Thermometers and Fevers- Here I go again

[hgonzalez]

Well, here I go again. A brand new family with great kids started Monday. Today, the little girl started acting droopy and lying around and also did not eat her lunch. I felt her forehead, she felt warm, so I took her temp. It was 101.5 with a forehead thermometer (temporal artery).

I then checked another child as a double check...it read 98.9.

I called the Mom, she wrapped things up at work and picked her up. Within 30minutes of picking her up, she texts me and says she is fine and her temp is below 100. She also said she has only had a fever once before in her lifetime.
(she is 4.5 years old).

Now she wants to know if she can come back tomorrow as she seems fine. My policy says no, but I don't want to upset this family their first week.

Does anyone else use this type of thermometer? Am I doing something wrong? Or is this just another parent that wants to send a sick kid to daycare?

[Willow]

Is your house warm? Was she just outside, sleeping or running around by chance?

[hgonzalez]

No, she was lying down saying she was so tired. If my house was warm, wouldn't the other kids register as warmer too?

[rmc20021]

I have a 4 yo who is NEVER sick...even when everyone else was sick all the time. Today he came and complained about his head hurting, which is a good indicator a child has a temp. Sure enough his temp was 100 degrees. As he had no other symptoms I didn't send him home, just text mom so she was aware.

Did your dck have ANY other symptoms? Not sure where you are but I noticed there's been kids running low grade fevers the last week or two...must be something going around.

[CedarCreek]

Too bad Mom can't send you a pic of the temp being below 100...

That's odd. I would think that Mom just wants to get back to work and might dope and drop her on you tomorrow.

I suppose if you want to take that risk, you will know around lunch time of she has been doped and dropped. I would want her to stay out the 24 hours though.

[Starburst]

What does your policy say about children who are unable participate in regular activities? Because if she is laying down and says she doesn't feel good and is too ill to participate and has to be excluded from the rest of the group it can be hard for you to do your regular routines.

[nannyde]

I always take TWO temperatures...with two different thermometers... I do two axillary temperatures and then photograph the thermometers. I send the picture of the thermometers to the parent. Now that I have a video phone I videotape the temperature taking and send the video.

When they say the kid had no fever at home after pick up I tell them that in twenty years I have never once had a kid I sent home with a fever HAVE a fever once they were home unless it is a Friday or the child's last day of care that week. As soon as they are home they are up running around like Jack the Bear and the fever drops below normal. Happens EVERY time (cept Fridays)

I can only go on what "I" know and I MUST exclude. All children attending must be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medication.

[nannyde]

Too bad Mom can't send you a pic of the temp being below 100...

That's odd. I would think that Mom just wants to get back to work and might dope and drop her on you tomorrow.

I suppose if you want to take that risk, you will know around lunch time of she has been doped and dropped. I would want her to stay out the 24 hours though.

She most likely came doped up and it wore off.

[TheGoodLife]

She most likely came doped up and it wore off.

I agree- especially with the timing! I would say sorry, you have a fever policy in the contract and I would stick to the policy or else she'll try to pull it again!!!

[CedarCreek]

She most likely came doped up and it wore off.

True that.

[daycarediva]

I'm with nannyde, she probably came doped up and it wore off and Mom is trying to get through the week without taking time off.

No fever for 24 hours. I would take her temp at the door tomorrow, and then ask the child in front of the Mom if she had any medicine.

At 4.5 most kids have had more than one fever. That seems far fetched.

Honestly, it's the first week, if they are already doping/dropping and/or trying to get around your policies, do you really want to continue care?

[daycare]

heres my two cents..

New or not, rules are rules.

i would tell dcm sorry, but the rules states no return for a full 24 hours without the aide of medication. I would then tell her that I would give her that same respect of sending home a child with a illness or fever so that her child would not end up sick too. As BC taught me.... we can't focus on WHY the child has a fever, we are not doctors.

We can only do our job by making sure that a child is excluded from care when they have __________________(fill in the blank) symptoms.

Also, I tell parents that when they start their children in my care, that often the children may get sick due to being exposed to new germs. I recommend that they talk to their doctors about starting DCK on a good daily multivitamin.

[wdmmom]

I'm with nannyde, she probably came doped up and it wore off and Mom is trying to get through the week without taking time off.

No fever for 24 hours. I would take her temp at the door tomorrow, and then ask the child in front of the Mom if she had any medicine.

At 4.5 most kids have had more than one fever. That seems far fetched.

Honestly, it's the first week, if they are already doping/dropping and/or trying to get around your policies, do you really want to continue care?

I don't worry about parents taking off work. I don't care if it's their first week with me, their first week on the job or if they're at the corporate headquarters.

A sick kid is a sick kid and they are the ones that need to plan for it.

I'd bet the bank that they doped and dropped. No admission tomorrow. Sorry. Rules are rules.

Clearly she didn't feel well if she was lethargic at your house and mom miraculously says she's fine. Ahh...the amazing effects of Tylenol!!!

[AmyKidsCo]

I agree- especially with the timing! I would say sorry, you have a fever policy in the contract and I would stick to the policy or else she'll try to pull it again!!!

ITA - stick with your policies. Add a "spoonful of sugar" by being very sympathetic and understanding about the inconvenience. I blame my licensor and licensing rules for things like this - and she's totally OK with it.

[hgonzalez]

It turns out it is an ear infection. Do you all exclude for that?