Fake Illness Excuses

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

PLEASE tell me someone else has had a client who always had a strange excuse for her child's every illness/fever/rash/etc.?!?

I feel crazy for letting it go on for so long. For some unknown reason, I caught a child's illness from when she "ate too much watermelon" and I am miserable. Extremely bad cramps and other illness factors, that I won't mention, are present in my little body. The cramps were so bad I thought I was going into pre-term labor in the middle of the night!

[preschoolteacher]

Ugh.

Stick to your illness policy. If a child shows any of those symptoms, even if Mom swears she just "ate too much watermelon," I'd still exclude them from the day.

Lots of people have a policy that if the child cannot participate comfortably in the day's planned activities, even if there is no diagnosed illness or parent admitting that illness is likely, they still exclude the child that day.

The thing is, it's in every parent's best interest to keep YOU from getting sick--because when you're sick, you can't work, of you push yourself to work anyways, and their kid doesn't get the best care.

[preschoolteacher]

Also, feel better!!

[MyAngels]

Ugh.

Stick to your illness policy. If a child shows any of those symptoms, even if Mom swears she just "ate too much watermelon," I'd still exclude them from the day.

Lots of people have a policy that if the child cannot participate comfortably in the day's planned activities, even if there is no diagnosed illness or parent admitting that illness is likely, they still exclude the child that day.

The thing is, it's in every parent's best interest to keep YOU from getting sick--because when you're sick, you can't work, of you push yourself to work anyways, and their kid doesn't get the best care.

I don't care why they are sick, feverish, or covered in bumps - they can't come if I say they can't. I even have the clause in my contract that says I can exclude even if they bring me a doctor's note.

On a side note - that must've been one helluva watermelon .

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Ugh.

Stick to your illness policy. If a child shows any of those symptoms, even if Mom swears she just "ate too much watermelon," I'd still exclude them from the day.

Lots of people have a policy that if the child cannot participate comfortably in the day's planned activities, even if there is no diagnosed illness or parent admitting that illness is likely, they still exclude the child that day.

The thing is, it's in every parent's best interest to keep YOU from getting sick--because when you're sick, you can't work, of you push yourself to work anyways, and their kid doesn't get the best care.

She was fine for a whole 10 minutes. Then she threw up on the table while the other kids were eating breakfast. Kiddo went home and that family was termed.

I never had any issues from other clients. JUST this one and it made me feel crazy.

[Crazy8]

That seems to be a newer trend for me, the last few years EVERYTHING is blamed on something else (usually allergies). But then just this week I had a parent tell me their newly potty trained child had an accident on my floor "because they woke up at 5am this morning". Really???? How is having an accident at 11am the result of waking up early today??? :confused:

I can't tell you how many times I've caught a kid's teething.... funny cause I've had all my teeth for 30+ years now.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

That seems to be a newer trend for me, the last few years EVERYTHING is blamed on something else (usually allergies). But then just this week I had a parent tell me their newly potty trained child had an accident on my floor "because they woke up at 5am this morning". Really???? How is having an accident at 11am the result of waking up early today??? :confused:

I can't tell you how many times I've caught a kid's teething.... funny cause I've had all my teeth for 30+ years now.

Yes, allergies was a popular excuse as well!!! Interestingly enough the allergies sounded a lot like bronchitis and had to be medicated heavily by the Doctor.

LOL about catching their teething. I would mention that to the parents. "This weekend I seemed to catch Timmy's teething issues! I'm glad we're both better now, Timmy! "

[jenn]

I sometimes have a hard time not laughing when the excuse is given

-diarrhea due to too much fruit, too much ice cream
-snot, sneezes, coughs,...always teething or allergies

Sure, those things could happen, but it's usually not the case. My sick policy is clear. Sick is sick. I don't care the reason behind the diarrhea, snot,...stay home!

[daycare]

When parents try to find an excuse for the symptoms, I remind them that while we don't know what the cause of the symptoms are, we can't sit here and guess. The fact is, the child has the symptoms and cannot be here.

As always, we would rather be safe than sorry.

[Hunni Bee]

One...person...accused me of placing her kids under a blanket to drive their temperatures up so they could have fevers and be sent home.

Not only would they have to had been under the blanket for hours and I called her upon them arriving, the pea green diarrhea her son came in with stuck to his butt would have had nothing to do with a blanket.

[daycare]

One...person...accused me of placing her kids under a blanket to drive their temperatures up so they could have fevers and be sent home.

Not only would they have to had been under the blanket for hours and I called her upon them arriving, the pea green diarrhea her son came in with stuck to his butt would have had nothing to do with a blanket.

are you kidding me WTH is wrong with people.....

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

One...person...accused me of placing her kids under a blanket to drive their temperatures up so they could have fevers and be sent home.

Not only would they have to had been under the blanket for hours and I called her upon them arriving, the pea green diarrhea her son came in with stuck to his butt would have had nothing to do with a blanket.

This client would say we just got back from recess/I let her child cry for an extended period of time and that is why they had a temperature. Neither of which was true. Baffling.

[nannyde]

The thing is, it's in every parent's best interest to keep YOU from getting sick--because when you're sick, you can't work, of you push yourself to work anyways, and their kid doesn't get the best care.

I don't think that the providers health is of any concern when parents make the decision to knowingly bring a sick kid. They are doing what's best for themselves.

They attribute illness to non contagious reasons so they can bring the child. They send them to care because they pay for care whether they attend or not and they would rather go do their jobs then care for a sick kid.

I think it would be a rare parent who would think about the consequences of provider exposure and realize it MIGHT affect them directly days later. They are able to mask illnesses easily and say words to attribute whatever is undeniable to non contagious reasons successfully time and time again. The odds of a provider illness actually affecting them is so low that there is little reason to not do what is best for them that day. By the time they have just a few months of child care under their belt they have been successful bringing in a known sick kid and the provider either didn't know or couldn't prove it within her illness policies. Their continued success is what drives them to attempt it with each illness.

[daycarediva]

That dcm is nuts!

Aside from allergic reaction bee sting this week....


Dcb had "allergies" from early March-late May. Many, many conversations, but I couldn't exclude within my illness policy. Annual well child physical, and he is getting allergy testing done. The dr is trying allegra and Flonase in the meantime. Also, insert subsequent argument here about how they couldn't give the 1x daily meds at home. They didn't have time in the morning....wanted me to do it. Now I have a generic, 'prolonged runny noses may require a doctors note, at the provider's discretion.' thing.


A while ago, a parent tried the HFM is heat rash trick. Good thing my 'rash is a rash, need a dr note.' is very clearly defined.

[SquirrellyMama]

I think it would be a rare parent who would think about the consequences of provider exposure and realize it MIGHT affect them directly days later. They are able to mask illnesses easily and say words to attribute whatever is undeniable to non contagious reasons successfully time and time again. The odds of a provider illness actually affecting them is so low that there is little reason to not do what is best for them that day. By the time they have just a few months of child care under their belt they have been successful bringing in a known sick kid and the provider either didn't know or couldn't prove it within her illness policies. Their continued success is what drives them to attempt it with each illness.

Sometimes I wonder if they bring the sick kids because if they keep their kids home they have to pay, but usually if a provider gets sick and closes they don't have to pay. In the end they still have to take the day off but one way costs more.

K