How to Work From Home When Your Kids Are Always Sick

Nine mothers share real-life advice for getting work done when your kids come home sick from school or daycare.

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One night last week, I found myself springing out of bed like a wild jack-in-the-box. It was 1:40, and my kindergartner’s wails had cut through my dreams–my husband sleeping unbothered beside me. Moments later, when my little one came stumbling in to find me, she was red-faced and feverish for what felt like the millionth time this school year. 

A dose of Tylenol later, the two of us squeezed into her tiny twin bed. And as I eased her back to sleep, my brain went into full administrative mode, rearranging the next day’s schedule to account for yet another sick day. 

For years, I have worked as a freelance writer and editor, keeping a schedule that has varied between 15 and 40 hours per week. On any given day, I might have meetings, interviews, or deadlines. I might relish quiet, uninterrupted time to poke at a story idea while ticking off rote household tasks like dishes or laundry. I might dive head-first into writing or research, oblivious to anything but the 2:40 alarm that signals it’s time for school pickup. 

I say all this to underscore how deeply dependent I am on my children’s school schedules. On an ideal day–when no one is coughing or leaving crumpled tissues behind–I am able to match my work hours to their school hours. When my 2:40 alarm rings, I shut my laptop for the day and can spend the afternoon with my kids. 

But as Meg S., a mom of four in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania lamented, “Never is a five-day work week five days.” Someone is always sick. And once one kid goes down, it’s only a matter of time before the illness makes its way through the whole family. So how do at-home parents manage to clock work hours when their kids are constantly home sick from school or daycare? I tossed this question out to real moms to find out. 

How Moms Manage Working Part-Time From Home With Sick Kids

“If you and your spouse both work from home, ensure that you share equal responsibility for the sick kiddo (designate time to work vs time to parent). Delegating detailed home/parenting tasks (e.g., meal prep, bathe kids, handle bedtime, etc.) works well for us during times of pressure or stress. – Emily D., mom of two in Ann Arbor, MI

“Our community hospital has a daycare for sick kids. It is staffed by nurses, and parents can drop their children off for extra care when they cannot go to school or regular daycare. I would never send my kids here when they’re feeling terrible, because who wouldn’t want to be in their own bed? But for days when they’re not ready for a school return, but already on the mend, a few hours at this daycare can be so helpful. If this sounds like a good option, try Googling ‘sick childcare services’ in your neighborhood.” – Julia W., mom of two in Chicago, IL

If you and your spouse both work from home, ensure that you share equal responsibility for the sick kiddo.

“I try to be as transparent as possible with my boss and co-workers. Oftentimes I’ll let everyone know that while I’m working, I may be slow to respond. I’ll try to sign into work early while my child is still sleeping and work longer into the night so that I can take a long break to provide care to my kid in the middle of the day.” – Mara T., mom of three in Duluth, MN.  

“My husband and I split up the day. I might have more meetings in the morning, so he can move his meetings to the afternoon. I also set up ‘stations’ around the house for the kids so they have different activities to keep them busy. These might include things like 1. Comfy couch with blankets and TV 2. Legos, 3. Book nook 4. Puzzles and coloring. Does this work? Sometimes.” – Jenny S., mom of two in Detroit, MI

“The pandemic taught me the importance of always having a secret stash of activities, books, and toys. When my son is home but I have work I need to do, I make sure I have pockets of time throughout the day when he has my undivided attention. This could be like 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there. Then I supplement with the activity basket he never gets to play with and TV shows.” — Beth V., mom of three in Bloomington, IN

“I spent a good portion of my morning under a 6-year-old who just had to be held and that's after spending my entire night under a 3-year-old who had to be held. Two of my three kids got sick [last week]. I make it work by working extended hours. I'll be logging on tomorrow to finish the work I can't get to today, and getting started at 6 a.m. and sometimes staying up late too which has me so burnt out. 

And my kids get every germ that goes through their school and then they pass it around to one another so someone is always sick and it starts the moment they go back to school and pretty much doesn't end until the moment school is over and then we just repeat it every year.” – Lauren W., mom of three in Allentown, PA

Creating a schedule helps and setting expectations with them can help too–such as, letting them know they can be on a screen or watch TV while mom is on calls…

“Creating a schedule helps and setting expectations with them can help too–such as, letting them know they can be on a screen or watch TV while mom is on calls which will be from x to y, or lunch will be at x time, and no screens, quiet play, etc. during x time. Each kiddo is different and age matters too. Just know you are doing your best.” – Julie D., mom of two in Chicago, IL

“Split shifts with my husband, we both have taken lower paying, more flexible jobs to be available at our own future financial risk [and] we work at night when we can.... My kids are even relatively low maintenance when they are ill at home, but you just can't do it all. You can't….” – Katie D., mom of three in St. Paul, MN

“This is why screen-time was invented! When my daughter is sick, I have no qualms about allowing unfettered access to Netflix or the Nintendo Switch. This is absolutely not the case on days when she’s healthy and can go to school—but sick days? Who doesn’t want to be wrapped in a blanket watching TV when they feel terrible!” — Anny S., mom of one in Chicago, IL

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