Colds, PMT, hangovers or simply feeling below par can wreak havoc on your working day but, sadly, a nanny can't just turn over in bed and phone in sick without causing enormous problems for employer and children. However, there are ways to get yourself through one of those days.
LOOK GOOD
When you feel gruesome, the last thing you want to contemplate is how you look. But making an effort will pay dividends in terms of morale and feeling good about yourself.
Start by splashing cold water on your face to get you going. Take a shower or bath and make use of any bath goodies about - if potions and lotions make you feel great before a big night out, they'll be even better when you want to crawl back under the duvet. Ditto for clothes - if you've been saving something new for a special occasion, wear it now. You need all the help you can get to forget how vile you're feeling. For puffy eyes and/or dark shadows, apply a couple of used teabags dipped in cold water to your eyelids for a couple of minutes and then apply concealer. If you have an on/off relationship with make-up, spare a couple of minutes today to put some on, and appear healthier than you feel.
FoOD AND DRINK
The overwhelming urge when you're tired or poorly is to reach for a chocolate bar and coffee. PMS can create double-strength cravings for sweet and fatty foods. But a mega dose of caffeine will only aggravate headaches and make you jittery. If you've simply got to have a mugfull, accompany each cup with a large glass of water. Similarly, each biscuit must be twinned with a piece of fruit. The more fruit you eat and the more water you drink, the better you will feel and the less dehydrated you'll be.
On the subject of water, whether you're suffering from a cold or drinking too much the night before, or you're bloated on your period, you need to get plain water down you to feel better - two to three litres a day.
You may not fancy food if you're feeling delicate, but it's a good idea to eat little and often and boost your energy levels. Nuts, dried fruit, yogurt, a slice of wholemeal bread with peanut butter, salads, can all be snacked on to help you go the distance.
REMEDIES
Sleep, or at least a good lie down, is the best remedy for feeling grotty.
For a headache, take a couple of paracetamol and eat something at the same time. Herbal teas can help - try camomile if you feel tense or irritable, peppermint if you have stomach cramps or feel sick, rosehip if you're run down and exhausted. Treat a sore throat and cold by squeezing a couple of lemons into a glass and adding a teaspoon of honey with hot water.
Similarly, make the most of those few minutes during the day when the children aren't around, if possible, by sitting over a bowl of steaming water with a towel tented over your head to inhale the steam for four or five minutes. This will ease blocked sinuses, and is especially helpful when you put a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil into the water.
Finally, even if the last thing you fancy is a walk, fresh air will help clear your head and reduce tension - and it may wear out the children so they're ready to rest back at home.
ACTIVITIES
On an off day, keep activities to a minimum. As long as this is not a weekly occurrence it won't hurt the child in your care to relax with a suitable DVD next to you on the couch, or have a quiet drawing session.
Telling stories or looking through photo albums is also constructive but undemanding. Jigsaws and board games are useful occupiers for slightly older children, especially when you find some they haven't looked at in ages.
WHEN TO STAY PUT
There are times when you should just stay in bed, if you have something contagious or are too ill to work properly, and you'll recover quicker by not trying to struggle on. This goes for sick children as well - it does no one any favours if you catch something infectious off them. You and your employer should have a sickness contingency plan agreed on beforehand (ideally as part of your contract negotiations), with some back-up childcare to call on if possible - maybe a nanny friend who can take on an extra child for a day or two.
