I'm beyond frustrated. My husband and I both work full time but my job is more flexible. Neither of us can work from home. So every time we have a school closure, doctor's appointment, or hurricane (so damn many this year) I'm the one that takes care of the kids. My husband was willing to use all his vacation days so I could go to work but he's already used all his PTO for the year and so have I. Now schools are about to be closed for two weeks for Christmas break and all the usual camps and daytime activities we'd have in place are cancelled due to Covid. I like my career, I make good money, but between maternity leave at the beginning of the year and the pandemic I'm fucking destroying it by never being in the office.

Husband will say "well, I can't take off any more days, I'm out of vacation". SO AM I. FUCK. So done with being the default parent all the time. When he used his sick days to take care of the kids (both under 5), his boss would ask him "why can't your wife watch them?".

Now I've got to tell my office that I'm going to be out for most of this month as well after missing two weeks last month (unpaid) because a teacher at my kid's daycare tested positive for Covid and the whole center closed. (Which honestly was very responsible of them but still sucked) How many moms are going to be forced out of the workforce during this pandemic?

Now husband is throwing up his hands like there's nothing he can do without getting fired. Dammit, that may be true but I'm in the exact same boat. Why am I the one sacrificing my career?

Edit: Thank you for all the support and advice bromos. I was just looking to vent but all your feedback really helped. I'm meeting with work this morning to go over a plan with them and am talking to my kids teachers and the camp employees to see if I can set up some sort of stopgap care with them one on one while things are closed. At the end of the day, my husband has agreed to stay home even if it means risking being fired or even quit his job if it's what I really need since his field is easier to find work in if he needs to get a new job later. I hope it won't come to that, since even though I earn more his job provides our insurance, but it's nice to feel supported. Fuck everything about this lackluster pandemic response and how it's screwing over women particularly hard, but I'm gonna make it through this year if it kills me. Wish me luck and much love to y'all