Figure Out a Solution in Advance

My husband and I take turns staying home with sick kids when necessary. I am also lucky enough to have my parents and my in-laws in the area. My mother-in law is wonderful about taking a sick child at the last minute. Often I can drop off my son at her house and go into work for an hour or so and then come home to get him. It is important to think about what you will do in this situation before it arises and line up people to be your backup. Talk to neighbors who are stay-at-home moms or family members. You may be pleasantly surprised how many people are willing to help out in a pinch! –- Mridhula Lamba

Split the Day with Your Husband

When my kids are sick, they stay home and we find a way to work around it. Usually my husband and I split the day. I go to work in the morning, from 7:30 until 12:30, come home, and then he goes in and works from 2:00 until 8:00 If the split shift doesn't work for that day, then one of us will take the day off altogether. Another word of advice: Never apologize to your boss for being a mom. It only feeds prejudices. Don't ask to take time off when your kid is sick; tell your boss that you will be taking time off. But meet her halfway by working at home if you can, and get your spouse to take time off to care for the kids too. –- Daisy Malhotra

Save Your Sick Days

My husband is able to work at home more effectively than I am, so he typically stays home with our kids more often. Otherwise, I am happy I have a job that is not customer centered or requires travel, so that I don't have a problem staying home when I need to. I try to save my sick days so that I don't have to take unpaid days. My company is pretty flexible, and everyone here has kids so they understand. – Rupali Arora