Routine is the lifeblood of the working mom. Even for disorganized, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants working moms like myself. I don’t profess to keep a tidy home. I don’t use my calendar properly. I don’t think about what to make for dinner until I’m pulling into the driveway at 5:45 p.m.
But the one thing I have mastered is routine. I take my son to school on Wenesday and Friday. Tuesdays are library day. Wednesdays my husband doesn’t come home until 9 p.m. Tuesday night is my riding night. Soccer practice on Monday evenings. Games on Saturday mornings.
Throw a wrench in that routine–for instance, the nanny calling in sick or my toddler waking up with a fever–and the precarious balance of life at the Commisso household is toppled.
So I’m learning the critical importance of Plan B. For us, Plan B is usually a panicked call to my mother-in-law, who, fortunately, lives close enough to help out when the routine goes awry. But when you don’t have a mother-in-law handy, here are some other ways to make sure your butt is covered when your third-grader “forgets” to tell you that there’s no school on Wednesday when your big project is due:
Trade-off with a friend
Find another mom you trust and work out a reciprocal childcare agreement. She agrees to be available during the day in a pinch, and you agree to give her a Friday night without the kids when she fills in for you.
Share a babysitter
Find another working mom who has a babysitter at the house and ask if you can drop the kids off in a bind (and always offer to return the favor). It’s a playdate for them and more money for the babysitter.
Check out sick child day care
Child care for sick kids is a growing business — ask your pediatrician or check out The National Association of Sick Child Daycare, at www.nascd.com.
Work from home.
I’ve done this one a number of times. The important thing is to be up front with your supervisor about your desire to be able to work from home occassionally if a sick child (or sick nanny) needs you. Our kids don’t watch much TV, but when they’re sick and I’m working from home, I make a quick trip to the video store and let them pick out a bunch of movies to watch while I work. If they’re sick, chances are they don’t feel like doing much else, anyway.
The important thing is to make a plan, and make it now. Don’t wait until the morning of the big meeting when your little darling wakes up with 104 fever. Talk it over with your spouse, put it in writing, and stick to it.
Eventually, non-routine days become…well, just a part of the routine.
Happy planning!
