How often do you use a sick day?

[coolconfidentme]

I'm curious, how often you have told parents you are too sick to care for their child(ren)? Lately I've had more than my share of kids coming sick & I am now feeling the case of the cruddies with a marathon to run tomorrow. I trained way to hard to feel this bad. YAK & UGH!

Another thing..., I posted for parents to bring in something to wipe their child nose if it is running. NOBODY did! Yesterday I started using their shirt tales. One parents asked about the snot on the shirt (giggle) & I said , "I didn't see any tissue or wipes in your cubbie."

I feel like shooting out a nasty-gram quoting the policy & telling them if I'm sick, everyone suffers. Thoughts?!?

[MyAngels]

Another thing..., I posted for parents to bring in something to wipe their child nose if it is running. NOBODY did! Yesterday I started using their shirt tales. One parents asked about the snot on the shirt (giggle) & I said , "I didn't see any tissue or wipes in your cubbie."

Not trying to be mean, but that made me go. I'd rather spend a buck on a box of tissues and than use their shirt tails ::.

[coolconfidentme]

Not trying to be mean, but that made me go. I'd rather spend a buck on a box of tissues and than use their shirt tails ::.

It is gross, but I'm open 3 shifts & have gone through my share of tissues, TP, paper towels & baby wipes for their noses. I'm pretty much over it & making a point to the parents. I use the wipes on the toddlers who bring them. That's a whole new issue.

[crazydaycarelady]

I'd ask all the parents to bring a box of tissues. Put a note on your door. No way would I want that snot on their shirts rubbing all over your things. You are probably more likely to get sick that way.

As for sick days I haven't taken one in 8 years. I don't have sick days written into my contract but I actually rarely get sick. I did not even get one cold this winter (knocking on wood.) I think being a reliable provider is very important.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I haven't taken a sick day.

I eat an extremely healthy diet and supplement it with various vitamins and probiotics, wash my hands, and get enough sleep... they say 80% of your immune system comes from your gut and I believe them since I am RARELY sick. The children that eat unhealthy foods at home and don't get enough sleep are almost always sick. It doesn't matter that I wash their hands almost hourly, sanitize the toys AT LEAST once a day, etc. They just get sick extremely easily.

Since I've been pregnant, the flu has gone through here, strep throat, various lung issues like bronchitis, etc. Knock on wood I haven't caught any of that yet...

I would give them a deadline for tissues OR tell them a charge of $5.00 will be added to their next invoice to cover the gas and time to go buy additional tissues for their child. All I use is toilet paper here since it's only about $.25/roll. It would be far too costly to buy tissues for all of these runny nosed children. I think it offends one of the Moms because she always sends tissue boxes when her children tell her we use toilet paper. ::

[crazydaycarelady]

The children that eat unhealthy foods at home and don't get enough sleep are almost always sick.

I completely agree!

[NeedaVaca]

I have yet to take a sick day although I do have them in my policies. They are sick/personal days. I keep thinking this year I would love to use the personal days to schedule dr/dentist appts etc but then I worry what if I DO get sick...so they keep going unused.

Yuck about using their shirts to wipe noses Seriously, just add it to the bill if they won't bring them. I use wet wipes a lot and my parents bring them when they bring new diapers. I also coupon heavily and get free wipes and Kleenex a lot. In the past month I have got 10 packages of Huggies wipes free and 30 boxes of Kleenex free so I always have them on hand

[Crazy8]

I have never taken a sick day for myself in the almost 13 years I have been open. I've had to take a handful of personal days in that time.

I supply tissues/wipes for kids so that part is not an issue for me. They pay me a good amount of money to care for their children, I feel I can supply such necessities the same way I supply toilet paper to those who are potty trained.

[Play Care]

I have taken one sick day this year but it was to care for my child who caught a tummy bug.
I am rarely ill.

If parents are supposed to send in those supplies and are not, I would turn them away at the door. Aside from being unprofessional, wiping with their shirts probably only made the spreading worse.

[providerandmomof4]

I struggled through a stomache bug recently and horrific cramps at least 2 days every single month. I always work and luckily havent had any down in bed fever type of illness but truthfully...I would probably have my grown dd or dh stay home to help before I'd close.

[Meyou]

I have to be very sick to take a day off. Stomach flu or bronchitis, that sort of thing. I'm lucky though. I have a small group and my parents are grateful when I slow our day down and stay open rather than close. So I let them watch movies and prepare easy meals when I'm sick. We normally don't watch tv so it works out well.

[kathiemarie]

I go by If I was working outside my home would I call in sick? If the answer is YES, then I call out. If its no then I work though it. I used to be that provider that didn't want to call out sick but now (12 years) I do when I NEED to.

[Lucy]

Only twice in 19 years. I have to actually be vomiting with a 103 temp before I'll call. I have worked many times when I really shouldn't have. At a "real " job, I would have stayed home.

[nannyde]

My last missed day was in 1994. I've missed one in 20 years.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I am rarely sick. I think in16 years I have taken 3 days... One when I fell and sprained my ankle on ice. But if your sick call off.
Tissues, I supply. I think licensing would frown on no tissues. Regs here say we have to use disposable tissues. caring for kids includes their little runny noses.