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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Mad DCM Blaming Other Kid For DCK Getting Sick
Unregistered 01:24 PM 04-25-2013
My 2 DCKs both got sick the same day last month and were sent home withing 30 minutes of each other. Now a month later the same thing happens today. Now mom of DCK1 is angry and is blaming DCK2 and daycare and said DCK1 has never been sick before daycare.

Funny thing is last time they both got sick, the one who's mom is mad had a virus that needed antibiotics while DCK2 was fine a day later. Clearly DCK1 did not catch it from DCK 2.

I've already explained it must not have been caught here since no one else came down with the virus. I also explained its very common to get sick a few time the first time a child goes to daycare or preschool.

Any advice on how to ease this mothers mind or to prevent this.

I'm very careful about washing or sanitizing hands and disinfecting my house. But kids are germ factories and when in close contact will pass on illnesses.
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littlemissmuffet 01:28 PM 04-25-2013
Meh. I tell parents during the interview - you kids is going to get sick. Whether they get sick from daycare, home, Walmart, a birthday party or their grandma - kids get sick. I tell them I don't tolerate blame games and I don't tolerate negotiating my illness policy.

I would tell the mom to grow up, be a parent and take care of her sick child... where the sickness came from isn't the issue.
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Chatter Box 01:32 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My 2 DCKs both got sick the same day last month and were sent home withing 30 minutes of each other. Now a month later the same thing happens today. Now mom of DCK1 is angry and is blaming DCK2 and daycare and said DCK1 has never been sick before daycare.

Funny thing is last time they both got sick, the one who's mom is mad had a virus that needed antibiotics while DCK2 was fine a day later. Clearly DCK1 did not catch it from DCK 2.

I've already explained it must not have been caught here since no one else came down with the virus. I also explained its very common to get sick a few time the first time a child goes to daycare or preschool.

Any advice on how to ease this mothers mind or to prevent this.

I'm very careful about washing or sanitizing hands and disinfecting my house. But kids are germ factories and when in close contact will pass on illnesses.
There is no way to prevent it. It doesn't matter where the child caught it. Short of keeping her child contained in her own home with no outside contact with anyone else who has had outside contact her child will always be subject to illness. She will have to come to terms with that at some point in life or choose to live as a hermit. Regardless of whether they caught it there or not you don't run a hospital and do not watch sick children.
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daycare 01:40 PM 04-25-2013
unless this child only goes to your house, stays in bubble wrap, has a parent that only goes to your house and is bubble wrapped , no one else ever goes to their house or uses their vehicle, or anyone in their house ever come in contact with another human, or environment, there is no way in heck to prove where the child got it from.

anyone living in DCKs house could be a carrier of the illness that DCK has, but just has not displayed any symptoms....I would be so mad if a parent ever said something like this to me.

I would be asking them to find alternate care else where.
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MarinaVanessa 01:51 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My 2 DCKs both got sick the same day last month and were sent home withing 30 minutes of each other. Now a month later the same thing happens today. Now mom of DCK1 is angry and is blaming DCK2 and daycare and said DCK1 has never been sick before daycare.

Funny thing is last time they both got sick, the one who's mom is mad had a virus that needed antibiotics while DCK2 was fine a day later. Clearly DCK1 did not catch it from DCK 2.

I've already explained it must not have been caught here since no one else came down with the virus. I also explained its very common to get sick a few time the first time a child goes to daycare or preschool.

Any advice on how to ease this mothers mind or to prevent this.

I'm very careful about washing or sanitizing hands and disinfecting my house. But kids are germ factories and when in close contact will pass on illnesses.
I'd turn it on them to help find a solution:

ME: So what would you have me do?
DCM: Clean more.
ME: I already clean and sanitize the space, equipment, toys and practice good hygiene with all of the DCK's including washing our hands before and after eating, handling food, going outside, diapering and using the bathroom.
What else would you have me do?
DCM: Well the other kids must be coming sick.
ME: If a child comes down with any symptoms of exclusion I immediately send them home. I don't ask why or what they have. If they look sick they immediately go home. I can't control what the other parents do including you and it's safe to safe to say that at some point every parent will bring a child that they are unaware is sick, that includes your child.
What else within my power would you have me do?
DCM: ....
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AmyKidsCo 02:01 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I'd turn it on them to help find a solution:

ME: So what would you have me do?
DCM: Clean more.
ME: I already clean and sanitize the space, equipment, toys and practice good hygiene with all of the DCK's including washing our hands before and after eating, handling food, going outside, diapering and using the bathroom.
What else would you have me do?
DCM: Well the other kids must be coming sick.
ME: If a child comes down with any symptoms of exclusion I immediately send them home. I don't ask why or what they have. If they look sick they immediately go home. I can't control what the other parents do including you and it's safe to safe to say that at some point every parent will bring a child that they are unaware is sick, that includes your child.
What else within my power would you have me do?
DCM: ....


I also mention that it's better for them to get sick now than when they're in school.
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Chatter Box 02:02 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I'd turn it on them to help find a solution:

ME: So what would you have me do?
DCM: Clean more.
ME: I already clean and sanitize the space, equipment, toys and practice good hygiene with all of the DCK's including washing our hands before and after eating, handling food, going outside, diapering and using the bathroom.
What else would you have me do?
DCM: Well the other kids must be coming sick.
ME: If a child comes down with any symptoms of exclusion I immediately send them home. I don't ask why or what they have. If they look sick they immediately go home. I can't control what the other parents do including you and it's safe to safe to say that at some point every parent will bring a child that they are unaware is sick, that includes your child.
What else within my power would you have me do?
DCM: ....
On top of it people are often contagious up to 3 days before symptoms appear.

Remind her she brought her child sick and you had to send him home. As Marina said its out of your control.
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LittleD 02:07 PM 04-25-2013
Kids in daycare do seem to get ill more often but they tend to have a better immune system when they are school aged, as opposed to kids who don't go to daycare
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Cradle2crayons 07:15 PM 04-25-2013
I'd educate them about people and kids who look and feel healthy but are spreading germs. Because of this, our pedi np has me swab all of our noses twice a day with neosporin for five days.... Twice a year... Since then my kids rarely get sick. I have a best friend whose son kept getting strep and nobody in his home or class was sick. Come to find out, the boy he sat next to in class was a carrier in his nose and the boy kept getting it and not the carrier... I would tell mom may her or other family members are carriers and to ask her pediatrician if that could be the issue.... Other than that, kids get sick from anything. Tell mama to grow up lol
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rmc20021 07:36 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons:
I'd educate them about people and kids who look and feel healthy but are spreading germs. Because of this, our pedi np has me swab all of our noses twice a day with neosporin for five days.... Twice a year... Since then my kids rarely get sick. I have a best friend whose son kept getting strep and nobody in his home or class was sick. Come to find out, the boy he sat next to in class was a carrier in his nose and the boy kept getting it and not the carrier... I would tell mom may her or other family members are carriers and to ask her pediatrician if that could be the issue.... Other than that, kids get sick from anything. Tell mama to grow up lol
I understand that your pedi told you to do this, however I used to be a medical assistant for an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor and he strictly encouraged people to NOT use vaseline (petroleum jelly) in the nose as many people who had frequent bloody noses were even advised to do by their GP's.

He is a very seasoned professional...the best in our area. When we had a newly certified doctor come into the office who was suggesting to patients to use vaseline to moisturize the lining in the nose to prevent nose bleeds, the older doctor set him straight pretty quickly as it went against our policy. We advised patients to use a water soluable substance such as KY jelly.

Neosporin contains petroleum jelly which has the potential to become inhaled into the lungs and can cause pneumonia. It doesn't happen often and if you weigh the benefits of using it against the possibility of contracting pneumonia from it and feel the neosporin use is the better option, if it was me, I would probably continue to use it.

Just please beware of the POSSIBLE consequences and stay aware if any symptoms of pneumonia arises and take the proper precautions.
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Cradle2crayons 07:42 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by rmc20021:
I understand that your pedi told you to do this, however I used to be a medical assistant for an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor and he strictly encouraged people to NOT use vaseline (petroleum jelly) in the nose as many people who had frequent bloody noses were even advised to do by their GP's.

He is a very seasoned professional...the best in our area. When we had a newly certified doctor come into the office who was suggesting to patients to use vaseline to moisturize the lining in the nose to prevent nose bleeds, the older doctor set him straight pretty quickly as it went against our policy. We advised patients to use a water soluable substance such as KY jelly.

Neosporin contains petroleum jelly which has the potential to become inhaled into the lungs and can cause pneumonia. It doesn't happen often and if you weigh the benefits of using it against the possibility of contracting pneumonia from it and feel the neosporin use is the better option, if it was me, I would probably continue to use it.

Just please beware of the POSSIBLE consequences and stay aware if any symptoms of pneumonia arises and take the proper precautions.


First of all, a tiny amount on a q tip won't be inhaled. There's no possibility. My ENT advises parents about it as well. Of course, you aren't supposed to squirt the entire tube up their noses. Tanks for the info though
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Laurel 08:08 PM 04-25-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
My 2 DCKs both got sick the same day last month and were sent home withing 30 minutes of each other. Now a month later the same thing happens today. Now mom of DCK1 is angry and is blaming DCK2 and daycare and said DCK1 has never been sick before daycare.

Funny thing is last time they both got sick, the one who's mom is mad had a virus that needed antibiotics while DCK2 was fine a day later. Clearly DCK1 did not catch it from DCK 2.

I've already explained it must not have been caught here since no one else came down with the virus. I also explained its very common to get sick a few time the first time a child goes to daycare or preschool.

Any advice on how to ease this mothers mind or to prevent this.

I'm very careful about washing or sanitizing hands and disinfecting my house. But kids are germ factories and when in close contact will pass on illnesses.
As soon as a parent starts to wonder who 'gave' their child something I get very firm and stop them right away. I say something like "No, no, no, we don't do that here. People get sick. It's a fact of life. Sometimes it will be another child who gets something first and sometimes it will be yours. It can come from anywhere at anytime and no one can help it so we don't even bring it up."

I must look annoyed cause I've never had anyone bring it up twice after that.

Laurel
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rmc20021 08:13 PM 04-25-2013
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as being offensive. I just wouldn't want someone to take this advice and have possible serious consequences when it plainly states on the packaging it's not intended for internal use.

I only wanted to help educate people as I had been trained to do in the doctor's office.

It only takes a very small amount to absorb into the mucous membranes of the nose and travel to the lungs.

It sounds as though this has worked wonderfully for you...it may not for the next person.

http://skin.emedtv.com/neosporin/neosporin-uses-p2.html
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Cradle2crayons 08:23 PM 04-25-2013
I'm not sure you are understanding. Using neosporin in the nose isn't "internal". The nose is considered a mucous membrane. If something is inhaled into the lungs, it doesn't absorb through the nose, it's inhaled into the lungs. These are all totally different things. Inhaling something like a breathing treatment would go to the lungs. What I'm talking about isn't inhaling. It's not internal. It's simply swabbing the mucous membrane.

However, if a parent were to squirt the tube up in the nose, that may be a problem. What my docs have always said was to out a small tiny amount and swab. It's not enough to inhale.

There are thousands of articles on using that as a treatment for staph carriers
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MissAnn 03:54 AM 04-26-2013
Walmart shopping cart. I blame all sickness on that.
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Cradle2crayons 04:54 AM 04-26-2013
Originally Posted by MissAnn:
Walmart shopping cart. I blame all sickness on that.

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Sugar Magnolia 10:10 AM 04-26-2013
I have found that the children here who get sick the most frequently are the ones with school age siblings. Hands down! In Elementary school, the teachers are not.following.every child to the bathroom to make sure they wash up, or after lunch, or after recess, or after they sneeze. I only have one after school SA and I wish I could hose her.down with Lysol when she gets here. Some days she is downright filthy. Yuck.
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Cradle2crayons 10:40 AM 04-26-2013
Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia:
I have found that the children here who get sick the most frequently are the ones with school age siblings. Hands down! In Elementary school, the teachers are not.following.every child to the bathroom to make sure they wash up, or after lunch, or after recess, or after they sneeze. I only have one after school SA and I wish I could hose her.down with Lysol when she gets here. Some days she is downright filthy. Yuck.

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