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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Daycare Keeps Inflating DD's Temperature
Unregistered 03:55 PM 02-15-2018
Over the past couple of months, DD has been sent home three times with a "fever" which is always between 101-103. But when we pick her up, she isn't warm to the touch, and when we get her home, she's never over 99. This time, we even took her to the doctor and they measured 98.4. Getting really frustrated with these exclusions that aren't based on actual fact. What gives?
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Denali 04:30 PM 02-15-2018
Is she ever given anything to help her feel better before you take her temp at home? Does anything, anything at all, go in her mouth before her temp is taken?

Where is the daycare taking her temp vs where you are? Under arm or mouth? Forehead ? And what kind of thermometer is the daycare using vs you?

Anytime I’ve even had a temp discrepancy between home and daycare it was because Tylenol or ibuprofen or some kind of ‘make you feel better’ thing was used, temperature was just checked by feeling the forehead (no thermometer being used), child was given something cold to eat/drink right before temp was taken, or the like....

Not that is what’s happening, but...
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hwichlaz 04:36 PM 02-15-2018
ask to take her temp again at pick up
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Unregistered 04:39 PM 02-15-2018
Nice try, but believe it or not, some parents are actually honest. I am a scientist, and integrity of data is paramount to me. No NSAIDs, nothing to artificially depress temperature. I take my own temperature as a control. We use a temporal thermometer, daycare uses axillary. Should be roughly the same, but regardless, not enough to explain 98 vs. 101.

What I'm talking about is: I get a phone call about the fever, pick DD up within 15-20 min, already not warm to the touch. Get home 10 min later, no fever. Doctors office, no fever. Repeatedly.

Originally Posted by Denali:
Is she ever given anything to help her feel better before you take her temp at home? Does anything, anything at all, go in her mouth before her temp is taken?

Where is the daycare taking her temp vs where you are? Under arm or mouth? Forehead ? And what kind of thermometer is the daycare using vs you?

Anytime I’ve even had a temp discrepancy between home and daycare it was because Tylenol or ibuprofen or some kind of ‘make you feel better’ thing was used, temperature was just checked by feeling the forehead (no thermometer being used), child was given something cold to eat/drink right before temp was taken, or the like....

Not that is what’s happening, but...

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storybookending 04:44 PM 02-15-2018
I would bring my thermometer the next time she is called for pick up. Take it with yours the second you walk in the door and also ask the daycare to show you how they take her temperature.
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Unregistered 04:46 PM 02-15-2018
That's the plan from now on. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but.....

Just to be clear, I have no problem taking her home if she needs to go home. Sick kids don't belong in daycare. My issue is with being told something that isn't true.

Originally Posted by hwichlaz:
ask to take her temp again at pick up

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sahm1225 04:56 PM 02-15-2018
Can you ask them to show you the temperature or take it in front of you? I don’t see why they would lie. Specially since it’s something you can instantly disprove.

And you’d be amazed how many people don’t think about itbehen they say their child doesn’t have a fever but they gave them a fever reducer medicine. Which is why most schools and daycares have to specifically say that child has to be fever free without the use of a fever reducer for 24 hours.
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Unregistered 05:08 PM 02-15-2018
Absolutely, from now on I'm getting them to repeat the reading in front of me until either my readings start squaring with theirs, or I understand why they don't.

And once again, we haven't given her ANY meds whatsoever, at all. In weeks! Nothing, nada, zero. It's the kind of thing I'd remember doing, because getting any med to go in her mouth is a battle of epic proportions.
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sahm1225 05:45 PM 02-15-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Absolutely, from now on I'm getting them to repeat the reading in front of me until either my readings start squaring with theirs, or I understand why they don't.

And once again, we haven't given her ANY meds whatsoever, at all. In weeks! Nothing, nada, zero. It's the kind of thing I'd remember doing, because getting any med to go in her mouth is a battle of epic proportions.
The only thing I can think of is that they are adding a degree or two to the temperature they take in error?
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Blackcat31 06:02 PM 02-15-2018
How old is your child?

Are the days she’s been sent home the same in any way? (same day of week or beginning of week/month etc)
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HappyEverAfter 06:08 PM 02-15-2018
Their thermometer could be off caliber and they may not realize it. I had one that I recently replaced that was reading low and I didn’t realize it at first until a child felt much hotter than the thermometer reading. I bought two new ones, an oral and a forehead. These new thermometers vary by 2 full degrees from my old one that was reading low. The one that was reading low was older and I’d had it almost 10 years so as with many things these days, I suppose it just wasn’t meant to work forever. Perhaps theirs is reading higher than what the true temperature is?
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Denali 06:18 PM 02-15-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Nice try, but believe it or not, some parents are actually honest. I am a scientist, and integrity of data is paramount to me. No NSAIDs, nothing to artificially depress temperature. I take my own temperature as a control. We use a temporal thermometer, daycare uses axillary. Should be roughly the same, but regardless, not enough to explain 98 vs. 101.

What I'm talking about is: I get a phone call about the fever, pick DD up within 15-20 min, already not warm to the touch. Get home 10 min later, no fever. Doctors office, no fever. Repeatedly.
Do they give her anything?

If what you say is true, ask for it to be checked again before you leave with her. That won’t mean that she can stay, because that is ultimately up to the daycare, but it will be something.

Side note: For 4 months my daughter’s temp would go up to 102 for about 20-40 minutes a few times a day and sometimes only once a day. Every time I took her to the doctor her temp was 98-99, never more. It was frustrating and we never figured out what was going on. I recorded taking my DD’s temp with my phone to Show that I wasn’t crazy. Maybe ask nicely if your daycare will do that and send it to you so you can show the doctor next time? This will help you with the “I’m not seeing it so it’s not happening” and on the other side of it if they are lying you’ll see it for yourself 👍

Also start looking for another daycare, if they are sending home because they just don’t want your daughter there and using fever as a way to do that then you’ll need another place soon anyway. Doesn’t sound like you trust them either.

It can be frustrating.
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ColorfulSunburst 07:42 PM 02-15-2018
Originally Posted by HappyEverAfter:
Their thermometer could be off caliber and they may not realize it.
I had this problem. My thermometer showed low temperature then it really was. Because of that I start using an old style mercury thermometer.
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flying_babyb 08:22 PM 02-15-2018
Originally Posted by Denali:
Do they give her anything?
my DD’s temp with my phone to Show that I wasn’t crazy. Maybe ask nicely if your daycare will do that and send it to you so you can show the doctor next time? This will help you with the “I’m not seeing it so it’s not happening” and on the other side of it if they are lying you’ll see it for yourself ��

Also start looking for another daycare, if they are sending home because they just don’t want your daughter there and using fever as a way to do that then you’ll need another place soon anyway. Doesn’t sound like you trust them either.

It can be frustrating.
This! our center makes this a requirement. We take a temp, take the thermometer to the boss, she snaps a pic, texts the parent then calls!
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BrynleeJean 02:24 AM 02-16-2018
Yea I was going to say at least I know even center that uses auxiliary thermometers usually get them for around $1-3 so I doubt the reading could terrible accurate. Calibration could be off, she could be adding degrees to it too I know at a few centers I worked at they told us to add a degree too to the temp of the child. That’s just the rule I guess cuz of the type of thermometer? not a scheme.
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Cat Herder 06:02 AM 02-16-2018
Does your daughter cry or tantrum a lot in daycare? Is there a particular time of day it seems to be happening?
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Unregistered 06:38 AM 02-16-2018
AFAIK she isn't any worse behaved than any other kid. The teachers actually tell me she's cooperative and well behaved. The phone calls about the "fevers" are always in the afternoon, and they start "she woke up from her nap and seemed a bit off, so I checked her temperature, and it was 83 bajillion degrees..."

Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Does your daughter cry or tantrum a lot in daycare? Is there a particular time of day it seems to be happening?

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Blackcat31 06:44 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
AFAIK she isn't any worse behaved than any other kid. The teachers actually tell me she's cooperative and well behaved. The phone calls about the "fevers" are always in the afternoon, and they start "she woke up from her nap and seemed a bit off, so I checked her temperature, and it was 83 bajillion degrees..."
How old is your daughter?

I kind of feel like it might be something to do with staffing issues or afternoon/next day activities...I don't know, immediately my first thoughts were that they were simply trying to reduce #'s for that time period/day etc and if the calls for pick up always come at a similar time of day, it makes that thought even more plausible.

Do you have any other concerns about the program or staff? Anything that seems off? How long have you attended there? Other children of yours enrolled as well?

What is the staff's attitude like with you when you pick up? Do they exclude the following day as well?
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Cat Herder 06:49 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I kind of feel like it might be something to do with staffing issues or afternoon/next day activities...I don't know, immediately my first thoughts were that they were simply trying to reduce #'s for that time period/day etc and if the calls for pick up always come at a similar time of day, it makes that thought even more plausible.
I am thinking the same. Afternoon shift swap.

If your daughter is too young to be moved up a class and too old to be moved down a class, sending home for ratios is a thing some centers do. It is not an ethical thing to do. It is usually about payroll or a staffing shortage.

Few parents catch on to it because there are only small age windows that kids cannot be legally combined for ratios.
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New Lady! 06:52 AM 02-16-2018
I don't see why the provider would lie but you never know. I think calling her out will make her mad though because as others have said trust or lack of is a big deal. I would address it as a concern for your child's health instead of accusing the daycare of lying. I mean, if she actually has a temp they are addressing her health in the only way they can by letting mom know so she can make the decisions to "get to the bottom of it".
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Cat Herder 06:53 AM 02-16-2018
FWIW, most kids wake up warm from sleep. That is why most do not call it a fever until it is sustained for 20 minutes.
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Homebody 06:58 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
AFAIK she isn't any worse behaved than any other kid. The teachers actually tell me she's cooperative and well behaved. The phone calls about the "fevers" are always in the afternoon, and they start "she woke up from her nap and seemed a bit off, so I checked her temperature, and it was 83 bajillion degrees..."
My son sometimes wakes up from naps feeling hot. He sweats in his sleep a lot because he gets over heated easily. I've checked his temp when he feels hot and it shows a fever, but if I check again a half hour later its normal. It could be she is getting overheated during nap. Does she sleep with a heavy blanket and/or dressed in clothing that could make her hot?
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hwichlaz 07:16 AM 02-16-2018
I've had several kids over the years that sleep hot.
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Unregistered 09:02 AM 02-16-2018
My son was at a daycare that routinely checked children’s temperatures after nap time to claim children had fevers so they could send them home. After about the 5th time in 2 months I withdrew my child. After talking with other parents, they said the same thing. My little guy is always hot when he sleeps. He’s 4 now and sleeps in underwear and will still wake up sweaty. I would start looking for alternate care.
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Leigh 09:09 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
AFAIK she isn't any worse behaved than any other kid. The teachers actually tell me she's cooperative and well behaved. The phone calls about the "fevers" are always in the afternoon, and they start "she woke up from her nap and seemed a bit off, so I checked her temperature, and it was 83 bajillion degrees..."
I have a 3-year old in my childcare who, more often than not, runs a temp at naptime. No one knows why. I would ask them to wait 15 minutes, then retake the temp. She just runs hot around nap time, apparently. Also, I did TONS of research to ensure that I was buying the right thermometer. A temporal thermometer was found to be most accurate IF it were used properly. I watched YouTube videos from the manufacturer to learn how to take a temp. I was doing it wrong, and I can tell you that EVERY nurse in the clinic that I have dealt with is also doing it wrong.

By following manufacturer instructions, I am now able to get accurate and consistent readings. I would actually purchase an Exergen temporal thermometer and give it to the childcare, along with usage instructions, and ask them to use it on your child. Remember that temporal readings will be a LITTLE lower than an oral or rectal reading, but that they will be consistent. Ask for a photo of the temp when they contact you. I always send a photo of temps, and haven't had a parent argue with me about their child not being sick since I started doing this.
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Unregistered 09:19 AM 02-16-2018
Interesting theory, the timeline makes sense for it. The first shift starts at 6:30, 6:30 plus 8 hours is 2:30. Care to guess what time I always get these calls?

I can't go into it assuming this unethical behavior, but I will certainly keep my eyes peeled.

To answer your other questions... she's 18 months, and we already have had an incident that eroded my trust in them. Last year, I got a phone call saying she bit herself, and the teacher saw her do it. We picked her up, and the bite mark had 12 teeth. Problem is, she only had two teeth! So very, very clearly, some other child bit her, and the teacher lied about watching her do it. After this, we had a chat with the director about the importance of being truthful about what happens with DD.

After these calls, I haven't been bringing her back the following day, because I've been adhering to the policy of 24 hours with no fever. But if there really was no fever though, and she's feeling fine, I don't think I'd be wrong to bring her in.

Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
How old is your daughter?

I kind of feel like it might be something to do with staffing issues or afternoon/next day activities...I don't know, immediately my first thoughts were that they were simply trying to reduce #'s for that time period/day etc and if the calls for pick up always come at a similar time of day, it makes that thought even more plausible.

Do you have any other concerns about the program or staff? Anything that seems off? How long have you attended there? Other children of yours enrolled as well?

What is the staff's attitude like with you when you pick up? Do they exclude the following day as well?

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LittleScholars 09:23 AM 02-16-2018
I just bought a brand new (EXPENSIVE) thermometer and it reads insanely high. I didn't catch it until I took my husband's temperature when he was sick and it read 105.5. We re-took underarm and he was just slightly over 101.

Parents will often ask me to check temps as soon as kiddos wake up if they had an off morning and they always read high. I agree with bringing your own thermometer and asking if they can re-take the temp before you pick up. I always re-check before making the call to send a kid home and it almost always goes down once they are up and moving.
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Unregistered 10:06 AM 02-16-2018
Hi, im sorry this keeps happening to you! I had a similar issue with a child in my care who was running a fever occasionaily , and when the parents got home they would say there was no fever. I started taking a picture of the thermometer that would mark 101 and above to have proof. After about a month of this ( maybe once or twice a week) the child caught an awful virus and was out for a week and a half.

Im not sure why this keeps happening with your daughter. But I can say from my perspective as a provider that I never like to send kids home sick, especially since im aware that the parents cannot just take time off work whenever they want . I cant see why they would fake this. In my case, the reason I am on top of temperatures is because since there are so many other kids , I worry they will all get sick.

However, I would just ask the provider for a picture of the thermometer ( and maybe even ask her to take it once or twice with a 15-30 min break in between readings) After nap time the children are definitely hotter, or if she was running, crying, or worked herself up, your daughters temperature may have risen temporarily .
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daycarediva 10:13 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
How old is your child?

Are the days she’s been sent home the same in any way? (same day of week or beginning of week/month etc)
This was my thought and it seems consistent with what the parent has since stated on this thread. Sounds like a staffing issue AND/OR below...

Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
FWIW, most kids wake up warm from sleep. That is why most do not call it a fever until it is sustained for 20 minutes.
I don't even check temps until 30 minutes after rest time is over. I get them up, clean everyone up, potty everyone, get snack prepped, etc. THEN if they still feel warm...

I just had a conversation with a dcm about this. Her child had a fever and was sent home THREE TIMES in two weeks. Mom swore up and down she had no fever, and I know she was elevated, it was 103 and she was obviously uncomfortable. Come to find out this mother thought that tylenol cured a fever.

She's a nurse.

I just....
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Unregistered 10:46 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by hwichlaz:
I've had several kids over the years that sleep hot.
This is exactly what is going on with this kiddo. She is warm when sleeping. Her daycare is pretty stupid to just take her temp after waking and call it a fever.
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Cat Herder 11:09 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
She's a nurse.

I just....
Then she should know a tylenol overdose is deadlier than a heroin overdose. Just slower and more painful.
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daycarediva 11:21 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Then she should know a tylenol overdose is deadlier than a heroin overdose. Just slower and more painful.
If she thought antipyretics cure a fever I'm puzzled by how she managed to get a BSN, and what other crucial information she doesn't know.
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Cat Herder 11:23 AM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
If she thought antipyretics cure a fever I'm puzzled by how she managed to get a BSN, and what other crucial information she doesn't know.
I know too many nurses to be surprised.

Sometimes it is hard to see things when it is your own kid, though. Mechanics drive the worst maintained cars, I've heard.
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Mom2Two 01:38 PM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I know too many nurses to be surprised.

Sometimes it is hard to see things when it is your own kid, though. Mechanics drive the worst maintained cars, I've heard.
Yeah, don't assume that a nurse knows everything. I remember when we (and NICU follow-up clinic) were tracking DD's head circumference so carefully, and at this time the new, circular head measuring tapes came out. We kept getting different measurements from different groups, and in the end I had to explain to our pediatrician's office that head circumference was always the largest measurement, and that the measure tape had to be sloped from the forehead to the most protruding part.

Our pedi had to make sure the nurses were all trained better on it, because it was giving us a heart attack and giving all the children inaccurate measurements.

It was a big deal for us because we were on the line for getting DD to grow well enough after weaning her off her feeding tube.
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LostMyMarbles 02:00 PM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
How old is your daughter?

I kind of feel like it might be something to do with staffing issues or afternoon/next day activities...I don't know, immediately my first thoughts were that they were simply trying to reduce #'s for that time period/day etc and if the calls for pick up always come at a similar time of day, it makes that thought even more plausible.

Do you have any other concerns about the program or staff? Anything that seems off? How long have you attended there? Other children of yours enrolled as well?

What is the staff's attitude like with you when you pick up? Do they exclude the following day as well?
Funny that you said all that Black Cat. I have taken two families in my care that came from a daycare where the provider used to call for pickup, stating that a child had a fever. When the parents would take the child home, the parent would retake the temp and there would be no fever. This was a pattern in this daycare. Everybody was on a set rate, they paid whether they were there or not. The provider was taking drop in children at an extremely high rate. When she would get a call for a drop in she would have to send one of the regulars home with an alleged fever. This daycare is also notorious for sending a child home if she didn't want to deal with a crazy day. She would say they needed to be picked up due to not drink enough milk by 1:00, or if she thought they were constipated. Both of families that I now have caught on to these antics.

Last week I interviewed a mom that had left the day care that I talked about earlier. She stated the same thing, that she was constantly getting phone calls for pickup due to a fever. The last time she got a call ,she stopped at her house and grabbed her thermometer. She walked in that daycare and said I'm going to take my child's temp with my thermometer, and then you take my child's temp with your thermometer and we're going to compare. Both readings were normal. She told the daycare provider she was tired of these constant made up fevers. She was missing too much work. And said she was done effective immediately.

I would definitely bring your thermometer upon puck up and do a comparison, to see if you are getting jerked around.
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Blackcat31 02:40 PM 02-16-2018
I think it's a pretty common occurrence in both center care and in home care for some programs/providers. NOT all.

Center care does it for staffing and ratios issues or when they know an inspection is scheduled.

In home providers do it for similar reasons and for alot of other "dumb" reasons....

I knew a provider in my community that used to schedule a field trip for her older kids (not in diapers) but would still take in all her regular kids in the mornings and then around lunch would call and say the younger kids (in diapers) had a temp or had diarrhea so they have to get picked up. Since they attended at least a partial day, there was no refund of fees so she gets to go on the planned field trip and gets paid in full for all kids even though just a couple went on the field trip.

You'd be surprised (maybe) at what antics similar to this that providers will post in on-line social media groups or on forum boards for providers only. I have been shocked speechless more than once at the lengths some providers will go to send a child home for frivolous and/or silly reasons.
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Ariana 03:02 PM 02-16-2018
Never take a temp right after wakeup! I always wait 30minutes so after snack and a cold glass of water. I personally don’t even take a temperature until a child is acting funny. Why else would you be “checking” a child for a fever?

I had a family that I had to repeatedly send their kids home for fevers. Like 4x in 7 months. Prior to that I had sent home kids maybe 2x for fevers...it was really rare! Every single time the illness would magically dissappear when they would get home. Still have no idea if they were lying or not but it never happened before and has not happened since! Weird.
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Ariana 03:17 PM 02-16-2018
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I think it's a pretty common occurrence in both center care and in home care for some programs/providers. NOT all.

Center care does it for staffing and ratios issues or when they know an inspection is scheduled.

In home providers do it for similar reasons and for alot of other "dumb" reasons....

I knew a provider in my community that used to schedule a field trip for her older kids (not in diapers) but would still take in all her regular kids in the mornings and then around lunch would call and say the younger kids (in diapers) had a temp or had diarrhea so they have to get picked up. Since they attended at least a partial day, there was no refund of fees so she gets to go on the planned field trip and gets paid in full for all kids even though just a couple went on the field trip.

You'd be surprised (maybe) at what antics similar to this that providers will post in on-line social media groups or on forum boards for providers only. I have been shocked speechless more than once at the lengths some providers will go to send a child home for frivolous and/or silly reasons.

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Jdy2222 10:01 AM 02-18-2018
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
FWIW, most kids wake up warm from sleep. That is why most do not call it a fever until it is sustained for 20 minutes.
This. If I take it after nap and it's high I wait 20 minutes, without blanket and with child moving around normally, and take it again. Then, if it's still high, I call parent.
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mommyneedsadayoff 03:31 PM 02-18-2018
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
If she thought antipyretics cure a fever I'm puzzled by how she managed to get a BSN, and what other crucial information she doesn't know.
I dont think it's ignorance. I think it's willful ignorance. What you don't know, can't hurt you right? I was a nursing major and if you don't know that fever is a symptom, not a disease, then i find it very hard to believe that you ever passed any sort of licensing board. In my area, spots in the nursing program are tough to get, and without top grades, you are SOL, so I personally think these nurses are playing games.
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Leigh 08:11 AM 02-19-2018
Originally Posted by Ariana:
Never take a temp right after wakeup! I always wait 30minutes so after snack and a cold glass of water. I personally don’t even take a temperature until a child is acting funny. Why else would you be “checking” a child for a fever?

I had a family that I had to repeatedly send their kids home for fevers. Like 4x in 7 months. Prior to that I had sent home kids maybe 2x for fevers...it was really rare! Every single time the illness would magically dissappear when they would get home. Still have no idea if they were lying or not but it never happened before and has not happened since! Weird.

My little girl who runs hot at nap time (even before she goes to sleep!) gets a really red face, which is why I started taking her temp. I have never sent her home for it, because I noticed right away that her temp returned to normal within 30 minutes of waking up. Such an odd thing, though, that you can almost count on a fever level temperature right around lunch time!
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Luna 05:59 PM 02-19-2018
Originally Posted by hwichlaz:
I've had several kids over the years that sleep hot.
I ave kids like this too. At first I was taking their temp right after nap, let mom know it was elevated, and have them picked up. By the time mom arrive temp was back to normal.
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Tags:flu policy, temperature, trustworthiness
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