DCB that is always picking things up is sick again, he's sick 1/2 of every month, sometimes more. It's a common cold (thus far), no fever but he has this constant runny nose that he always gets every. single. time. he picks up anything. He sneezes and snot bubbles come out and you can see the spray flying into the air. I've tried over and over to teach/show him how to cover his nose/mouth when he sneezes or coughs, but he's not very good at taking any kind of direction - he's 19 months old. I'm not wanting, nor do I think I should have to, follow him around to ensure he stops wiping his nose all over his own face, arms and the toys! I'm fine with wiping noses and do all the time, but this drip is constant and I'd have to be on him every second and I don't think I should have to be.

This is a bit of my illness policy as it is in my contract "All parents must agree that if their child is ill with fever, vomiting, seasonal cold (accompanied by mucus overative cough or continuous runny nose), will be kept home until their symptoms have gone or have been on antibiotics for a min. of 24 hrs"

I feel I'm covered to ask parents to keep him home, but how do I tell these parents in a nice way that I am not the person to look after their child when his nose/sneezing is out of control? To make matters worse, just this week DCM told me she has to be at work (we've had bad weather here) since she has an important meeting coming up and I already know DCD never takes a day since apparently he does not get paid. Call me mean or insensative, but it bothers me that I'm the one chasing DCB around wiping all the time, putting toys away that now have to be washed since he's covered them with mucus etc. I know I'm in part just tired of this constant drop off of this child when he is ill, since he's brought all kinds of goodies in this season, and everyone here gets sicks since I can't possibly wash ALL the toys he's touched since kids rush in and grab them etc.

Do any of you ask parents to keep a child home with the main symptom being an uncontrolable runny nose? I know these parents will be like, why?, he's fine, he's been playing etc. etc.

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Is it constant runny nose, every day, or just when he catches something? If it is clear and every day maybe an allergy is to blame. If it is just when he catches something it's probably not! I would hate that too and would see what the parents say about it!

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I've been fed that line from his parents - it must be allergies of some kind, it's clear and he seems fine otherwise!? Then, oddly enough we all catch his allergies within a week when we have all been fine otherwise! This happens only when he has been around other family members that have been ill or he's come down with something himself from somewhere else. Yes, it is clear, it always starts this way with him and then becomes thicker and yellowish within a couple of days usually.

I'm just soooo tired of catching things from this one child and I think that is contributing to me wanting him at home when it is not easily controlled, I would otherwise accept him here if I wasn't chasing him around all day! I always tell his parents about his day and have made it very obvious (outside saying KEEP HIM HOME), that he is not well and I have issue with running around him all day with tissues, but they never act on it, take him to the Dr's or anything. So, now I am faced with just saying, he can't come, and I want to do it as nicely as possible.

Sorry I've never asked a parent to keep their child home, so I was asking how to say things to them at pick-up today to get them to step up and look after their child when he is ill vs me.

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I hada similar issue, A dcg i watch , when she gets a cold she gets super boogery and shes a mouther and drewler as well ...the mom had to take many days off this fall for a nasty cold and I sent her home one day because in my contract I state for a uncontrolable runny nose (needs to be wiped every 5 minutes)...the mom basically said she will look for other care because her job is complaining how many days she is taking off, and her daughter is acting fine other wise..i basically sucked it up and dealt with it.....sometimes if the child has to be out a whole week , i might offer parents some money back , as a thank you for not tying to bring their sick kid here. I dont have that in the contract, so they dont expect that or try to take advantage.

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I have had the same issue with one of my dcg. Dcm says it's just allergies. However, my kids always catch the dcg allergy...? This yr so far has been by far the worst in history for colds, flues and every other lil germ that is around. I know that I will loose the dcg if I tell the dcm to keep her at home until the runny nose and dry/wet cough goes away. So I continue to wipe noses and disinfect like my family and other dcks depended on it.

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So, did you tell them to keep him home today? I have a 2 yo girl here that has had the runny nose since she started. Hers remains clear though so I think maybe it's an allergy, which is why I asked that. It sucks when they keep bringing illnesses in. I think I just termed my "germy" one for an inconsistent schedule and not letting me know when they were not coming! We will see if that was it but, I highly suspect it was that child as they had MULTIPLE sa siblings of all ages. Good luck!

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Ha! DCM walked in last night and immediately said w/o even looking at me "so how was your nose today, are you still sneezing?" Obviously DCB being 19 months said nothing. I looked at her and said actually I needed to talk to you about that and told her what had gone on that day (and again about the day previous) and how he had been wiping it on his arm before I could get to him and that he was getting frustrated (crying) with my wiping and following him around. I told her it's something I can't manage too well since it's constant and he is sneezing into other childrens faces since I am still working on getting him to cover his nose and mouth. I asked her what they had been doing at home to help stop it and she replies "that's interesting because he didn't even have a runny nose last night!?" I'm thinking a couple things at that moment, 1) yes, because you spend a total of 2 hrs max before bedtime with him yourself and he isn't likely running around the way he does here and 2) yeeeeaaaah rrrrright! This is the same DCM who had no clue her child was ill and dropped him off with a fever of 102!

So, with that she left. She offered to bring a spray for his nose to try to clear it out if it gets really bad. I wasn't about to confront her further, so that was it. I don't like being spoken to how she did, although not rude, she was implying that I was exagerating his runny nose! I spend 9+ hours with her son, she spends a total of no more then 3 hours (1 in the morning and 2 at night), I think I have some idea of how her child is dealing?!

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