So here I'm sitting, hoping and praying that when I go into work tomorrow I will still have a job. This is the first job I've held since I lost my job when K was a baby. She is actually the reason I lost my job last time, which is also what caused me to become a SAHM. K was in childcare from the time she was 6 weeks old. The care center she went to was supposed to be one of the best centers. Unfortunately it was not the best for us. In the course of two weeks, she was given someone else's formula, which made her very sick. She was on a soy based formula and they gave her regular milk based formula. Everytime they fed it to her she would throw up. We're talking Exorcist here. And in turn I would have to leave work to pick her up, because they would not/could not keep a child who was ill.

BUT one day, when I picked her up, she had a full blown case of pink eye. There were no signs or symptoms of the pink eye when I dropped her off, otherwise I would have kept her home. When I picked her up, both of her eyes were swollen and sealed shut with goop. It was horrible. After I took her to the doctor and had it confirmed I called the childcare center to let them know. I considered it a courtsey call and figured they'd want to let the parents in her class room know that their children had been exposed. The childcare center never posted the notice.

(All this time I had her on the waiting list to get her into the childcare center on base) When she was 3 months old she contracted a nasty cough. I was in and out of the doctor's office for 3 weeks straight. The day she turned 4 months she started in the base childcare center. Unfortunately the damage had already been done. Two days after she started the new childcare center, she was hospitalized for RSV. She was in the hospital for a week. When I returned to work I found I no longer had a job.

I totally understand why that happened, and I'm not bitter about it. Seeing my baby girl so sick, so often, made me realize that I wanted to stay home and keep her healthy.

So what does all this have to do with my new job? Well, this week alone I've missed two and a half days, and I may have to miss more time tomorrow. Why you ask? Well now my little man, A, has been diagnosed with pneumonia. And now that J is out training, I'm doing this all on my own. So if A has to go to the doctor or can't go to the childcare center, then I'm home to take care of him. I was thinking today that since J left, almost a month ago, I have missed at least one day a week of work.

What would you do in my situation?

3 Comments:

 Anonymous said...

I just went through this situation sorta. I think if you are working because you NEED to then what other choices do you have? You miss the days and then go back. I just got docked over 300 hundred dollars from my paycheck for missing so much time last week. I didn't have a choice. Sick child and all. She comes first. I trused in God to provide the rest and he has.

8:31 AM  

 Anonymous said...

Yeah, no advice i'm just sorry.

9:36 AM  

 Admin said...

I've raised my son by myself so I can totally relate to your situation.

I ended up having to find a couple of stand-by sitters and someone that would come and watch him in my home and could take him to appointments or activities when I couldn't. If you have family localy see if they would be willing to help you out in these situations on a stand-by basis, for when you have issues like these arise.

I wasn't always able to be the one to take my son to the Dr. sometimes I had to have someone do it for me because I couldn't afford to loose my job. With no other means of support other than my job the sacrafices sucked, but someone had to put food on the table and a roof over his head.

So I had to set up child care so that I was always covered no matter what. In you situation -with pneumonia I would take off a day for that and take him to the Dr myself, with the pink eye I would have had a sitter or family member take him to the Dr. in my place.

12:22 PM  

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