We all know that parenting is the one job you can never take a day off from. Even when your kids are on summer holiday, or when it’s your birthday, or when you’re sick in bed with the flu, the role of being a mom or dad must be filled. Having a partner parent is usually helpful when it comes to dividing up responsibilities, but that only works if both parties are willing to help out. And unfortunately, some parents seem to be more dedicated to their jobs than their children…

Below, you’ll find a story that one frustrated mom recently shared on MumsNet asking if she was being unreasonable for expecting her partner to take care of their children while she was ill. You can also read some of the responses readers have left her and decide for yourself how you would have responded to this infuriating situation. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing how moms never seem to get a break, check out this story next!

This frustrated mom is wondering if it was too much to ask for her partner to take time off to watch their kids while she was ill

Image credits: Polina Tankilevitch (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Image credits: Songbird54321

Moms are superheroes in the way that they can do it all, but they shouldn’t have to. They’re still human beings who deserve days off to rest and relax, and they certainly should be given a break when they’re ill. Being a single parent is even more challenging, but if you have a partner, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to adjust their schedule to help out when their partner is sick. But apparently, it’s quite common for moms to be stuck caring for their kids, regardless of the situation.

According to The Atlantic, moms are 10 times more likely to skip work to care for an ill child than dads are. And in this particular case, where a mother, and at least one of her kids, is sick, she still became responsible for either watching the kids herself, or finding someone else to care for them. Now, in some countries, like the United States, it can be even more challenging to navigate these situations because it’s extremely unlikely that a company will allow parents paid leave to care for their kids. In 2021, 47% of working moms in the US reported needing to take unpaid sick days to take care of their children, including 60% of lower-income moms and 75% of moms who work part-time.

But if this situation took place in the United Kingdom, parents may have more rights. “As a working parent you have the right to take reasonable time off to deal with a domestic emergency, which includes when your child is ill, and you need time to make alternative arrangements for their care,” writes Trades Union Congress on their site. “Around a quarter of working parents use this right each year. Talk to your boss as soon as a problem arises, giving them a reason for the absence and how long you expect to be away. Your employer may pay you, but they don’t have to.”

They even note that the burden should always be shared between parents. “Remember that both parents are entitled to time off to look after ill children, so it should not be assumed that mothers will drop everything while fathers carry on as usual. Dads can request time off work to look after their children too.”

In fact, according to Citizens Advice UK, all workers have the right to take time off to care for anyone who is a “dependent” of them, including their children and their spouse or partner. And while it may not be paid unless their contract specifies that it will be, they are entitled to take these days off. 

There’s really no reason why this father could not have prioritized his partner and decided to take a day or two off to watch their children while she was ill. The last thing we ever want to do is make our loved ones’ lives harder, so you would expect a dad to jump at the opportunity to care for his family. We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever struggled to get days off to take care of your kids or spouse, or does your country allow paid days off for these purposes?

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Many readers assured the mom that she was being reasonable

However, others were less sympathetic and told her to accept that this is just part of being  parent

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