So Tired Of The Teething Excuse

[sahm2three]

One of the daycare boys was sick over the weekend. I know this because mom posted it on facebook. Today, boy is complaining of stomach ache and has had 2 diarrhea diapers. I contact mom and she said that he is cutting his molars. Ummm, nope. Come pick him up, mama.

Oh, side note, our colicky 13 week old is here today screaming it up like he is dying. I call mom and she also said she thought he was teething. Alrighty.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by sahm2three

One of the daycare boys was sick over the weekend. I know this because mom posted it on facebook. Today, boy is complaining of stomach ache and has had 2 diarrhea diapers. I contact mom and she said that he is cutting his molars. Ummm, nope. Come pick him up, mama.

Oh, side note, our colicky 13 week old is here today screaming it up like he is dying. I call mom and she also said she thought he was teething. Alrighty.

I just tell my DCP's I never exclude for teething but I DO exclude for some of the behaviors that are associated with teething. such as diarrhea, crankiness, fever, unusual fussiness etc etc...

[Cat Herder]

Sorry, hun....

It is that time of year.

[texascare]

I have made it a policy to not add parents on FB. I made the comment to a parent once and said "you can only blame it on teething so long and so many times".....this child was a screamer...i eventually had to terminate for other reasons.

[JennyBear]

Ahh..gotta love the teething excuse..

I really like the idea of adding it into my contract that children will be sent home sick if they have other illnesses/behaviours associated with teething. I'm going to add this next time I update my contract.

[Crazy8]

teething and allergies... I hear them each at least once a week all winter long!!!

[lilrugrats]

Teething and allergies is number one excuse i hear for crabbiness, nose running, coughing, not sleeping, not eating, being rude, late on payments, etc.

[Live and Learn]

I don't know how to attach a link.....if you google -mayo clinic teething symptoms-it says that fever, runny nose and diahrea are not symptoms of teething. Only drooling, swollen gums, and crankiness. I would add that to your contract and provide all parents of "teething" babies a printout of this info. Always exclude for any fever over 100 and diahrea.

Good luck.

[sahm2three]

Originally Posted by Live and Learn

I don't know how to attach a link.....if you google -mayo clinic teething symptoms-it says that fever, runny nose and diahrea are not symptoms of teething. Only drooling, swollen gums, and crankiness. I would add that to your contract and provide all parents of "teething" babies a printout of this info. Always exclude for any fever over 100 and diahrea.

Good luck.

I would LOVE to have that website! I am searching for one now, but haven't found one.

[Sunchimes]

Here is the link:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/teething/FL00102

[cheerfuldom]

I get the "asthma" excuse ALL the time for anything from kicking, rude behavior, rowdiness......also get the teething and allergies

[renodeb]

I had a mom who blamed every thing that was worng with her kids on teething. It got old real fast. I know I maybe opening a can of worms here but I have a BIL that is a dentist and he knows for a fact that teething does not hurt these kids the way that parents say it does. He says the gums receed and the new tooth emerges, its not a tooth forcing its way through the gum like most think.
Debbie

[sariejohnston]

Originally Posted by LittleDiamonds

teething and allergies... I hear them each at least once a week all winter long!!!

that sounds like what i hear all the time a child is sick in my daycare... its so annoying and frustrating.

[Meyou]

I had a teething excuse for crankiness for 3 days last week. DCG wasn't sick...just a sourpuss and really grumpy. On day 4 when dad brought up teething again I said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this isn't teeth...it's two and it's going to be terrible." Dad said he wanted another opinion.

[melskids]

In my illness policy, I also include "any symptoms that prohibit your child from fully participating in our progam or takes my attention away from the safety of the group for an extended amount of time."

That usually cuts down on the excuses.

[Daycaremomof2]

My one year old just cut her first molars. She had no diaharrea, fever, or runny nose. These were molars-the big boys of teething!! "Teething" is just an excuse for people to bring their child to daycare and justify to themselves that its ok to leave your sick child at your provider's all day so they dont feel guilty.

I am on a mom's forum as well, and so many mothers always blame teething, and call it teething from the start. I can't tell you how many mothers of 2 month olds complain about all of the teething problems their new baby have. "She's drooling- must be teething. She's fussy- must be teething. She's sick- must be teething." Then when no teeth come out for 7-8 months later, it's no big deal, because by then they forgot all about it. Seriously.... how many 2 months olds do you know with teeth?

[Kaddidle Care]

Originally Posted by Meyou

I had a teething excuse for crankiness for 3 days last week. DCG wasn't sick...just a sourpuss and really grumpy. On day 4 when dad brought up teething again I said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this isn't teeth...it's two and it's going to be terrible." Dad said he wanted another opinion.

Just wait until he hits 3!

My first son acted a little "off" one day at 3 1/2 mos. and I happened to check his mouth and there was his first tooth.

My 2nd son screamed about everything and teething wasn't a fun thing. I think the older they are when they teethe the more they feel it - tougher gums.

Still.. runny noses, soupy poops - nope, not teething. The parents may be stuffing them with juice bottles to calm them and that would cause the soupies.

I know most of you love to care for babies but our center is 2 1/2 -6 and we don't have to deal with "teething isssues". In fact, at the moment, we don't even have any in diapers!

[Meyou]

Originally Posted by Daycaremomof2

My one year old just cut her first molars. She had no diaharrea, fever, or runny nose. These were molars-the big boys of teething!! "Teething" is just an excuse for people to bring their child to daycare and justify to themselves that its ok to leave your sick child at your provider's all day so they dont feel guilty.

I am on a mom's forum as well, and so many mothers always blame teething, and call it teething from the start. I can't tell you how many mothers of 2 month olds complain about all of the teething problems their new baby have. "She's drooling- must be teething. She's fussy- must be teething. She's sick- must be teething." Then when no teeth come out for 7-8 months later, it's no big deal, because by then they forgot all about it. Seriously.... how many 2 months olds do you know with teeth?

There are kids that really struggle with teething although I think they're the exception, not the rule. One of my girls got teeth several at a time without a peep but the other struggled with every single one. Horrible drooling, red cheeks and rash, mild fevers and just miserable pain. The tooth would break through and her personality would change immediately. We kept her home from daycare several times because she was just miserable. her 6 year molars were the same although she didn't drool at 5. lol

[Daycaremomof2]

She definitely struggled, just no physical signs of illness, I guess is what I mean. I noticed she was teething yesterday, after wondering for the past week why my child was acting posessed! She threw her head back and screamed and I saw 4 corners of teeth poking out in the back of her mouth on both sides. I'm not saying it's not going to hurt at all, but I would love for someone to show me the scientific evidence between diaharrea and teething.

[Meyou]

Originally Posted by Daycaremomof2

She definitely struggled, just no physical signs of illness, I guess is what I mean. I noticed she was teething yesterday, after wondering for the past week why my child was acting posessed! She threw her head back and screamed and I saw 4 corners of teeth poking out in the back of her mouth on both sides. I'm not saying it's not going to hurt at all, but I would love for someone to show me the scientific evidence between diaharrea and teething.

Oh I totally agree with you there! My dd never had a runny nose or diarrhea but she was still a hot mess for several days with each tooth.

[cheerfuldom]

I think the point is that when a parent has been complaining about teething for the first 4 years of their child's life, it's time for them to wise up and see that it doesn't take that long for teeth to come in. Its an easy excuse so the parents dont have to do anything about the problem or admit that their angel is a little monster sometimes.

[MissK]

Originally Posted by Meyou

There are kids that really struggle with teething although I think they're the exception, not the rule. One of my girls got teeth several at a time without a peep but the other struggled with every single one. Horrible drooling, red cheeks and rash, mild fevers and just miserable pain. The tooth would break through and her personality would change immediately. We kept her home from daycare several times because she was just miserable. her 6 year molars were the same although she didn't drool at 5. lol

^^^ I agree. My daughters didn't have a problem at all with teeth. Our oldest just opened her mouth and had one one day! lol Now our youngest, our boy...has had a problem from tooth #1. never fevers or diarrhea or anything just crabby, not sleeping, red cheeks and horrible drooling. Once that tooth popped through he was back to his normal self. So while he definitely doesn't exhibit the other symptoms some parents think teething causes it definitely affects him differently and is harder on him that it was my daughters.

Any time that I or my husband isn't feeling well, we always remark that we must be teething...LOL! I have a 3 1/2 year old here part-time who is apparently a perpetual teether...I expect that she'll still be teething by the time her wedding day rolls around...

[seebachers]

I am crabby and ouchy today......at 41 I must be teething too

[mommacat]

I actually had a parent tell me that her,"teething child's diarrhea was caused by swallowing all that drool

[AnneCordelia]

Originally Posted by Daycaremomof2

My one year old just cut her first molars. She had no diaharrea, fever, or runny nose. These were molars-the big boys of teething!! "Teething" is just an excuse for people to bring their child to daycare and justify to themselves that its ok to leave your sick child at your provider's all day so they dont feel guilty.

I am on a mom's forum as well, and so many mothers always blame teething, and call it teething from the start. I can't tell you how many mothers of 2 month olds complain about all of the teething problems their new baby have. "She's drooling- must be teething. She's fussy- must be teething. She's sick- must be teething." Then when no teeth come out for 7-8 months later, it's no big deal, because by then they forgot all about it. Seriously.... how many 2 months olds do you know with teeth?

Two of My own four children had two teeth before three months old and six teeth by six months. Notba fever, whine or anything out of those boys. :-)

[saved4always]

Originally Posted by AnneCordelia

Two of My own four children had two teeth before three months old and six teeth by six months. Notba fever, whine or anything out of those boys. :-)

My own 3 kids never got fevers with teething. But I have had parents try to blame teething for fevers.

Parents will sometimes grasp at anything so they don't have to miss work. I understand, when I worked full time, I only got 5 sick days on a rolling calendar. So if I called in, I did not get that sick day back until that exact date the following year (call in on 2/10/2012, get that sick day back 2/10/2013). I was always on the edge of going over my sick days at which point I would have gotten a verbal warning. It was very stressful for me and I am sure I sent my kids to daycare when they were borderline sick because I was afraid for my job. That is when I decided to quit and stay home with my youngest. With 3 kids, it was just too much; someone was always sick. So it no longer made sense for me to work outside my home.

That being said, it is not ok to bring sick kids to daycare, tryiing to pass it off as teething or whatever. I can understand the stress of working but I don't allow sick children to come to childcare and I will send them home if they develop a fever anytime during the day.

[MarinaVanessa]

Originally Posted by mommacat

I actually had a parent tell me that her,"teething child's diarrhea was caused by swallowing all that drool

You can blame that on Dr. Sears. He's an author of some baby books. It's so rediculous I want to choke him.

There are a lot of doctors that disagree with him. ALOT, as in pretty much every other doctor there is. They also say that the stress on a baby's body could cause their immune system to weaken which causes them to be more susceptible to illness so baby's could possibly be sick while teething but the symptoms aren't directly caused by the teething ... in other words, baby's have a higher chance of getting sick while teething which is why so many babies get fevers etc. during this time.

I think the comment above about how a baby's gums recede is interesting. I'll have to remember that one.

[sharlan]

I had one child that had a horrible time with getting new teeth all the way through grade school.

He ran high fevers with every tooth. He also got horrible fever blisters on his lips and canker sores in his mouth.

[jessrlee]

I just cut my wisdom teeth and I ran a low grade fever, my nose ran, my eyes ran, I had a total attitude problem, and bathroom problems. Maybe I had a bug at the same time, but I gotta say I have a lot of respect for my little guys that do this all of the time.

As long as the parents are honest about illness I let "teething" kids come to care. I find it hard to figure out if they are actually teething or have a mild cold, as I would allow for both I just make them comfortable and apply orajel

[MrsB]

The swallowing drool excuse reminds of one time a mom asked me not to give her child milk because she believed that was the cause of the green mucous that she was coughing up and that continuously came from her nose!

Also had a mom bring bananas, rice, applesauce, and crackers and asked me to feed them to her because she was so nervous this weekend about playing in her peewee soccer game that she threw up multiple times.

Did she honeslty think I had never heard of the BRAT diet? Makes me laugh now but made my blood boil then!

Now I say if the child needs some type of special diet (acutely), they can't come to care.

I also have in my contract that if the child cant maintain with the flow of the daycare they they will need to be excluded from care, which may include symptoms of teething or allergies.

My husband has horrible allergies and at the start of allergy season he has to miss a couple days of work too!

[MamaBear]

So crazy how teething is contagious, huh? I'm also very sick of this excuse.

[Angelwings36]

Originally Posted by sahm2three

One of the daycare boys was sick over the weekend. I know this because mom posted it on facebook. Today, boy is complaining of stomach ache and has had 2 diarrhea diapers. I contact mom and she said that he is cutting his molars. Ummm, nope. Come pick him up, mama.

Oh, side note, our colicky 13 week old is here today screaming it up like he is dying. I call mom and she also said she thought he was teething. Alrighty.

I have this in my contract maybe it will help you?

Teething can cause:
Increased drooling.
Restless or decreased sleeping due to gum discomfort.
Refusal of food due to soreness of the gum region.
Fussiness that comes and goes.
Bringing the hands to the mouth.
Mild rash around the mouth due to skin irritation secondary to excessive drooling.
Rubbing the cheek or ear region as a consequence of referred pain during eruption of the molars.

Teething has not been shown to cause the following:
Fever (especially over 101 degrees).
Diarrhea, runny nose and a cough.
Prolonged fussiness.
Rashes on the body.