I can tell you from experience that it is really, really difficult to run a daycare without your voice, been there done that with a few different winter colds over the past few years. But it can be done. However, the only time I took a sick day was because I was just as you describe, afraid I was going to pass out in the middle of the children and that would not be acceptable. A whistle is a great idea. I use a double hand clap which is my signal at parks for my dckids to come to me and inside when they are so noisy they can't hear my voice even on the best days.

As far as not being able to contact a parent, do you have emergency contacts for them, grandparents, friends, whoever is their backup if they are unreachable? If I can't reach parents on home or cell phones or at work I start going down the list on their emergency contact form and somebody had better answer or I would send out a warning letter.

The reason I would be angry is that if I had just sent a child in an ambulance to a hospital and couldn't get hold of the parent it would be horrible and devastating. So I must know if they will be at work or at home. It doesn't matter to me either way, but they are responsible for their own child in case of an emergency. I can't leave the other children. I expect the same in case of vomitting or any other more minor sickness. Can you tell that I'm really angry for you???