If your nanny comes to work sick, and infects your family, you will find that she and your family will be even more incapacitated and inconvenienced than if she had stayed home to begin with.

Sick babies and children often mean sleepless nights for parents, who then become run down and more susceptible to getting sick.

If you do not pay for sick days, you run the risk of a nanny coming to work sick because she doesn’t want to miss that day’s pay. She may load up on decongestants, anti-histamines and other medications that will allow her to “function,” but render her “dopey” and “spacey” which is not optimal for caring for your child or driving.

You will want to get a list of substitute nannies who can “pinch hit” if the nanny stays home sick. There are several ways to accrue valuable substitute nanny lists.

When you call the nannies that you did not hire, but who were on your “short list,” tell them how hard a decision it was to make because they were really great, and you’d like to be able to keep their names and numbers to call them if you ever need any “freelance” or other help in the future. Ask their permission, and the best number to reach them at, and keep that list in a safe place to use if your regular nanny is sick with the flu.

It is much better to have a substitute nanny come in for a few days while your regular nanny heals and gets back “up to speed.”

Another way to accrue a substitute nanny list is to ask your nanny now, if she has any friends or relatives who are experienced at babysitting or being a nanny, that you can call if she becomes sick for a day or two. Often your nanny may feel threatened by your having a substitute nanny who she may think is competing for her job. She may be more than happy to find an aunt, a mother or a sister or friend that she knows and trusts with her job to take care of your child if she is sick.