Prescription to Parents: TLC for Sick Children

In “Worried Sick Over Ill Kids,” (by Linda Monroe, Sept. 5), Sheri Senter of the National Pediatric Support Services said, “People can’t miss any more days of work . . .” while promoting her sick-child centers.

Who says they “can’t?” Having been on both sides, first as a working mother and now as a day-care provider, I know how difficult employers can be about missing work due to a sick kid. What I don’t understand is why parents are giving this power to employers and why they feel their work is more important than their children.

If parents were allowed to be parents (and in my opinion their concern should be centered on the children), then employers would have to work more closely with the parents to come up with a solution. There would be no need for sick-child centers. Children only want to be one place when they’re ill and that is with Mom or Dad, especially the younger children.

Children must give up so much time of their parents to the workplace, but must they give up Mom’s cool hand caressing a feverish forehead? What kind of children are we raising when we continually rate them second or third in our priorities?

I also find it hard to believe that parents who stay home with their sick kids cost businesses $7 billion to $10 billion annually when nine out of 10 times parents are not paid for this time off. Most people receive only five paid sick days per year. To protect themselves from missed meetings, presentations or back-log, businesses should always have back-up people, understudies for absent employees.

SUSAN HOBSON, Laguna Hills