So the second-grader is in bed, slight cough, feeling warm (though the thermometer indicated no fever), sluggish, stuffed-up, and now, thankfully, pumped full of Benadryl.

My wife is off to NYC tomorrow morning for the next two days (business meetings), so I will be flying solo.

And so what will happen when the kiddo wakes up sicker, can’t go to school, and I will be lacking a second parent to split the day with me?

Well, maybe one of the grandparents can make it, but we’re not sure yet.

And maybe I can move one or two of the seven meetings/calls that I have tomorrow (it is Monday, after all).

And maybe our part-time babysitter can come for a few hours.

And maybe I can stay home and do all of my meetings as calls and then stick her in front of “Spongebob” multiple times so that I can conduct some of these calls with a minimum amount of productivity.

And maybe, just maybe she will wake up and be ready to go to school.

But then I will send her and then the worst-case scenario will occur: the nurse will call my cellphone just as I am stepping into a meeting at the office to tell me that our daughter is indeed quite sick and in the nurse’s office and can I please come and pick her up (while her tone indicates that I am a terrible parent who tried–and did!–leave his sickly child at the public school because I am negligent and care more about my work than my own offspring).

So, really, it never gets easier.

In fact, it gets harder: before she was in school and we had a full-time nanny, we never had to worry–she would arrive, sick or not.

And now, we juggle it, on a unicycle, with one hand behind the back sometimes (and we only have one child!).

So take this venting for what it is and let me know: how do you cope with the inevitable winter sick days?