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MonkeyPrincess
11-24-2014, 10:44 AM
...at what point do you consider closing? I won't close if my kids have a minor cold but i have been closing when they have a fever, vomiting/diarrhea, strep throat and ear infections (Which happens a lot around here- 4 times this year for my daughter). I try to follow my daycare illness policy when my own kids are sick and the parents respect that, but all my parents are good about keeping their kids home too when they are sick. I have closed twice in the last 3 weeks because each of my kids have been sick. Now I don't want to be closing every time my kid has something minor because i am losing out on income because i don't get paid when i close, so help me figure out when i realistically should be closing and when i can stay open.

mickyc
11-24-2014, 11:09 AM
I am closed today as well. My daughter was up in the night throwing up. She is totally fine today though (so far). I texted all parents last night (in the middle of the night) saying I was closing today. I closed a few weeks ago at noon because I was sick although I ended up only having 1 family bring their child to daycare, the rest stayed home the full day. I try my best to have a backup myself in the event my daughter is sick. Sometimes my husband will stay home from work although right now with my daycare being in my main living space would be pointless. Sometimes if my daughter has something minor (slight fever, ear infection etc) I will leave her upstairs to relax and watch TV while I am downstairs with the other kids (also wouldn't work right now until we get the daycare space finished and moved back down there). I have also had my MIL look after my daughter when sick.

It is tough to close especially with the cut in pay and Christmas coming.

AmandaKDT
11-24-2014, 11:53 AM
I have my husband stay home to help if my own kids are really sick or to take for doctor appointments as much as possible, since he gets paid sick days/family days to use. I try really hard not to close the daycare unless I am sick, therefore unable to care for the kids.

My daughter had the flu and was vomiting from Friday through Sunday morning. She actually threw up all over me just as parents were arriving for end of day pick up on Friday (awesome!).

I decided to have daycare open today, letting the families know that she had been throwing up Sunday morning and I didn't know how she would be today. Some decided to send their kids, while one stayed home. If she had been vomiting in the evening or last night I would have closed the daycare today.

autumnmama
11-24-2014, 12:12 PM
My younger son has always been a bit of a germ magnet, and if I closed every time he got sick I would have gone out of business :laugh:

When ever either of my kids are sick I always let the parents know right away, text or email in the middle of the night and/or phone call in the morning. I let them know what the symptoms are and leave the decision up to them of whether they want to send their kids here or not. If they decide to keep their kids home, they are not charged for the day. If they decide to send their kids, they risk having their kids pick up whatever illness my children have and know they will need to keep their kids home until they are better.

monkeys
11-24-2014, 01:04 PM
I will close, if myself or my youngest is throwing up. If I know my kids are staying home sick from school and are not throwing up, I will text the parents and give them the heads up that one of my boys is staying home sick with a cold, ear infection, fever etc, but remain open. Some will keep their kids home, but more often then not I still have a full house.

Crayola kiddies
11-24-2014, 01:10 PM
It would have to be something pretty major for me to close and in over 4 years I have never closed yet .... Ear infections are not generally contagious so I would never close for that ... I have worked through my own sickness (generally the daycare kids gave it to me) my own kids are old enough (youngest is 5.5) that if they are not feeling well and are home from school they just lay in my bed and watch tv .... I check on them periodically but that it ....

Fun&care
11-24-2014, 01:20 PM
My younger son has always been a bit of a germ magnet, and if I closed every time he got sick I would have gone out of business :laugh:

When ever either of my kids are sick I always let the parents know right away, text or email in the middle of the night and/or phone call in the morning. I let them know what the symptoms are and leave the decision up to them of whether they want to send their kids here or not. If they decide to keep their kids home, they are not charged for the day. If they decide to send their kids, they risk having their kids pick up whatever illness my children have and know they will need to keep their kids home until they are better.

I do this too. I get my husband to stay home for fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, we hand the kids an iPad and they have to stay upstairs in their rooms during daycare hours. If hubby can't stay home, I let my daycare parents know my kids are sick and they can choose to bring their child or not and they don't pay if they decide to stay home.

We have been sooooo sick so far. We even had hand foot mouth go through earlier in fall. I really hope it doesn't continue to be this bad all through the winter! I do have 2 toddlers though at the moment and I find we are more sick when we have little ones...they are germ magnets/ germ spreaders!

Secondtimearound
11-24-2014, 01:52 PM
My dh will look after my dd if she's sick . I have sick days in my contract so I can take a day off here and there and not lose any income . We've been very healthy so far and I'm closing on Friday !! Final days of my dayhome !!