VAB

Short for vård av barn, the benefit you get from Försäkringskassan when you stay home from work to care for a sick child. Swedes use it as a verb: att vabba.

It is paid from the day the child is eight months old until the day before the child turns 12, and in some cases for older children. It also covers going with the child to the doctor or dentist, or staying home when the person who normally cares for the child is ill. You must be insured in Sweden.

Tell your employer the same day, then report the days to Försäkringskassan afterwards, usually on My Pages. Some periods need a certificate from the preschool or a doctor.