You Couldn't Make It Up...

[jourdain2]

Daughter and son-in-law moved house on Wednesday (10th Feb), usual chaos. They have a son (6) and daughter (4), half-term begins on Fri. and the children will stay in their current school until the end of school year in July. It is a 25 min. trip from new house to their school and then daughter has a 15 min. trip to the school in which she works. Normally, son-in-law would drop the children off on his way to work, some 35 mins. in the same direction. So, that's the situation.

OK. - this is the BRILL bit - 4 yr. old came out in chickenpox spots this morning. I had an early-morning call, couldn't help and the poor kid has been shunted off onto other grandma, who could. Fair enough, one of us had to help, but sick child is now with other grandma instead of tucked up in her own bed. It's a different house, different area, for goodness sake.

Other grandma is keeping her overnight. My daughter, when I got in touch tonight (there is no landline and mobile is wonky) was on her own with 6 yr-old grandson (who appears to be being a mini-Trojan in efforts to be good and help). It turns out that her husband had a scheduled meeting which he 'could not cancel', which involved an overnight trip.

When I put the phone down (about 8.30 this evening) my, exhausted, daughter was about to embark on assembling their double bed so that she didn't have to sleep on a mattress on the floor again.

Am I alone in thinking that husband ( had notice of moving date) should have put family before a business trip? I am quite cross, but I am a mother-in-law and reluctant to say things.

[jourdain2]

WOW, EDDIE - I cede grandparenthood seniority to you. I was merely irritated that; whereas my children always came first and in fact I taught as a 'supply' for many years (thereby slashing my pension) so that I could stay at home if they were ill -he didn't even think to rearrange his appointment so he could be around at a difficult period. I get along with him OK.

Some people have misjudged me. You have my very best wishes.

[Mamyalynne]

Hope she gets over the chicken pox quickly, we always worry that little bit more when they've had health scares before.

[Baldric]

///husband had a scheduled meeting which he 'could not cancel'///

\\\I had an appointment I couldn't miss yesterday\\\

No further comment

[jourdain2]

Thanks, mamya, yes one does worry that little bit more. Her trachea is weak and prone to collapse (she was born with an aortic arch - 2 aortas, each going the other way around the throat and strangling her). Brilliant surgery at Leeds' Children's heart Unit sorted that out, but they say she will have breathing problems for a few years until her trachea strengthens. Probably why I reacted so strongly to this.

It was quite a feat being rung in France on Thursday and needing to be near York by Monday in order to take care of eldest sproglet whilst mum and dad were at the hospital. I did it! OH was recovering from cancer surgery at the time as well - who said life was easy! :) x

[jourdain2]

Baldric - mine was a long-awaited medical appointment. Business meetings can be moved.

[gness]

Would it have been a disaster for him to have a few days off for the move to cope with what house moves usually throw up?....x

[Mamyalynne]

Certainly isn't easy no, bless her - they put you through the mill but we love em.

Take care.

[jourdain2]

Thank you gness and mamyalynne - yes, wouldn't be without them and thanks for the understanding.

[Canary42]

Many employers are just looking for reasons to dump staff these days - too risky for him to duck out - I suspect he suffered at least as much angst as you, probably more.

[gness]

Oh I'm not sure, Canary......moving house can be a pain.....and we all know that things can go wrong......
Wouldn't most employers be understanding if asked for a few days off to move house?......In my experience....even in a school.....they've been fine but maybe things have changed....x

[B00]

Thing is though gness, with things like moving house etc, you know in advance and can book the time off work.

[gness]

That's my point, Boo.......I gave my employers my moving date well in advance.....and booked the days off.....x

[Canary42]

"... even in a school ..."

Believe me, job security in schools is streets ahead of many companies in the private sector.

[jourdain2]

That's my point as well. There was plenty of time to alter things so that the move could go very smoothly - the chickenpox would then have been an inconvenience, not a problem. Oh, well, it's gone, they're all alive, tiniest is whingeing down the phone. Another crisis surmounted but I do wonder about modern-day values. Thank you all:0) xx 'Night - I'm off to bed now.

[gness]

Perhaps, Canary......but we did try to do things in the holidays.....if I was off there was nobody to take my kids.....well at least willingly......you've no idea how many bottles of wine and boxes of chocs it cost me to have three days off.....☺

[gness]

Relax now, J....and sleep well......x

[zebo]

Personally, I think the situation is being unnecessarily over complicated, why can the children not change schools after half term? The sick child is probably in the best place, being safely looked after by her grandmother. The bed situation isn't a problem, a mattress on the floor is hardly slumming it. Next weekend it'll all be sorted and you'll look back and wonder why you were worried! Good luck to you and yours.

[EDDIE51]

The husband 'had a scheduled meeting, involving an overnight trip' that to me suggests it was at a distant location involving other workers and very possibly important customers or clients, probably planned months in advance . It would have looked very unprofessional to cancel a meeting like that because his grand child had chicken pox! Especially when there were 2 grand parents who could help out. Some thing like the death of a close relative would justify it but not a common childhood illness.

[DaisyNonna]

Not sure that was the point

[sherrardk]

And breathe, everyone is safe and it's half term :)