With three kids under 8, we're constantly burning through our limited PTO for sick days. Is there an app or spreadsheet template that helps you plan this better? Something that syncs with a calendar? Trying to be smarter about it instead of just scrambling each time.
Real issue is three kids under 8 means you're gonna be burning PTO no matter what. Not much you can do to plan around illness. Better to focus on negotiating more flexible work if possible than trying to out-math Murphy's Law.
This is a job/flexibility problem more than a tracking problem. Even with perfect planning you're gonna get blindsided. Maybe worth having a conversation with your employer about backup care options or flexible days instead of trying to predict illness.
Excel spreadsheet honestly works better than apps for this. Create a simple tracker by month, color-code by kid, and you can actually see the problem instead of just living it. Then you can figure out patterns - like if one kid is perpetually sick maybe talk to the doc.
This is one of those problems that doesn't really have a great solution when you have young kids. The sick days just... happen. Only thing that helped us was flexible work situation so we could split coverage with my wife. Is that an option at your job?
Google Calendar + a shared sheet with your coparent if applicable? You can tag "kid sick" and color code it. Not fancy but gives you the overview you need.
Honestly the apps for this are pretty limited. Tried a few and they all feel like overkill for what's actually just a spreadsheet problem. Make a simple tracking sheet, sync it to your phone's calendar, done.
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Honestly a shared Google Calendar with your co-parent + the PTO breakdown for the year is the easiest way. You can see at a glance what's left and plan ahead. Some companies have built-in PTO trackers too. But yeah, the three kids under 8 thing is brutal - constant rotation of sick days.