Peaches 06:38 PM 05-10-2015
I posted a while back how sick me and my family have been this past year. I have 2 young boys (2 & 4) that are also a part of my daycare and I'm wondering how others handle their own young kids sicknesses? I'm not talking about common colds but serious contagious illnesses. So far my husband and I seem to alternate care. Depending on what they have he stays home and helps keep them separate from the daycare kids; other times I close. So far I have had to close eight times, and my husband has taken an equal number of days off to care for our sick kids. It's really starting to take a toll. How do you all manage? I'm really starting to question how much more sickness we as a family can take and if it would be better to close and start again when my children are older. We live a healthy lifestyle eating healthy diets and have good sleep habits. I keep the house clean etc. I just don't know what else to do. this is my second year and I keep thinking our immune systems will build up but I don't know how much long I can wait for that. Any guidance you can offer would be great
Thriftylady 06:42 PM 05-10-2015
I would try to isolate when your kids are sick, so that you can still provide care. Closing a lot will become an issue for your families. Honestly though, putting it off until they are older likely won't help, because then they will just pick up stuff at school. Do you do any vitamins and such as preventative?
childcaremom 02:59 AM 05-11-2015
Originally Posted by Peaches:
I posted a while back how sick me and my family have been this past year. I have 2 young boys (2 & 4) that are also a part of my daycare and I'm wondering how others handle their own young kids sicknesses? I'm not talking about common colds but serious contagious illnesses. So far my husband and I seem to alternate care. Depending on what they have he stays home and helps keep them separate from the daycare kids; other times I close. So far I have had to close eight times, and my husband has taken an equal number of days off to care for our sick kids. It's really starting to take a toll. How do you all manage? I'm really starting to question how much more sickness we as a family can take and if it would be better to close and start again when my children are older. We live a healthy lifestyle eating healthy diets and have good sleep habits. I keep the house clean etc. I just don't know what else to do. this is my second year and I keep thinking our immune systems will build up but I don't know how much long I can wait for that. Any guidance you can offer would be great
When my oldest was a part of daycare, I would close. My families had reliable back up plans and I wouldn't charge, so it was never an issue. Now I stay open and my kids stay segregated (they are school age).
Are the dcfs complaining? Or do you just feel overwhelmed?
I don't know how your set up is but is there a way for you to segregate your own and still be able to keep an eye on the dcks? Do you have family that can give a hand? Do your dcfs have back up? Because I am home, I am the one that takes the brunt of sick care. If kids are sick requiring me to close, then I close. Dh can't miss work. Mind you, I will stay open for most illness so not a huge issue anymore.
It is hard to pinpoint where an illness could have been picked up so maybe they would have gotten sick anyways? I know this past winter was awful for us here. Lots of yucky stuff going around.
Peaches 09:49 AM 05-11-2015
The daycare families aren't complaining yet, but I worry. Mainly I just feel overwhelmed with the family sickness decisions. On one hand I don't want to be closing because the families depend on me but on the other I don't want to be making others sick because I stayed open I when we had stomach flu, strep, pink eye etc. Neither options seem ideal and I wonder if there is a better alternative. I do have my parents close by that can occasionally help.
AmyKidsCo 01:05 PM 05-11-2015
When my kiddos were old enough to be left alone (4+ years) I'd isolate them in their bedroom or the basement family room with a baby monitor so they could call me if they needed me. The 2 yr old would be trickier because he's not old enough to be left alone all day. Can you isolate him in a nearby room with a baby gate to keep him separate from the DKC?