MY USUAL routine was disrupted recently by the sudden arrival of a sickness bug.

Whether it was the same virulent virus that seemed to spread across the nation, I can’t say, but it struck one night, with a pitifully small warning cry of ‘Mummy’ followed by the foreboding sound of projectile vomit.

There was much mopping to be done, books stacked beside the bed had to be binned, and the mattress scrubbed several times.

The huge pile of laundry dumped in the spare room had to be hastily swept onto the floor to make way for the shivering, pale patient, highlighting that our domestic to-do list should include tackling the ironing mountain a little more often.

Thankfully, the incident was a one-off but the bug took its toll and left my son completely wiped out for days.

The episode forced me to work from home for the duration, and I was lucky to be able to have that option. For many parents, however, it simply is not possible, forcing them to have to take time off as holiday or face the wrath of employers who may be much less understanding than mine.

Social media sites are awash with parents asking what their rights are when their tiny tots are puking all over them (the second most prevalent question seems to be how to get rid of the lingering smell!).

For many, just juggling work and childcare is a daily struggle, made all the more complicated as children succumb to seasonal colds and illnesses.

Sending a child to school when they’re bunged up and clearly under the weather brings with it an age-old guilt. But, without grandparents on hand, or other relatives to help, there’s often little choice. But, sick bugs leave no other option than solitary confinement at home.

The experience, though manageable, highlighted the pitfalls of working from home - certainly for me. The silence (except for the tapping of my keyboard) after even just a short while, was strange and lonesome, with no-one to talk to except my ageing, arthritic cat who just wanted to curl up on my lap all day.

The biscuit barrel lured me away from my make-shift dining table office and led me into temptation too many times to mention. My overall conclusion was that office banter should never be under-rated. I realise now I was not put on this earth to work at home alone, eating bourbons, with ITV’s Loose Women as company in my lunch break.

Exactly a week later my eldest son also woke me in the middle of the night, this time from his top bunk - making the clean-up operation a much more logistical challenge.

With him, there were several visits during the night, reminding me of those long-forgotten days of disturbed sleep that newborns bring.

The bug seems to have done the rounds at quite a few York schools, with one teacher friend telling me one of her classes was down to just 16 children on a day they had a school trip.

Another lonely work-from-home day ensued. Luckily I must be made of strong stuff, and didn’t catch it.

Usually I confine my children to bed for as long as possible when they’re poorly, and try not to make home a fun place to be. They haven’t yet reached the age or realisation that they might be able to fake an illness to bunk off and I don’t want them to get any ideas that a day off is more enjoyable.

However, with a day’s worth of work to fit in while also monitoring the pint-sized patient, the television was on for much of the time.

Thankfully, they both recovered in time for the half term break, leaving them with so much energy to burn off that I’ve occasionally wished to have one of those calm, quiet moments again with my cat curled up on my lap.