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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Me or Family Sick All The Time Now
Peaches 07:01 PM 02-22-2015
Since Christmas me or someone in the family has been seriously sick. I am constantly washing everything with bleach and washing my hands all the time but it no use. I have closed multiple times and my husband has also stepped in to help watch daycare kids or quarantine our own young kids when sick. Up until starting daycare we were a healthy family and never sick. But its getting to the point where I don't know if this business is worth it. We've had strep, influenza, pneaumonia, ear infections, strep again, scarlet fever, stomach flu, and colds that bring high fevers... We are at the doctors every week and I don't know what else to do. I have a strict illness policy that the daycare families follow. I think the school agers I watch are the ones exposing us yet rarely are the daycare kids sick (I'm so paranoid I checking their temps constantly) How do you all do it? Any suggestions on how to stop my family from getting ill or moral encouragement appreciated.
Kabob 07:14 PM 02-22-2015
Is this your first year? We got sick all the time the first year I was open until we built up our immune systems. Kids can carry stuff but not show symptoms. It seems to me from what little experience I have that school agers tend to carry lots of illnesses back from school...but maybe that's just me...I don't take school agers anymore and haven't for a while.
Sometimes stuff just goes through a whole community. We just got done with the worst bout of croup I've ever seen...my children's pediatrician said she saw a huge influx of kids with croup in just a matter of days...regardless of daycare attendance. People bring their sick kids shopping and on other errands all the time intentionally or not...so then everyone is exposed.
It's tough but it happens...
Sometimes stuff just goes through a whole community. We just got done with the worst bout of croup I've ever seen...my children's pediatrician said she saw a huge influx of kids with croup in just a matter of days...regardless of daycare attendance. People bring their sick kids shopping and on other errands all the time intentionally or not...so then everyone is exposed.
It's tough but it happens...
Starburst 07:51 PM 02-22-2015
Do you have the kids wash their hands when they first come in? Most school age kids might just be taught to just wash their hands after using the bathroom, but if they only go to the bathroom once or twice a day (if they even wash their hands when not being supervised) during school who knows what they could have touched through out the day and what they could be tracking in.
Also if you live in a colder area do you always have the heater on and rarely open the window or air out the house? Sometimes even if you do clean meticulously, the air can still get stale and stagnant if it's too warm and there's not enough new air coming in regularly. I actually noticed that I get over illnesses faster when I go out and get a little fresh air then when I'm cooped up in the house and the heater is on full blast, the whole time it is tempting though.
Also, do you or your family take vitamins or supplements? Maybe talk to your doctor about vitamins.
Also if you live in a colder area do you always have the heater on and rarely open the window or air out the house? Sometimes even if you do clean meticulously, the air can still get stale and stagnant if it's too warm and there's not enough new air coming in regularly. I actually noticed that I get over illnesses faster when I go out and get a little fresh air then when I'm cooped up in the house and the heater is on full blast, the whole time it is tempting though.
Also, do you or your family take vitamins or supplements? Maybe talk to your doctor about vitamins.
Unregistered 02:39 AM 02-23-2015
I have found that the Parents are typically the ones spreading the germs. While they are sick they are still bringing kids to daycare, siging kids in and out, touch door knobs.
Kabob 04:47 AM 02-23-2015
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I have found that the Parents are typically the ones spreading the germs. While they are sick they are still bringing kids to daycare, siging kids in and out, touch door knobs.
Oh boogers! I forgot to sanitize my front doorknob! I totally missed that...I have found that the Parents are typically the ones spreading the germs. While they are sick they are still bringing kids to daycare, siging kids in and out, touch door knobs.
Peaches 05:58 AM 02-23-2015
These are great suggestions! I have opened a window to get some fresh air circulating and will encourage the school agers to wash hand when they arrive. It is my first year so hoping our immune system will strengthen soon. I don't know how may more times I can close or have my husband take PTO. Thanks for the insights
laundrymom 07:23 AM 02-23-2015
The first two years are the hardest. Remember to wash everything. Door handles. Gate handles, etc. Like PP said. It's just part of it. It helps in the long run though. I've filled 4 antibiotic scripts since my son was born in 1990. For all four of my kids combined. Your immunities will get stronger.
kathiemarie 07:39 AM 02-23-2015
I almost hate to say this but My house has always been clean, I clean the toys when needed but I don't go over the top. A couple of years ago I got on the super clean, sanitize band wagon. EVERY day, EVERY thing was disinfected, it was my worst year, health wise, in my 14 years of being in business. I went back to my normal cleaning no more major sickness. Yes kids get colds here and there but nothing like it was that year. So maybe you are over doing it just a little bit? I don't know, I think sometimes we take a good thing and go overboard and make it not so good.
daycare 07:56 AM 02-23-2015
How is your families diet? How well does everyone sleep?
daycarediva 10:44 AM 02-23-2015
Originally Posted by daycare:
How is your families diet? How well does everyone sleep?
I was also going to ask this. How is your families diet? How well does everyone sleep?
We caught more the first year-two than we ever had before. Now we rarely get sick.
Open windows, stop sanitizing and just use soap and water, have the KIDS wash their hands more often. We put a HEPA filter on our furnace and central air, and added a separate bathroom ONLY for daycare kids. That helped a LOT, too.
jgcp 05:34 PM 02-24-2015
Im thinking of adding to my sick policy because if Im sick and close I give a credit : If you bring your child sick and me or my family get sick and have to close, you will still be charged and NO credit will be given?? 
Hopefully that will scare dcp enough not to bring their kids when still sick ( i love the " it must be allergies" bull honky
)... but my Policy and Procedures dont seem to faze anyone anyway
Hopefully that will scare dcp enough not to bring their kids when still sick ( i love the " it must be allergies" bull honky
)... but my Policy and Procedures dont seem to faze anyone anyway
hope 04:18 AM 02-25-2015
Originally Posted by jgcp:
Im thinking of adding to my sick policy because if Im sick and close I give a credit : If you bring your child sick and me or my family get sick and have to close, you will still be charged and NO credit will be given??
Hopefully that will scare dcp enough not to bring their kids when still sick ( i love the " it must be allergies" bull honky)... but my Policy and Procedures dont seem to faze anyone anyway
I can see parents fighting you on that. They will still claim their child had allergies and that what you caught came from somewhere or someone else.Im thinking of adding to my sick policy because if Im sick and close I give a credit : If you bring your child sick and me or my family get sick and have to close, you will still be charged and NO credit will be given??
Hopefully that will scare dcp enough not to bring their kids when still sick ( i love the " it must be allergies" bull honky
)... but my Policy and Procedures dont seem to faze anyone anyway
Ariana 09:08 AM 02-25-2015
Originally Posted by kathiemarie:
I almost hate to say this but My house has always been clean, I clean the toys when needed but I don't go over the top. A couple of years ago I got on the super clean, sanitize band wagon. EVERY day, EVERY thing was disinfected, it was my worst year, health wise, in my 14 years of being in business. I went back to my normal cleaning no more major sickness. Yes kids get colds here and there but nothing like it was that year. So maybe you are over doing it just a little bit? I don't know, I think sometimes we take a good thing and go overboard and make it not so good.
I almost hate to say this but My house has always been clean, I clean the toys when needed but I don't go over the top. A couple of years ago I got on the super clean, sanitize band wagon. EVERY day, EVERY thing was disinfected, it was my worst year, health wise, in my 14 years of being in business. I went back to my normal cleaning no more major sickness. Yes kids get colds here and there but nothing like it was that year. So maybe you are over doing it just a little bit? I don't know, I think sometimes we take a good thing and go overboard and make it not so good.
Totally agree with this! I know it's hard but take each day as it comes and try not to stress. Stress brings on more illness than anything else. It has been the worst year for us as well and I've been working in childcare for 10 years
