyone know what you’re dealing with. Most humans can relate to illness, and the rest have read about it in magazines.
- Announce pharmacy trips. If you have to make a quick drug/tissue/sanitizer run, give people a head’s up. This will eliminate a lot of misunderstandings.
- Pick priorities. Look at your to do list. What are the big things that need to get done? Do those things, and worry about the little stuff later. Were you going to design a new folder structure in Outlook today? Yeah, that one can wait (probably forever, but that’s another topic).
- Stay close to your child. Same room. Maybe a dust mask. Step out of the room for phone calls.
- Try shifting your work hours, or work a partial day. Is someone home later in the day? If you have that flexibility, push your plans to the afternoon or evening.
- Turn on the TV. This is not a long-term solution, but if it’s just a day or two, I see no harm in letting your child absorb PBS between naps. I don’t do cable TV, so Netflix is another option I use. But I repeat, don’t turn the TV into a babysitter. This is NOT a long-term solution.
Now my daughter’s sleeping. Snoring away, hopefully on the mend. Sesame Street is talking in the background. Today was brought to you by the letters: B,A,R, and F.
Got any tips or stories about telecommuting with sick kids? Please share!
