What If You Are Running A Fever?

[Msdunny]

I guess my question is, "why?" For those of you who never close, why not? I am not interested in sharing this with all the children in my care. If I worked at a job where I didn't interact with people, I would work. But I just can't understand risking making others sick. I do this job because I need the money, and believe me, I really struggled with just letting the parents know versus closing. I knew that at least one family would want care no matter what (they were a little upset that i closed early for my mother's memorial service). That is why my dd volunteered to "babysit" for them today. If I were a parent, I wouldn't want someone with a 101+ temperature (along with other symptoms) caring for and feeding my kids. They may decide to go elsewhere, but I am concerned with the well being of their kids, first and foremost.

[youretooloud]

I guess my question is, "why?" For those of you who never close, why not?

If I were vomiting, or had something that would keep me locked in the bathroom, I'd cancel. But, for a virus, I don't.

It's very, very hard for my parents to get a substitute for their classrooms. Especially since five of them teach in the same school. The normal amount of teachers would have already called for a sub, then because of me, five more would have to try to find a sub. Then, they still need to go into school to get things ready for a sub. So, I just never call in sick. I can usually manage on the couch for a few hours, take massive doses of motrin, and just get through each day.

[Blackcat31]

If I were vomiting, or had something that would keep me locked in the bathroom, I'd cancel. But, for a virus, I don't.

It's very, very hard for my parents to get a substitute for their classrooms. Especially since five of them teach in the same school. The normal amount of teachers would have already called for a sub, then because of me, five more would have to try to find a sub. Then, they still need to go into school to get things ready for a sub. So, I just never call in sick. I can usually manage on the couch for a few hours, take massive doses of motrin, and just get through each day.

So I am curious then, if you had a fever of 101.5 like OP did, would you have remained open?

If so, do allow kids to come to daycare when they have a fever of 101.5 or do you exclude them?

Do parents pay either way? Absent or not? If you are closed? Do you tell the parents you have a fever or are sick?

Not judging, just wondering how illnesses/exclusion works for you.

[youretooloud]

So I am curious then, if you had a fever of 101.5 like OP did, would you have remained open?

If so, do allow kids to come to daycare when they have a fever of 101.5 or do you exclude them?

Do parents pay either way? Absent or not? If you are closed? Do you tell the parents you have a fever or are sick?

Not judging, just wondering how illnesses/exclusion works for you.

I would still work, even with a higher fever. I have worked full days with the worst case of strep throat I could imagine. I've worked through horrible, miserable pain. But, I still never take a day off.

I DO text the parents the day before, or that morning. So, they are made aware of it. Usually I caught it from the kids though, so they don't worry.

No. I would not allow a sick child to come over. Just because I am willing to work, I am not willing to take care of a sick child. (mildly sick, yes) I do take kids with colds, chicken pox, 5ths disease HFM, those things that we were all exposed to long before we figured out what it was. Since the parents all work together, they are all aware of what is going around.

I do not charge if I take the day off, but if they choose not to come, I do charge. I have only taken one sick day off, and that was planned for a surgery. I gave the parents almost a week's notice.

[Blackcat31]

I would still work, even with a higher fever. I have worked full days with the worst case of strep throat I could imagine. I've worked through horrible, miserable pain. But, I still never take a day off.

I DO text the parents the day before, or that morning. So, they are made aware of it. Usually I caught it from the kids though, so they don't worry.

No. I would not allow a sick child to come over. Just because I am willing to work, I am not willing to take care of a sick child. (mildly sick, yes) I do take kids with colds, chicken pox, 5ths disease HFM, those things that we were all exposed to long before we figured out what it was. Since the parents all work together, they are all aware of what is going around.

I do not charge if I take the day off, but if they choose not to come, I do charge. I have only taken one sick day off, and that was planned for a surgery. I gave the parents almost a week's notice.

Oh I hear what you are saying about working through the sickness...

I am a pretty stubborn old gal myself and refuse to let any type of illness/ailment keep me down.

I was just curious about how you handled sickness since you do work through it.

One thing I don't agree with though is charging parents who choose to NOT expose their child to whatever it is you have. I don't really see that as fair and view it more or less as though the parent is having to pay for choosing to keep their child healthy. kwim?

But I guess it is just another example of how we all do what works for us and as long as your parents are all aware of your policy BEFORE signing on, it's all good.

Like I said NO judgment....just curious.

[Holiday Park]

Im posting because I rarely get sick maybe once a year and it's always something really severe. But I do get over it and am ok after a few days. Last year I had rsv with my 5 month old ( he's now almost 17 months). We both had our sick days (together) for 2days .

It's been almost 12 months and I woke up at 4am today throwing up . I felt miserable ever since, stuck under a blanket and feeling very physically weak. I don't have the strength to open a bottle water cap, and my joints are sticking when I move my hands (I aways suspected I am developing arthritis). Any way, I texted the only client who comes on monday that I couldnt keep her child today and why.

My problem is I planned to give her 2 weeks notice and use her deposit for next week being free (she paid for last wk of care). I gave myself 2 paid sick days but my question is, are 2 day enough to not be contagious if I have the stomach flu? Also, I was supposed to close today & tomorrow but let her pay to reserve the spot, which she did. So her kid would be the only one because I only wanted to take 1 kid on these days. She paid for the entire week almost 2 wks in advance to reserve these 2days. Now if I use my sick days will that look unfair ?

And I'm still desperate to terminate care so he's gone at the end of next week. Because I'm unable to meet the needs of my own family and 16.5 month old. One reason being is my milk has almost dried up from being too busy working. The clock is ticking and I'm nearly dried up. Once he's gone I will be desparately pumping every 2 hrs to get my supply back. I really wanted to tell her in person but I'm going to have to text her .

[Texasjeepgirl]

I close. I can't imagine working with strep or flu. That said, I don't get sick often, so it's rare I close.

DITTO

I do not get sick very often..
Sometimes only once every 2-3 years that I am so ill I close the daycare...
But.. when I've been sick enough to close.. I'M SICK.. high fever... or.. throwing up...
I am LICENSED for 12 children.. and I'm usually always full..there's just no way I could properly care for a full group of small kids with a high fever...or throwing up...
and I don't attempt it..

I do have it in my policies that I have sick days...
I make it very clear to all clients that if they enroll their child in my daycare.. I'm NOT a 'facility' style daycare... I'm a family home provider..
I don't have substitute teachers that can work for me if I'm too ill..
it's MOSTLY just me...

I let all clients know when they enroll that I am RARELY sick...

BUT... I am a human being.. people get sick..
As one poster stated.. I usually catch it from the daycare children...but.. regardless.. I can't imagine anyone providing care to a group of children when they are running high temp... throwing up.. and feeling completely miserable..

[MarinaVanessa]

I stay open when I am sick unless I have diarrhea or I'm vomiting or unless I feel too sick to stay open.

I feel secure about doing this because I do a really good job of containing germs as it is. I'm an adult not one of the DCK's and I know very well how easily germs can spread as well as how to properly contain them. If I have a cough I wear a face mask just in case but otherwise I just use universal health precautions to keep anyone else from getting sick ..

Proper and frequent hand-washing, diapering with gloves, blowing my nose frequently in to a new and clean tissue if I have a runny nose, cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and toys/equipment, food handling with food prep gloves etc. are all a normal part of my day now anyway. And I'm talking about mild sickness here not like gut-wrenching, I'm going to fall over and pass out type sickness. If I feel too sick to properly care for my DC kids then I will close or I will have someone take over for me. In all of the years that I've stayed opened when I was mildly ill I've never had another person get sick because of me. I have however gotten sick from other DCK's who's parents said that they were fine .

I am also one of those that will alert my DCF's that I'm sick and let them decide whether or not to bring their child. I can't say that I remember having one client choose to keep their child home when I was sick.

[cheerfuldom]

This has been my policy thus far and truthfully, I am tired of it. Last Friday I was miserable....my own dd was home from school sick with a fever and I had a stomach bug that had me running to the bathroom every five minutes. If I worked out of the home, I would've called in sick. I advised dp's of the situation and not one cared....still brought their kids. I need to change my policy in a hurry. I'm feeling much better today though so...toughed it out, but I don't feel I should have to work that ill. I know for a fact that dp wouldn't. They'd call into work and bring their kids to me! It just happened a few weeks ago!

I agree....it ****s doing it this way. but overall, its better for me. I know that sounds bad but i am tired of caring about something that the daycare parents dont care about. I am still up and moving no matter what because I have four young children of my own, doesnt make a huge difference in the work load to close the daycare...its not like i am going to sleep in anyway. so if i open and leave it up to the parents, they almost always send their kids and then i dont have to hear complaints about finding backup care. by the time i figure out what i have, everyone is exposed anyway. normally i dont slow down or even notice i am sick until it is really bad and almost all of my sickness started with the daycare kids anyway so again....they are all exposed or already have it at that point anyway.

[cheerfuldom]

I guess my question is, "why?" For those of you who never close, why not? I am not interested in sharing this with all the children in my care. If I worked at a job where I didn't interact with people, I would work. But I just can't understand risking making others sick. I do this job because I need the money, and believe me, I really struggled with just letting the parents know versus closing. I knew that at least one family would want care no matter what (they were a little upset that i closed early for my mother's memorial service). That is why my dd volunteered to "babysit" for them today. If I were a parent, I wouldn't want someone with a 101+ temperature (along with other symptoms) caring for and feeding my kids. They may decide to go elsewhere, but I am concerned with the well being of their kids, first and foremost.

I explained in my last post.

and will add that as far as I know, everytime I have been sick in the past 5 years (maybe twice a year) has always come from the kids to me...not the other way around. at that point, the daycare kids already have it or have been exposed for days. damage is already done.

[Country Kids]

I always base it on-if I can barely get up to take care of my own kids, there is no way I can be chasing after 6 kids all day long.

[CedarCreek]

If its just a cold or something small,no I am open. If I have a fever I alert the parents and if they have to get alternate care, I don't charge for that day. If I am well enough to get through the day with the kids and a parent chooses to expose their child,they can come but they were warned. If I'm feeling like I can't get through the day, no way am I accepting them.

[Msdunny]

If its just a cold or something small,no I am open. If I have a fever I alert the parents and if they have to get alternate care, I don't charge for that day. If I am well enough to get through the day with the kids and a parent chooses to expose their child,they can come but they were warned. If I'm feeling like I can't get through the day, no way am I accepting them.

This is how I feel, and what I did. And I am so glad - my plan was to stay in my room all day and go through things and really straighten up while my daughter kept the two that came, but I ended up sleeping most of the day. I was so drained. Then I find out that the one mom that "really had to send her kids so she could work" actually stayed home yesterday and today, sick! She can't watch her kids sick, but I can. I'm thinking I am going to need to term this family. I am too resentful if how they use me.

[itlw8]

I used to never close unless I was dying. Lt summer I got sick Friday I barely made it until 3:30 when dh got home and took over. Sat he stuck me in the car and we went to urgent care. I was the 5th patient of the morning. Dr says I rarely see adults with strep and you are the 2nd this morning. both work with children.... then he looked at me and said when did you start to feel bad.... Thursday. So you exposed how many children?

I now close if I need to. ( none of the children got sick)