sick of watching sick kids

[momof3]

I think I just need to blow off some steam. But does anyone else have the problem of parents dropping off sick kids. I have a brother and sister, ages 1 and 5 respectively, where on Monday the mom called and sad the baby woke up covered in vomit. She said, besides that, he has no fever and seems ok. I told her they couldn't come anyway because if he was sick enough to vomit on himself and not wake up, then he's definately not feeling well. Anyway, they were both here on Tuesday. The older child didn't eat much at lunch (very unlike her), and wouldn't eat snack (definately something wrong here). Anyway, the mom called this morning (Wednesday) and said the daughter had been throwing up ALL night long. I guess I'm just pissed right now, because now every child in care, along with my own children (they're in school till 2:30, thank goodness-less exposure) have now been exposed. I feel that the parents should have kept the kids home the extra day, just in case. Now if my kids get sick, I usually give the parents the option of bringing the kids, but let them know mine are sick. However, if they get sick this time, I am just going to close. I am still recovering from pneumonia from 4 weeks ago, because some of my parents NEVER take their sick kids to the doctor. Whenever the babies have runny noses (and I don't mean the clear stuff) but nasty, whether accompanied by a fever, grumpiness, whatever, I find the parents blame it on teething. I try to tell the parents I feel they need a trip to the pediatrician, but I can't force it. Any advice on getting parents to bring sick kids to doctors force-fully, but nicely would be appreciated.

[kidcentric]

Do you have a health policy that defines when children can be in care? If not, you definitely need one and it needs to be very clear. We have a long-standing policy that if a child is sick (vomiting, fever, etc), he or she cannot return to care until they are symptom-free for 24 hours. Even at that, we still have problems with parents getting upset when they try to bring their child back too early and we turn them away. To help with this, we recently developed a form to send home with each sick child explaining exactly why they were sent home and when they are eligible to return. We're hoping it will help.

Good luck. Unfortunately, this is a battle that just has to be constantly fought for the good of all of the children in your care.

[Ms.Sue]

I think I just need to blow off some steam.
Okay blow awayyyyyyy! It's healthy!

But does anyone else have the problem of parents dropping off sick kids.


No, I don't. Why? because I am in charge of running my business. When parents arrive with ill children - I tell them I am not accepting them and send them home - it's already in my policy - so it's something they already know anyway - but just want to try to pass them off.

Anyway, they were both here on Tuesday. The older child didn't eat much at lunch (very unlike her), and wouldn't eat snack (definately something wrong here).
Well, see that's not always an 'easy call' Because you can't always be SURE that the sibling is going to get sick or not....so, you must of let them attend because there was not fever, etc. - so, it's a judgement call.

Anyway, the mom called this morning (Wednesday) and said the daughter
had been throwing up ALL night long.

Okay - so it seems this illness is being passed along and you really can't help that ----- 'cause it could of just ended with the first child being ill - you didn't not have 100% evidence that the other child would come down sick too....okay - that's just the nature of our business. Not much you can do in that particular situation.......

I guess I'm just upset right now, because now every child in care, along with my own children (they're in school till 2:30, thank goodness-less exposure) have now been exposed.

Okay - here's the twist! You are not really mad at the parents (okay maybe a little disappointed -- so you need to lower your expectations of some parents) But - I think you are mad at yourself because you feel that you didn't stand firm and stay in control of your business and enforce your policies. Instead - you let them slide - and now you are looking back and are pissed that you let it happen....right? ..................

When you are in TOTAL control of your business and are secure handling the customers - you won't be upset anymore - because you won't allow this type of stuff to happen.

I feel that the parents should have kept the kids home the extra day, just in case. Now if my kids get sick, I usually give the parents the option of bringing the kids, but let them know mine are sick.
However, if they get sick this time, I am just going to close. I am still

Yeah, well we can FEEL all we want to - like parents should bath their children, not send them in the same dirty clothes for 4 days in a row, use car seats, actually set good examples for them, or not dump them in front of a t.v. everynight and all weekend either ----- But - it ain't gonna happen!!!!!!!


recovering from pneumonia from 4 weeks ago,
Okay - this doesn't help anything either as far as your patience level if you are recovering from your own illness........I know that feeling.

Whenever the babies have runny noses (and I don't mean the clear stuff) but nasty, whether accompanied by a fever, grumpiness, whatever, I find the parents blame it on teething.

Which is where you need to step up and say "I will not accept ****** until they have a been seen by a doctor"

I try to tell the parents I feel they need a trip to the pediatrician, but I can't force it.

Wrong !!!!! you can 'force' it and enforce it !!!!!

Any advice on getting parents to bring sick kids to doctors force-fully, but nicely would be appreciated.

You are running a business - you don't have to always be nice! Stand your ground, enforce your policies - and you will be in control - and not feel so stressed. You are the only one allowing them to do this to you.
IT'S BUSINESS ----------NOT PERSONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, put on your big girl pumps and run that business woman!

[momof3]

all of your advice is good, however, I feel it is very different for a home provider than a center. When a home provider only has so much income, it is not wise to piss the parents off. It is a very fine line and we have a great deal of church centers opening in our area right now. Most home providers that I know are struggling right now for kids. As soon as the kids turn 2, alot of parents move them to a center because they can then drop their kids off at 6:00 a.m. and not pick up till 6 or 7 p.m. I have my own family, and am not willing to sacrifice my evenings of going to my childrens sports events to stay open later. The parents I do have usually have one parent drop off and the other picks up.

My sick policy is as follows..........If your child has a fever, no daycare, If your child is vomiting, again no daycare, if your child has green snot, no daycare. I just recently(last week) had my whole daycare come down with pink eye. My husband had it so bad he missed a week of work. All because i have one parent that thinks she knows everything ( her child is the one that brought the pink eye in) and that its not pink eye but an allergies. Finally told her she would need a doc note to be able to come back. It took me a week to get that parent to take her child to the doc. So yes sick and tired of taking care of sick children and i refuse to do it any longer!

[Ms.Sue]

all of your advice is good, however, I feel it is very different for a home provider than a center. When a home provider only has so much income, it is not wise to piss the parents off.

I understand 100% - I started as a home daycare - and believe me - I understand the issues with money and maintaining your customers. However, - I also presented myself in a very professional manner - I dressed properly, my daycare space in my home was always clean and I had a preschool atmosphere - and provided services from infants up to before and after.



are struggling right now for kids. As soon as the kids turn 2, alot of parents move them to a center because they can then drop their kids off at 6:00 a.m. and not pick up till 6 or 7 p.m. I have my own family, and am not willing to sacrifice my evenings of going to my childrens sports events to stay open later.

well this is a business decision you have to make - and if you are running a real business - you will have to make sacrifices to be sucessful and better than any of the other daycare sites in your area. That is just the reality of it. You have to adjust your hours to suite your customer base. I used to open at 6:30 and close at 5:30 Monday thru Friday. I did not interview in the evenings either - I had them come to my home while business was open - and yest I had 2 little children at the time - but, I knew I could run a better business and offer my customers exactly what they want - and I charged the highest rate in the area - and got it! I wouldn't accept less.

You can't have it both ways - be "AT HOME" and "RUN A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS" ---- You have to make them seperate. The parents I do have usually have one parent drop off and the other picks up.
meaning? I am not following you here ???? what does that have to do with you providing the services that are needed???? You need to address what your customer wants - and develop your contract and enforce your policies - as a business owner.

I had a professional career but choose to walk away to raise my family. Honestly, this is just a way to help support my family. My family comes FIRST, before my business. I love watching the kids, and I provide better care than almost any daycare in my area. I have many repeat customers who have come back with their second children. But I will repeat, my children are first and I am sacrificing a high paying career to be the one my children come home to after school. I don't see this as a "career" that I will continue for the rest of my life. I see this as a means to get keep my family close and be there for my kids.

Originally Posted by momof3

I think I just need to blow off some steam. But does anyone else have the problem of parents dropping off sick kids. I have a brother and sister, ages 1 and 5 respectively, where on Monday the mom called and sad the baby woke up covered in vomit. She said, besides that, he has no fever and seems ok. I told her they couldn't come anyway because if he was sick enough to vomit on himself and not wake up, then he's definately not feeling well. Anyway, they were both here on Tuesday. The older child didn't eat much at lunch (very unlike her), and wouldn't eat snack (definately something wrong here). Anyway, the mom called this morning (Wednesday) and said the daughter had been throwing up ALL night long. I guess I'm just pissed right now, because now every child in care, along with my own children (they're in school till 2:30, thank goodness-less exposure) have now been exposed. I feel that the parents should have kept the kids home the extra day, just in case. Now if my kids get sick, I usually give the parents the option of bringing the kids, but let them know mine are sick. However, if they get sick this time, I am just going to close. I am still recovering from pneumonia from 4 weeks ago, because some of my parents NEVER take their sick kids to the doctor. Whenever the babies have runny noses (and I don't mean the clear stuff) but nasty, whether accompanied by a fever, grumpiness, whatever, I find the parents blame it on teething. I try to tell the parents I feel they need a trip to the pediatrician, but I can't force it. Any advice on getting parents to bring sick kids to doctors force-fully, but nicely would be appreciated.

------------------------------------------------------------------

We have 8 kids in care (rarely less), age vary, but now we have 11 mo., 11 mo., 2 yr., 2yr., 4 yr., 4 yr., 5 yr., 6 yr. and a 10 mo. at night. each infant has their own bin of toys and never touches the other toys (normally, babies suck on toys that other babies have sucked on, but not at our place).

We do the following for sick kids:

First, sick or not, every child washes hands immediately at drop off.

For sick kids they don't touch anything!
we turn water on/off
get things for them

we give them a basket/box of many items for them to play with (just for them) and then when well, we clean them. We let them choose things they like and no touching the rest of the toys.. They sit farther away from the other kids. We go behind and disinfect. Works very well, and we have kids with pink eye, viruses, etc... We let babies/kids sleep as much as they want and one of us tends to the sick one, seperately.

I have a question that I hope somebody can answer.I have two sisters in my center and 1 of them has pneumonia.She was diagnosed on wednesday and the sister wants to come play with her friends on friday.I know that pneumonia is not as contagious as people think and that the cold before the pneumonia is but am wondering should I let her come to daycare???

I'd be pretty unhappy as a parent if I were bringing my child to a daycare that knowingly kept sick kids. Pink eye? Really? How do you isolate a sick baby all day long while still giving them the attention they need? You must be isolating if none of the other kids can touch the sick child's bin of toys. I hope you meant that you isolate until the parent can pick up the child within the hour that you call them to let them know the child is sick. In this State, it is illegal for a provider to keep a sick child with something as serious as pink eye until the antibiotic period has passed. And if inspected by the State DHHS people when kids are sick and in care, a license can be suspended.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

------------------------------------------------------------------

We have 8 kids in care (rarely less), age vary, but now we have 11 mo., 11 mo., 2 yr., 2yr., 4 yr., 4 yr., 5 yr., 6 yr. and a 10 mo. at night. each infant has their own bin of toys and never touches the other toys (normally, babies suck on toys that other babies have sucked on, but not at our place).

We do the following for sick kids:

First, sick or not, every child washes hands immediately at drop off.

For sick kids they don't touch anything!
we turn water on/off
get things for them

we give them a basket/box of many items for them to play with (just for them) and then when well, we clean them. We let them choose things they like and no touching the rest of the toys.. They sit farther away from the other kids. We go behind and disinfect. Works very well, and we have kids with pink eye, viruses, etc... We let babies/kids sleep as much as they want and one of us tends to the sick one, seperately.

And you have every right as a parent to be upset. I as a provider get very, very upset. But it is something us providers fight every single day. But we get parents that just don't care if they infect others. Most of them cover up the fever with meds so we don't even catch the fever until the meds wear off and i also get alot used to get alot of, "Well i have to see if someone will cover for me so i can come pick up my kid." Or can you just give him/her some meds to bring the fever down. As far as the pink eye, The parent lied to me and said that she took her to the doc and never did, and when i saw she wasn't getting better i demanded that she get a doc note and by that time it was too late! So it was the parents fault that pink eye ran through my daycare and my family. And let me just add this, I will NOT happen again!

Ok I also run a daycare in my home and I have a clearly written contract about sick policy which includes head lice. I have recently had the displeasure of dealing with this anyways....any advice on what to do???
I have my own children and since this is OUR HOME head lice is not something I want to deal with all the time!!!

[Thriftylady]

I am also a home provider, and stuggling to fill my slots. But illness is defined in my handbook, and I stick to it. I have a new DCG who started last week. Come time to pay for this week on Friday mom Hemmed and Hawed. I said "fine she can't come if you can't pay in advance". Mom was upset. Then when mom did come pay she started in on "I don't want you to feed her this, I want her to have koolaid to drink....". I handed her money back and said "she has to eat what the other kids do unless she has a script from the doctor saying otherwise and I don't serve koolaid". Mom refused the money back and I still have DCG.

Think of it this way, if you don't take control, you won't be in business very long. Trust me I know, that is why I closed mine the first time. I HIGHLY suggest you read NannyDe's book, Doing Daycare. It talks all about how to deal with these types of parents. I have tried her advice once on the DCM above and it worked.