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View Full Version : Sick, did I do the right thing?



momof2cuties
09-13-2012, 06:21 AM
Soo..my son is sick and I am starting to get sick (we were around my friends child Sunday that ended up Monday getting sick and it being strep throat) I'm not sure if that is what is going on, but I just happens to notice the white patches on my throat OH JOY! I messaged my daycare parents and informed them I will still provide care, but just thought I would give them all a heads up of the illness at our house. Do you inform your daycare parents if anyone in your home is ill? Do you still provide care if you or your children are sick?

Inspired by Reggio
09-13-2012, 06:44 AM
Hope you are feeling better soon ~ if you've been exposed to strep I would be getting into the Dr cause the sooner you can get something for that the less painful for you or your wee one!

To answer the other questions ~ I always keep my clients in the loop about anything 'illness related' in the house ~ not about WHO has what but just the what is going around so that they know what to watch for in their own child ~ although it is really hard when it is your own child who is sick not to say who ;)

As for closing it depends on 'what' is affecting me since I do not have wee ones at home to get sick ... if I suspect I have something I would expect a client to keep their own child home with than I would close (aka vomiting / diarrhea / fever over 101 / unexplained rash / communicable disease with an exclusion according to the health unit) otherwise if it is just me being 'under the weather' than I give them a heads up that I am really not 100% today however not enough to close on them so I will be open just offering a 'basic' day aka the kids will be supervised and fed but there will be no bells and whistles and likely a movie on at some point ~ they are always cool with that ;)

I think if my child was sick with something that I would expect others to keep their child home for I would likely either close so I could give my child my undivided attention while ensuring I do not infect the daycare or if the house is big enough to keep everyone 'separate' than arrange for my child to be watched by someone else either in the house or perhaps sent to a grandparents or something so that they were not IN the program area infecting others and so I was not trying to divide my attention between work and my own child who if sick is likely going to want more of me than normal. Also would depend I guess on how old the child was ~ if they are old enough to stay up in their room and basically 'rest and take care of self' with minimal need from me.

Cadillac
09-13-2012, 07:23 AM
I will still prvide care through colds and illness not easily transferable but strep throat is seriously contagious and dangerous to tots and babies. I might have gone the doctor and gotten a diagnosis. if it is strep i would close until 24hours after medicine is started (our usually rule for the children)

however, what you did is exactly what i do if anyone in my houe is sick. I let the parents know.

you did the right thing but be careful around contagious diseases. work through bronchitis bad illnesses like that if you wish. I tell the parents that im open but program is cancelled and im a couch mom for the day. most are pretty pleased with this and tell me not to get up off that couch unless someone is dying.

cfred
09-13-2012, 07:41 AM
I still provide care if I'm unwell if I can still safely do so. Really, I have to be on death's door to call a sick day. However, I do tell all parents that it will be a very low key day (movie day) on those occasions. I'd be more inclined to call in sick if I had a roster of really wee ones as they can be pretty tough to keep up with when you're feeling rough. If a bug is floating around the house, I do notify the parents if it's anything beyond a common cold and leave the choice up to them whether or not to bring in their kids. If they choose to keep their kiddies home, full charges still apply. If I call it, no charge.

kidlove
09-13-2012, 10:20 AM
Yes, I notify ALL parents if anyone is ill with a spreadable illness, I let them choose..if..i decide to stay open. I will close if anyone in our house has "highly contagious" illness such as the flu. and also ask IF any of the daycare families have ANYTHING contagious, they stay out of care. until the sick are well. 24-48 hrs after feeling better if its the flu, I dont mess with illness, out of respect of all my families. Hate spreading anything if it can be avoided! Always upfront and honest! :) honesty is the best policy.

Momof4
09-13-2012, 05:57 PM
Did you go to the doctor? It sounds like you need antibiotics for a bacterial infection, yikes! Take care of yourself. I wrote 3 paid personal days into my contract a few years ago and I've only used one sick day in over 4 years. Believe me, parents will leave their children with you if you look and sound like death unless you take care of yourself. But out of respect and consideration to your clients if you do take a day off give them lots of notice to make other arrangements.

momof2cuties
09-17-2012, 07:10 AM
Strep for me and my 2 kids. It's miserable. I'm on antibiotics and not getting much better. Throat pain is gone but so weak and fever still there. It probably doesn't help that I have a very low immune system so I'm prone to pick up all sorts of things. I'm assuming if I'm still fevering I'm still contagious? My oldest child is back to normal and my youngest is good, just a bad case of the snots ha ha! and a cough which I am assuming the cause of all the snot accumulating!!

lainey76
09-17-2012, 07:26 AM
UGh glad i'm not the only one .... I mentioned to my husband yesterday that I should let the parents know I'm ill and that it would be their choice to bring the munchkins today (I suspect strep) (went to 3 walk-ins yesterday and all were closed ) . BUt my husband made me feel guilty about taking a day off ..... so I didn't bother calling and today I have no voice ! so he had to stay home and help with the little ones.

momof2cuties
09-17-2012, 07:34 AM
Hope you feel better lainey!! I really do hate this time of year. LOL

cfred
09-17-2012, 08:23 AM
Hope everyone feels better.....nothing going around my neck of the woods for the moment (knock wood). If you're still feverish, your antibiotics haven't quite done their thing yet and still harbouring that lovely infection. Give it another day or so. Some of them take a while.

I'm sorry....PARDON??? He made you feel guilty for being sick and taking a day off? Not cool.....nice that he's helping with the kidlets though :)

Hope everyone feels better.

apples and bananas
09-17-2012, 08:57 AM
I hope it's not too bad and everyone gets better soon. I keep hearing about everyone getting sick.. the time of year I guess... Lucky for me, no ones come down with anything so far. (knock Knock)

I tell parents exactly what symptoms me or my children have beyond a runny nose and cough. If they are too sick to go to school then the parents are informed and I give them the option to bring their children or not. It's up to them. I don't reccomend one way or the other I just let them know and they can make their own choice.

As for me! I only had to close once due to my own illness. I was up all night in the bathroom and I only had one client coming the next day. I text her at 3am and told her I was no good to care for anyone. She text me back first thing when she woke up and wished me well... no harm done. I close when I can't care for all the kids. I let the parents know if I'm feeling run down or catching something.

I dont' charge for sick days... theirs or mine. I do that so no one feels like that have to get their money's worth by bringing their children. It keeps their kids home when sick and keeps them away from us when we're sick. I have a seperate account that I have set up for emergencies just like that and pay myself when those days come up.

I've been lucky to never have more then one flu run through the daycare in the year and a bit I've been open.

lainey76
09-17-2012, 08:59 AM
Yeah he feels for the parents having to scramble for alternate care ...... his train of thought was well you don't know if it is strep ...why not wait for a diagnosis .... lets just say he is regretting his words lol