Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Where do you think kids catch more viruses- home vs center
Shell 05:53 AM 09-08-2014
Just yesterday I had a family member tell me she is considering switching from a home daycare to a center, because her child has been sick a lot. She said maybe they would clean better because there are more people to sanitize at a center, and maybe have more regulations. I told her that in my years of experience, I have found children catch more at centers because of the large number of children present and the fact that the parents doping and dropping is often the culprit. I explained that home daycares have to follow strict cleaning guidelines as well. Any opinions?
craftymissbeth 05:57 AM 09-08-2014
Hmmm.... that's an interesting question. I would think centers would have a greater chance of exposure to illness because of the higher numbers of children, but then again there are more staff to sanitize/disinfect.
Then again, the grocery store is worse than any daycare and not many people worry too much about taking their kids there
Then again, the grocery store is worse than any daycare and not many people worry too much about taking their kids there
Cat Herder 05:58 AM 09-08-2014
I would not debate it. 
Sounds like a bait for a special request to me.
Not my first rodeo.
I might even be inclined to ask her how often she cleans and disinfects her carseat, furniture, toys and stuffed animals at home.
Sounds like a bait for a special request to me.
Not my first rodeo.
I might even be inclined to ask her how often she cleans and disinfects her carseat, furniture, toys and stuffed animals at home.
Sugar Magnolia 06:08 AM 09-08-2014
How about the grocery store? Or the million other public places they go with their parents?
Blackcat31 06:10 AM 09-08-2014
Impossible question to answer.
Because there are more people means there are more people there to bring and carry viruses/illnesses in.
Weird analogy for DCM to make.
I also agree it sounds like a prelude to asking for "special"
Because there are more people means there are more people there to bring and carry viruses/illnesses in.
Weird analogy for DCM to make.
I also agree it sounds like a prelude to asking for "special"
Crazy8 06:27 AM 09-08-2014
I have gotten kids where the number 1 reason they were looking for care was because of how often they were getting sick in daycare centers. We get a few rounds of the common cold here but that's about it. I KNOW for a fact I clean a lot more than most of my daycare parents. 
Shell 07:07 AM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Impossible question to answer.
Because there are more people means there are more people there to bring and carry viruses/illnesses in.
Weird analogy for DCM to make.
I also agree it sounds like a prelude to asking for "special"
I think they are considering a center because their home provider isn't proving to be as reliable as they originally thought. I am guessing that the sickness issue is just another reason to consider a move. However, I have seen sicknesses make their rounds at centers and just keep on going and spread to other classrooms, due to the large numbers. For me personally, with the exception of dcm that is now gone, my dc parents tend to be overly cautious, and keep kids home for even minor things- that certainly helps!Impossible question to answer.
Because there are more people means there are more people there to bring and carry viruses/illnesses in.
Weird analogy for DCM to make.
I also agree it sounds like a prelude to asking for "special"
Blackcat31 07:18 AM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by Shell:
I think they are considering a center because their home provider isn't proving to be as reliable as they originally thought. I am guessing that the sickness issue is just another reason to consider a move. However, I have seen sicknesses make their rounds at centers and just keep on going and spread to other classrooms, due to the large numbers. For me personally, with the exception of dcm that is now gone, my dc parents tend to be overly cautious, and keep kids home for even minor things- that certainly helps!
I agree there...(the bolded part) but at the same time, I think it has a lot to do with the illness policies centers/home providers have. I think they are considering a center because their home provider isn't proving to be as reliable as they originally thought. I am guessing that the sickness issue is just another reason to consider a move. However, I have seen sicknesses make their rounds at centers and just keep on going and spread to other classrooms, due to the large numbers. For me personally, with the exception of dcm that is now gone, my dc parents tend to be overly cautious, and keep kids home for even minor things- that certainly helps!
If they are diligent about not allowing children with excludable symptoms attend, the less likely the illness/virus is to continue making its rounds and be passed back and forth.
butterfly 11:04 AM 09-08-2014
I would have been very offended by that parent's comments - implying that my home wasn't clean enough... I probably would have just agreed with her that a center was a better fit for her.
Some people...
llpa 11:32 AM 09-08-2014
I have a very small center in a rented space and my dcks keep bringing illness TO me. Viruses can be picked up anywhere at anytime IMO. There's no way of knowing which is worse, center or home.
KiddieCahoots 11:36 AM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I would not debate it.
Sounds like a bait for a special request to me.
Not my first rodeo.
I might even be inclined to ask her how often she cleans and disinfects her carseat, furniture, toys and stuffed animals at home.
I would not debate it.
Sounds like a bait for a special request to me.
Not my first rodeo.
I might even be inclined to ask her how often she cleans and disinfects her carseat, furniture, toys and stuffed animals at home.
............
............Personally I can only compare IHF to school. Once my own 2 children left the daycare to go to school, you'd think they had been exposed to enough germs while here in the childcare......NOPE! They are always sick from school, more so then they ever were in childcare.
Kim 11:44 AM 09-08-2014
I know for me I clean and sanitize daily because it's also MY FAMILY'S HOME!!!!! When daycare parents question how often I clean that's what I tell them.
EntropyControlSpecialist 12:07 PM 09-08-2014
Just because there is more staff members doesn't mean they clean and sanitize more.
I used to be in charge of "shutting down" the rooms at both centers I worked at while getting my degree. They would hound me to get out so that I wouldn't get anywhere close to overtime hours and often times that meant IGNORING them and QUICKLY cleaning and sanitizing everything. If I left when they were barking at me to nothing would have been sanitized or cleaned...except what was visibly put in a child's mouth during the day and taken out of rotation.
I don't believe in over sanitizing and such, but I do know that I do a lot more cleaning and sanitizing here than I ever did (or saw done) there.
Just my 2 cents from the south.
I used to be in charge of "shutting down" the rooms at both centers I worked at while getting my degree. They would hound me to get out so that I wouldn't get anywhere close to overtime hours and often times that meant IGNORING them and QUICKLY cleaning and sanitizing everything. If I left when they were barking at me to nothing would have been sanitized or cleaned...except what was visibly put in a child's mouth during the day and taken out of rotation.
I don't believe in over sanitizing and such, but I do know that I do a lot more cleaning and sanitizing here than I ever did (or saw done) there.
Just my 2 cents from the south.
TwinKristi 12:58 PM 09-08-2014
I've heard of more people switching to home daycares after their kids were constantly getting sick at a center and I've had people switch from my home daycare to a center/preschool because my illness policy was too strict.
Also, I find over cleaning to be a culprit as well. Babies are going to get sick in their first 3yrs. If they're exposed as young infants to the normal germs in our day to day life they build their immunities up. Plus, viruses are most contagious before we even know we/they're sick.
Also, I find over cleaning to be a culprit as well. Babies are going to get sick in their first 3yrs. If they're exposed as young infants to the normal germs in our day to day life they build their immunities up. Plus, viruses are most contagious before we even know we/they're sick.
Naptime yet? 01:04 PM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
Just because there is more staff members doesn't mean they clean and sanitize more.
I used to be in charge of "shutting down" the rooms at both centers I worked at while getting my degree. They would hound me to get out so that I wouldn't get anywhere close to overtime hours and often times that meant IGNORING them and QUICKLY cleaning and sanitizing everything. If I left when they were barking at me to nothing would have been sanitized or cleaned...except what was visibly put in a child's mouth during the day and taken out of rotation.
I don't believe in over sanitizing and such, but I do know that I do a lot more cleaning and sanitizing here than I ever did (or saw done) there.
Just my 2 cents from the south.
That was my experience, too. For what it's worth.Just because there is more staff members doesn't mean they clean and sanitize more.
I used to be in charge of "shutting down" the rooms at both centers I worked at while getting my degree. They would hound me to get out so that I wouldn't get anywhere close to overtime hours and often times that meant IGNORING them and QUICKLY cleaning and sanitizing everything. If I left when they were barking at me to nothing would have been sanitized or cleaned...except what was visibly put in a child's mouth during the day and taken out of rotation.
I don't believe in over sanitizing and such, but I do know that I do a lot more cleaning and sanitizing here than I ever did (or saw done) there.
Just my 2 cents from the south.
Sugar Magnolia 01:13 PM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by llpa:
I have a very small center in a rented space and my dcks keep bringing illness TO me. Viruses can be picked up anywhere at anytime IMO. There's no way of knowing which is worse, center or home.
Yes! This!I have a very small center in a rented space and my dcks keep bringing illness TO me. Viruses can be picked up anywhere at anytime IMO. There's no way of knowing which is worse, center or home.
melilley 01:23 PM 09-08-2014
I used to work in a center. My dd went with me from the ages of 1-4. She also went to an in home for a few months when she was 1 (before going to the center). She was and is never sick. In her 11.5 years of life, she went home once from the dc center because of an ear infection and I had to pick her up once in elem. because she had a headache (I think due to the flu shot she had the day before).
My ds has been with me since he was born and I opened my in-home when he was 6 mo. and he was sick more often than dd. And I clean a lot. I think it was side effects from immunizations because he always got sick after.
I have a dcb who was in a center and his mom brought him here because he was always getting sick, but he always has a runny nose or fever or something.
It really is hard to say.
My ds has been with me since he was born and I opened my in-home when he was 6 mo. and he was sick more often than dd. And I clean a lot. I think it was side effects from immunizations because he always got sick after.
I have a dcb who was in a center and his mom brought him here because he was always getting sick, but he always has a runny nose or fever or something.
It really is hard to say.
Bookworm 02:39 PM 09-08-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I agree there...(the bolded part) but at the same time, I think it has a lot to do with the illness policies centers/home providers have.
If they are diligent about not allowing children with excludable symptoms attend, the less likely the illness/virus is to continue making its rounds and be passed back and forth.
Exactly! In my center, I've been noticing that 98% of illnesses are in the 0-2 yr old classes. 3s on up rarely get sick unless they have a sibling in one of those classes and even then it's not guaranteed. What I finally realized is that the parents of the 0-2 yr olds were more likely to dope and drop because the child was non verbal. This rarely happens in the older classes because as soon as the child tells us they had medicine, the Director is on the phone to mom/dad.I agree there...(the bolded part) but at the same time, I think it has a lot to do with the illness policies centers/home providers have.
If they are diligent about not allowing children with excludable symptoms attend, the less likely the illness/virus is to continue making its rounds and be passed back and forth.
sharlan 03:10 PM 09-08-2014
How funny, I just had this discussion with a mother at Toy's R Us yesterday while I was buying a new infant seat.
She is debating on pulling her toddler dd from a Montesorri center because her dd is always sick. It appears that they also had 2 school aged children. She was also saying that her sil was pulling her child from a center because said child was always sick.
I'm not really sure that you can pinpoint where a child picked up at illness. I swear that the peds office, grocery store, WalMart, Target, etc are hot beds of bacteria and viruses. I never allowed my kids to touch a toy or book at the dr's office.
We just had a virus go through here. Dcg #1 came in with a low fever on a Monday. I sent her home and she returned the next day with no fever and no meds. Come Fri, dcb came down with a fever. Gdsn #1 had a fever over that weekend and was sent home from school the following Fr with a migrain and fever. He fought fevers all weekend.
Now, did gdsn have the same virus as the other 2 who had a 24 hr fever or did he have a virus that he picked up from school? DD is posiitive tha no one in the whole school was sick so the other kids got him sick. He was already on antibiotics for an ear infection.
She is debating on pulling her toddler dd from a Montesorri center because her dd is always sick. It appears that they also had 2 school aged children. She was also saying that her sil was pulling her child from a center because said child was always sick.
I'm not really sure that you can pinpoint where a child picked up at illness. I swear that the peds office, grocery store, WalMart, Target, etc are hot beds of bacteria and viruses. I never allowed my kids to touch a toy or book at the dr's office.
We just had a virus go through here. Dcg #1 came in with a low fever on a Monday. I sent her home and she returned the next day with no fever and no meds. Come Fri, dcb came down with a fever. Gdsn #1 had a fever over that weekend and was sent home from school the following Fr with a migrain and fever. He fought fevers all weekend.
Now, did gdsn have the same virus as the other 2 who had a 24 hr fever or did he have a virus that he picked up from school? DD is posiitive tha no one in the whole school was sick so the other kids got him sick. He was already on antibiotics for an ear infection.
knoxmomof2 04:23 PM 09-08-2014
Oh, hands down, 100% a center is worse!!! We had our 2 children in a center for 6 months. I spent at least 1 day a week in our pediatrician's office because one child or the other was sick... the time off work, co-pays for the visit and meds. Forget it!!
Also, DH and I and the kids clean a center as a side job. I know what WE do on the 2 nights we're there, but I don't know if the teachers do what they're supposed to on the other days. I do know what I see, that's all I'm saying....
It's really a numbers game though. I have 3 children that come here, my own 2 (10 &11) are homeschooled so they're not bringing in too many contagious things.... I've had 1 child go home sick 1 time in almost 2 years. There have been a couple of weekend things where no one was showing symptoms on Friday, but 2 of the kids had a little bug but that's happened maybe twice.. and it was during a time when something was going around and one of the dck's mom is a nurse at a hospital and had it the week before, so... lots of factors...
I keep my home tidy, and clean as needed. I'm not a germophobe, but I disinfect the obvious things daily (toys that went into mouths, highchair trays, etc.) and do the rest on a regular basis.
Also, DH and I and the kids clean a center as a side job. I know what WE do on the 2 nights we're there, but I don't know if the teachers do what they're supposed to on the other days. I do know what I see, that's all I'm saying....
It's really a numbers game though. I have 3 children that come here, my own 2 (10 &11) are homeschooled so they're not bringing in too many contagious things.... I've had 1 child go home sick 1 time in almost 2 years. There have been a couple of weekend things where no one was showing symptoms on Friday, but 2 of the kids had a little bug but that's happened maybe twice.. and it was during a time when something was going around and one of the dck's mom is a nurse at a hospital and had it the week before, so... lots of factors...
I keep my home tidy, and clean as needed. I'm not a germophobe, but I disinfect the obvious things daily (toys that went into mouths, highchair trays, etc.) and do the rest on a regular basis.