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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How often do you use a sick day?
coolconfidentme 06:07 AM 05-03-2013
I'm curious, how often you have told parents you are too sick to care for their child(ren)? Lately I've had more than my share of kids coming sick & I am now feeling the case of the cruddies with a marathon to run tomorrow. I trained way to hard to feel this bad. YAK & UGH!

Another thing..., I posted for parents to bring in something to wipe their child nose if it is running. NOBODY did! Yesterday I started using their shirt tales. One parents asked about the snot on the shirt (giggle) & I said , "I didn't see any tissue or wipes in your cubbie."

I feel like shooting out a nasty-gram quoting the policy & telling them if I'm sick, everyone suffers. Thoughts?!?
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MyAngels 06:15 AM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:

Another thing..., I posted for parents to bring in something to wipe their child nose if it is running. NOBODY did! Yesterday I started using their shirt tales. One parents asked about the snot on the shirt (giggle) & I said , "I didn't see any tissue or wipes in your cubbie."
Not trying to be mean, but that made me go. I'd rather spend a buck on a box of tissues and than use their shirt tails .
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coolconfidentme 06:27 AM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by MyAngels:
Not trying to be mean, but that made me go. I'd rather spend a buck on a box of tissues and than use their shirt tails .
It is gross, but I'm open 3 shifts & have gone through my share of tissues, TP, paper towels & baby wipes for their noses. I'm pretty much over it & making a point to the parents. I use the wipes on the toddlers who bring them. That's a whole new issue.
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crazydaycarelady 06:42 AM 05-03-2013
I'd ask all the parents to bring a box of tissues. Put a note on your door. No way would I want that snot on their shirts rubbing all over your things. You are probably more likely to get sick that way.

As for sick days I haven't taken one in 8 years. I don't have sick days written into my contract but I actually rarely get sick. I did not even get one cold this winter (knocking on wood.) I think being a reliable provider is very important.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 06:53 AM 05-03-2013
I haven't taken a sick day.

I eat an extremely healthy diet and supplement it with various vitamins and probiotics, wash my hands, and get enough sleep... they say 80% of your immune system comes from your gut and I believe them since I am RARELY sick. The children that eat unhealthy foods at home and don't get enough sleep are almost always sick. It doesn't matter that I wash their hands almost hourly, sanitize the toys AT LEAST once a day, etc. They just get sick extremely easily.

Since I've been pregnant, the flu has gone through here, strep throat, various lung issues like bronchitis, etc. Knock on wood I haven't caught any of that yet...

I would give them a deadline for tissues OR tell them a charge of $5.00 will be added to their next invoice to cover the gas and time to go buy additional tissues for their child. All I use is toilet paper here since it's only about $.25/roll. It would be far too costly to buy tissues for all of these runny nosed children. I think it offends one of the Moms because she always sends tissue boxes when her children tell her we use toilet paper.
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crazydaycarelady 07:01 AM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by :
The children that eat unhealthy foods at home and don't get enough sleep are almost always sick.
I completely agree!
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NeedaVaca 07:04 AM 05-03-2013
I have yet to take a sick day although I do have them in my policies. They are sick/personal days. I keep thinking this year I would love to use the personal days to schedule dr/dentist appts etc but then I worry what if I DO get sick...so they keep going unused.

Yuck about using their shirts to wipe noses Seriously, just add it to the bill if they won't bring them. I use wet wipes a lot and my parents bring them when they bring new diapers. I also coupon heavily and get free wipes and Kleenex a lot. In the past month I have got 10 packages of Huggies wipes free and 30 boxes of Kleenex free so I always have them on hand
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Crazy8 07:17 AM 05-03-2013
I have never taken a sick day for myself in the almost 13 years I have been open. I've had to take a handful of personal days in that time.

I supply tissues/wipes for kids so that part is not an issue for me. They pay me a good amount of money to care for their children, I feel I can supply such necessities the same way I supply toilet paper to those who are potty trained.
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Play Care 07:43 AM 05-03-2013
I have taken one sick day this year but it was to care for my child who caught a tummy bug.
I am rarely ill.

If parents are supposed to send in those supplies and are not, I would turn them away at the door. Aside from being unprofessional, wiping with their shirts probably only made the spreading worse.
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providerandmomof4 08:13 AM 05-03-2013
I struggled through a stomache bug recently and horrific cramps at least 2 days every single month. I always work and luckily havent had any down in bed fever type of illness but truthfully...I would probably have my grown dd or dh stay home to help before I'd close.
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Meyou 08:25 AM 05-03-2013
I have to be very sick to take a day off. Stomach flu or bronchitis, that sort of thing. I'm lucky though. I have a small group and my parents are grateful when I slow our day down and stay open rather than close. So I let them watch movies and prepare easy meals when I'm sick. We normally don't watch tv so it works out well.
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kathiemarie 08:36 AM 05-03-2013
I go by If I was working outside my home would I call in sick? If the answer is YES, then I call out. If its no then I work though it. I used to be that provider that didn't want to call out sick but now (12 years) I do when I NEED to.
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Lucy 08:37 AM 05-03-2013
Only twice in 19 years. I have to actually be vomiting with a 103 temp before I'll call. I have worked many times when I really shouldn't have. At a "real " job, I would have stayed home.
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nannyde 09:21 AM 05-03-2013
My last missed day was in 1994. I've missed one in 20 years.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 09:30 AM 05-03-2013
I am rarely sick. I think in16 years I have taken 3 days... One when I fell and sprained my ankle on ice. But if your sick call off.
Tissues, I supply. I think licensing would frown on no tissues. Regs here say we have to use disposable tissues. caring for kids includes their little runny noses.
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Jewels 09:35 AM 05-03-2013
I had to close a couple fridays ago, because I threw my back out the thursday afternoon prior, it was awful I'm 30 and never experienced that, I had to have my neighbor come over(my backup) and my husband come home(never had to have him come home before)I was stuck on the floor with 9 kids around I had just finished making some homemade mac n cheese and luckily had the baby with me, but my neighbor didn't get here for like 20 minutes, and I had to have my 5 year olds serve lunch, they did awesome, one scooped everyone up their food, and one got everyone milk. I was on the floor for 5 hours before I let my husband move me, I was in so much pain he brought me to the bathroom, and I passed out. you can bet I did not work the next day, other than that I closed once from the stomach flu, but everyone in the whole daycare including every parent had it to, I could not work while puking and gross who would want their kid around that! other than that I do not close, It has to be the stomach flu, or something really bad, I would never close with a bad cold, I would just have the TV on for the day possibly, and not do any activities and have a free day, and an easy lunch. But I haven't even had a cold in so long, working with these kids makes your body strong!
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Laurel 10:12 AM 05-03-2013
I have closed for illness 2 times in 16 years.

Tissues are included in the price of tuition here.

Laurel
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Blackcat31 10:32 AM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:

Another thing..., I posted for parents to bring in something to wipe their child nose if it is running. NOBODY did! Yesterday I started using their shirt tales. One parents asked about the snot on the shirt (giggle) & I said , "I didn't see any tissue or wipes in your cubbie."

I feel like shooting out a nasty-gram quoting the policy & telling them if I'm sick, everyone suffers. Thoughts?!?
I require ALL families to bring one box of tissue and one refill package of wet wipes on the first of each month.

One box of tissue and one refill pack age of wet wipes PER child NOT family

I have a checklist posted on the parent bulletin board in the coat room and check off each child as their supplies are brought in. That way everyone knows if they did or didn't bring stuff.

My rule states that anyone who hasn't brought the requested supplies in by the 5th of the month has a $6 fee added to that week's invoice to cover the costs.

I have had this rule now for about a year and so far everyone has been great. I have had a few who just paid the $6 fee but after a while everyone got on board and brings tissues/wet wipes in now.

I have a pretty big stash going on and I love it.
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Oneluckymom 11:50 AM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I require ALL families to bring one box of tissue and one refill package of wet wipes on the first of each month.

One box of tissue and one refill pack age of wet wipes PER child NOT family

I have a checklist posted on the parent bulletin board in the coat room and check off each child as their supplies are brought in. That way everyone knows if they did or didn't bring stuff.

My rule states that anyone who hasn't brought the requested supplies in by the 5th of the month has a $6 fee added to that week's invoice to cover the costs.

I have had this rule now for about a year and so far everyone has been great. I have had a few who just paid the $6 fee but after a while everyone got on board and brings tissues/wet wipes in now.

I have a pretty big stash going on and I love it.
Blackcat...I would love to start implementing this. I spend a ton on tissues and wipes. Are these for the "class" to use or are they for each child personal use?

What other supplies do you have parents provide?
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Blackcat31 12:04 PM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by Oneluckymom:
Blackcat...I would love to start implementing this. I spend a ton on tissues and wipes. Are these for the "class" to use or are they for each child personal use?

What other supplies do you have parents provide?
Other than the tissues and wipes, I don't require parents to bring in any supplies ...oh, wait they do have to bring in sun screen if they want me to use it on their child.

As for the wipes and tissues, what I did was write the parents a quick note stating that instead of raising rates, I was implementing a supply requirement instead to defray the costs of these supplies.

I require them to bring ANY name brand tissue they want (no generics~they are just paper) and can bring either the Wal-Mart or Target refill packages of wet wipes in unscented ONLY. They are more than welcome to bring in namebrand wet wipes but I don't require it because the Target and/or Wal-Mart ones are pretty good quality imho.

The supplies are then pooled together and used for everyone.

I don't have any kids with allergies or sensitive skin issues (other than myself-hence the reason for requesting unscented) so it works really well for me.
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Childminder 12:05 PM 05-03-2013
Three since 1973.
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AmyKidsCo 12:09 PM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by Childminder:
Three since 1973.
Wow, you're a warrior!

I've taken 2 in the past 6 or 8 years. I can't remember if I was pregnant with #5 or #6 when I took the first one - I thought it was morning sickness but it wasn't And one last year, but this time I knew it wasn't morning sickness.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 12:14 PM 05-03-2013
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
Wow, you're a warrior!

I've taken 2 in the past 6 or 8 years. I can't remember if I was pregnant with #5 or #6 when I took the first one - I thought it was morning sickness but it wasn't And one last year, but this time I knew it wasn't morning sickness.
Thankfully my "morning" sickness was always at night during my first trimester. That made it easy for me to tell that I wasn't actually sick. I can see myself thinking I was very ill if it occurred out of the blue during the morning/day!
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