Sick Child...What do you do??

[mommyof2princesses]

Good Morning Everyone,

I have a 15 month old dcb who has watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, constant crying (since 7:30am when he was dropped off by mom), but no fever. At drop off mom said he has a cold and had a fever on Saturday, but not yesterday or this morning. I took his temperature and its normal but he is just miserable and inconsolable What would you do? Would you call the parents to come pick up and if so would you let him back tomorrow if he is like this still?? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank You

PS - He doesn't get picked up until almost 5:30pm today!

[apples and bananas]

My policy says they can come if they can continue with the normal activities of the day.

In this case I would keep him if I could tolerate it and manage the rest of my crew. I would not keep him if he was too disruptive and he was unsettled by it.

This is a bit of a wishy washy area because there is no fever. Any chance the parent gave a dose of advil and dropped him off with you?

If its out of the norm for the child and I was concerned about his comfort level then I would call the parent. The crying concerns me more then anything else.

[mommyof2princesses]

I am thinking mom dosed him before he came....I'd have to say that is my biggest pet peeve with parents If he is still crying at lunch and his temp is going up I am calling mom!

[Crayola kiddies]

If a child can cope at daycare and participate in regular activities then they can come ....if the child is just laying on the floor crying ... Home they go! If I find out the mom dosed the kid prior to coming without telling me (its in my policy book that its not acceptable) they get a warning and depending on how they rate in my books maybe even termination

[Momof4]

I don't send children home due to a virus (clear running noses and eyes) and it sounds like that's what has hold of this poor little guy. But I check for temperatures after a couple of hours in the morning and if the parents dosed a fever it will be coming back by then. If they have green mucous then it's probably bacterial and a fever will accompany that infection so that's a giveaway. But with a virus the temperature is usually a few degrees lower than normal.

In my opinion it's the fever that scares me and that's when children have to go home.

[sunnydays]

I had one dosed and dropped today today Fever came up after nap...Dad had said there was no fever in the morning....mom said she had given him Tylenol (after I called in the afternoon). I am so unimpressed with being decieved...and I told them that straight up. It is clearly in my policies that they should not dose and drop. It is dangerous and disrespectful.

[smileyface]

My philosophy is if a child can't participate in our daily activities, then they go home. If a child is that sick that they're crying and crying, then the parents or emergency contacts need to come get the child. They obviously need to go lie down in the comfort of their own home. Also, you want to avoid them passing the illness on to everyone else in the daycare, including yourself!