Your Own Kids and Sickness

[DanceMom]

Do you close when your kids are sick ? and how sick do they have to be?

Or do you just inform the parents and let them make a decision to bring their kids and possibly expose them of whatever your child has. ( considering it isnt something Major. )

[anappleadaycare]

sickness

typically i give the parents the option (as long as it's not something major) changes are their children were already exposed to your children the previous day so some parents still want to bring them

[Lilbutterflie]

I'm experiencing this as we speak. It depends on the situation... if I know it's something serious & contagious like the flu I would definitely close. My two kids right now are sick with some kind of virus, fever just over 100, coughing & sniffles. Because of the fever, I give the parents a choice to find alternate care or bring their kids and risk them getting sick. If they find alternate care, I deduct a day's pay from their next payment. If they bring their kids, I try to keep my own kids away from them while they are here.

[AfterSchoolMom]

If mine are sick, they stay upstairs and I make sure to disinfect all of the surfaces in the house before the other kids arrive. The only time I closed for their illness was when one of them had H1N1. The parents were very understanding for that one - they didn't want to be within a mile of my house! ::

[DCMomOf3]

I will tell my parents if they are sick enough that if they were a DCK and I'd send them home. My DSs are old enough to stay in their room, or my room for the day so I stay open and give my parents the option. If they are contagious though, like lice or something, I would close for the appropriate time and not charge my families.

[MsKara]

I'm having the same issue as we speak. I've learned however, that if you let the dk kids come at their own risk -that doesn't always work well. As soon as one of my daycare kids catch what my kids have, the parents want me to continue watching their sick kids because it was my kid that gave it to them. This frustrates me to no end because I gave them the option to stay home. My kids are too little to separate from the group when they are sick. They need me and are too little to be alone.

[kitkat]

I follow the same sick policy for my kids that I have the dcp abide by. I haven't had to close very often, but when I have the parents were always very understanding.

[Jewels]

I just let my parents know, actually having that issue this week also, My daughter had a fever on sunday and was super crabby, I was just thinking maybe a cold, and her molars are coming in, but then monday she was screaming so bad during nap time, she made her self throw up, and I couldnt calm her, turns out she had a double ear infection, and hand foot and mouth virus, which is super contagious and painful, And today I believe she also has thrush, cause along with the white blisters in her mouth her tongue has turned all white and icky......I told all my parents, told them to google hand foot mouth, one parent kept there kid home today, but I'm closed thursday and friday so its already a short week. But all the others brought them, I wont close unless they have the flu or something really icky. But yes if there child gets it, with the fever and stuff, their child will need to be gone just when they have the fever, or if they are really unhappy. Some of these things can be contagious for a long time after symptoms dissapear, hand foot and mouth for instance says a child can still spread it for up to three weeks after all symptoms are gone, not closing for three weeks!!

[legomom922]

I have never had to close..yet, but unless it was something really bad, I give the parents the option of coming at their own risk. I don't charge them either. Usually they decide not to come anyway, but my son is 14 and can stay in his room all day anyway too. I go around disinfecting everything.

[caitlin]

I haven't had to close for one of my kids being sick yet. My mom took my son when he was sick a few weeks ago and my daughter is the "leave me alone I can handle this myself" type when she is sick and she normally just sleeps all day in her room.

[Unregistered]

I do not inform my parents if my 3 kids have a cold, a ear infection, etc. I do tell my parents if one of my 3 kids or all are sick with a fever, or vomting or something contagious like pink eye I will inform them the morning of and night before and tell them I am open and its there choice if they wanna bring there child or not. The only time I close besides holidays is if I am sick with vomiting or my youngest is really sick and needs alot of my attention but my other 2 are school agers and they can stay in there room.

[MarinaVanessa]

For me it depends on how bad and what my DD has and make a decision on whether to close or not. When my DD had an ear infection I stayed open since it wasn't something contagious, when she got a fever of 100 but no other symptoms I told the parents and left it up to them to bring them or not, when she had a stomach flu I closed and used up a paid sick day (I allow myself 5 paid sick days a year).

[DancingQueen]

My DD is sick today
The way I have it in my contract is that as long as it isn't a severe illness that will take my attention away from their children then I will remain open for them. I always let them know first thing in the morning before they leave their house that there is an illness in my house. I let them know that I'm here if they need me to take their kids but that i want to give them the option of avoiding the exposure.
Most of the time parents choose to keep their children home. If they do that they still pay me because I am still open. If I close because it is a severe illness then that counts towards my sick days. (I allow myself 5 paid sick days per year - but no paid vacation).
Today all but one of my full timers stayed home (my daughter threw up all last night and seems better now). The one that did bring her son only did because she was in a jam - and he is only here from 10-2:30 so he can nap LOL
My before/after school child came today as well (but his exposure is very little since he isn't here all day)

Since Jan 1, I have used 1 sick day for myself and that is all. My own child has been sick 2x and on those days the parents had the option of coming but most chose not to.

The reason I try to stay open for them is that I know how hard it is to find back up care. I know that their child was already exposed the day before and I try to make it as easy as possible for the parents by being available if I can be.

[tymaboy]

My DS is now 17 but it all varies as to what is going around & how bad it is. Afew yrs ago when the flu was going around really bad (I also had a family that had an excuse for everything for their child at the time) DS got the flu & after battling it with the DCKs passing symptoms around for the last month I had enough & closed for a couple days to allow him to recoop in piece & to give the other child a chance too as well. Everyone was fine when I reopened. Other times I have called them in the morning to let them know that he is home sick & it is their choose to bring their child.