Taking Your Kids to Work

This week has been a little rough as my son, myself, and my nanny have been sick. One good thing about a nanny is that you have childcare even when your kids are sick (as opposed to preschool or daycare), but a significant disadvantage is that when the nanny is sick, you are often left scrambling for childcare....which brings me to yesterday...

I teach Thursday mornings. I wasn't feeling well, but not particularly poor enough to stay home. I trudged through my class, letting them out early, and returned to my office where I hoped to hide and work on a key assignment due today. As soon as I returned to my office, I had an email from DH indicating that the nanny was sick and needed to home *now*. He of course had class all afternoon (and night for that matter). So, I packed up my stuff and headed home.

Fortunately, son is also sick so he was in bed sleeping and I was able to cozy up to a can of chicken soup and work intently on key assignment until it was time to pick my daughter up from school. I have office hours at the end of the day, so I packed up juice boxes, snacks, and a DVD player. Waking sick son was a little difficult and he whined the entire way to daughter's school and to my office.

I arrived at office hours just in time, put kids in front of Peter Pan DVD, gave out juice boxes and snacks and proceeded with office hours. Son spent most of his time asking my students if they like Peter Pan and offering juice boxes. Daughter asked if she could do homework too. I pointed out to daughter that unfortunately she couldn't read, which would limit her homework participation ability. Students seemed amused, but it was a loud distracting scene.

Was this okay? Probably once, but I wouldn't make it a regular adventure. Sometimes though you have to do what you have to do.