Is It Appropriate To Take A Quick Shower While The Kids Are Napping?

[LaLa1923]

Yes, I think it is fine to shower. I have done it several times during nap. I would take the infant with me in his seat if he's here. Otherwise, everyone is asleep and I think it's fine. My bathroom is on the same floor as my daycare areas.

I do have sight OR sound rule here too.

I also have a camera system all over my house, I set my tablet or computer up in the bathroom . I can still see and hear.

[countrymom]

I did have a daycare mom watch the kiddos once while I showered. I had a girl vomit her entire lunch down my shirt and bra

omg my dd once did that, inside my bra. there is no grosser feeling than having puke in your bra, I'm sorry but that will always warrent a shower.

[dave4him]

Id be worried they would wake up and go out the front door

[choirlady76]

I do not feel it's appropriate, I teach preschool and we aren't ever permitted to leave our kids unless another teacher is in the room, most especially the infant room. In a split second something could happen and how would you explain it. My best advice would be to change clothes and wait until kids go home. I know vomit is aweful, but I'd rather that than for something to happen to a child while under my care.

[Josiegirl]

These kids are entirely my responsibility while they're here. There is no other way around using the bathroom at times but I believe a shower would be more of an option. Even if vomit soaked thru your clothes, you change them, wash yourself down with a washcloth and wait till closing time to shower. Everybody would just have to suffer through with that lingering odor and I'm sure I'd be called smelly more than once.

I saw one poster mention spilling gas on herself. I'm just curious, really not meaning to accuse or anything, but how does that happen during daycare hours? Course, this is coming from a person who dislikes using any gas appliances or grills. So please forgive my ignorance.

[Play Care]

I think the argument that "you shower when your own kids are sleeping so why not dck's" is invalid. There are a lot of things I do with my own kids that I would not do with the dck's. Last night I had a glass of wine with dinner, in front of my kids...

I decided when I started providing child care to treat this as I would any career and behave in a professional manner. For me that means being showered, dressed and ready for each day, it means not spending my day house cleaning and cooking, it means not having friends over to visit, it means having a plan for each day with the children, etc. Now that doesn't mean I don't do things during my work day to make my life easier - but I plan those things around my work schedule (every job has it's perks, after all)

And I've posted about my wild group recently - I wouldn't want to chance it because I could totally see one of them coming in to the bathroom just to see what was going on

[Blackcat31]

I think the argument that "you shower when your own kids are sleeping so why not dck's" is invalid. There are a lot of things I do with my own kids that I would not do with the dck's. Last night I had a glass of wine with dinner, in front of my kids...

I decided when I started providing child care to treat this as I would any career and behave in a professional manner. For me that means being showered, dressed and ready for each day, it means not spending my day house cleaning and cooking, it means not having friends over to visit, it means having a plan for each day with the children, etc. Now that doesn't mean I don't do things during my work day to make my life easier - but I plan those things around my work schedule (every job has it's perks, after all)

For me it's about professionalism and liability
These children are someone else's children.

What I do with my own is my business. What you do when other people's children are present is 100% a totally different scenario and not only up to the parents but your licensing rules/regulations too.

I'd really like to see written proof that showering while working is appropriate and allowed by licensing for those of you who said you would do it.

Also the peeing thing... Who seriously takes more than 60 seconds to pee during the day?!?

This is a little TMI but I've been taking note of the timing of my toileting needs since this thread was posted and yesterday I peed twice during the work day. First time was around 11:00. AFTER a pot of coffee. I went again before my last pick up. Neither time was more than a minute. This includes washing my hands.

[LaLa1923]

For me it's about professionalism and liability
These children are someone else's children.

What I do with my own is my business. What you do when other people's children are present is 100% a totally different scenario and not only up to the parents but your licensing rules/regulations too.

I'd really like to see written proof that showering while working is appropriate and allowed by licensing for those of you who said you would do it.

Also the peeing thing... Who seriously takes more than 60 seconds to pee during the day?!?

This is a little TMI but I've been taking note of the timing of my toileting needs since this thread was posted and yesterday I peed twice during the work day. First time was around 11:00. AFTER a pot of coffee. I went again before my last pick up. Neither time was more than a minute. This includes washing my hands.

What about providers who are open 24/7 like myself?? When are they supposed to shower??

[Blackcat31]

What about providers who are open 24/7 like myself?? When are they supposed to shower??

Do you have a significant other? You literally have kids 24/7 ALL the time?


What does licensing say about it? That's where the answer lies for EVERYONE licensed.

For those not licensed, I feel it's your responsibility to figure out how to manage personal needs without putting anyone's child at risk unnecessarily.

It's that simple.

[choirlady76]

What about providers who are open 24/7 like myself?? When are they supposed to shower??

Don't you have other workers at your center? You could shower when they are watching the children.

[Angelsj]

For me it's about professionalism and liability
These children are someone else's children.

What I do with my own is my business. What you do when other people's children are present is 100% a totally different scenario and not only up to the parents but your licensing rules/regulations too.

I'd really like to see written proof that showering while working is appropriate and allowed by licensing for those of you who said you would do it.

I already stated above that I would not unless the children were being supervised by another adult covered by licensing. However, even our own regulations allow sight OR sound, as you stated earlier.
I don't know that asking for specific "showering" proof is legitimate, as I feel it probably doesn't exist. Just because some people feel differently about it doesn't make it illegal, even per our own regulations. We may feel it is a bad idea, but that is opinion and our own preference. It doesn't make anyone who feels differently automatically wrong.

[Blackcat31]

I already stated above that I would not unless the children were being supervised by another adult covered by licensing. However, even our own regulations allow sight OR sound, as you stated earlier.
I don't know that asking for specific "showering" proof is legitimate, as I feel it probably doesn't exist. Just because some people feel differently about it doesn't make it illegal, even per our own regulations. We may feel it is a bad idea, but that is opinion and our own preference. It doesn't make anyone who feels differently automatically wrong.

I hear what you're saying and agree to a point but just because it isnt written in the regs specifically doesnt mean it's ok.

When this thread was posted, i was curious as to what my licensor would say and she replied that sight and/or sound also implies being available and being in the shower would make me temporarily unavailable.

I asked if I would be cited for it and she said if it were up to her, yes.

Which is why I suggested that anyone unsure about their rules/regs to ask.

Just like the food program interpretation of the rules are up to each area and/ or licensor.

Either way, I personally feel it is highly unprofessional so it wouldn't really matter what my rules/regs say... I would just never do it and as a parent would not be okay with my provider doing it.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I hear what you're saying and agree to a point but just because it isnt written in the regs specifically doesnt mean it's ok.

When this thread was posted, i was curious as to what my licensor would say and she replied that sight and/or sound also implies being available and being in the shower would make me temporarily unavailable.

I asked if I would be cited for it and she said if it were up to her, yes.

Which is why I suggested that anyone unsure about their rules/regs to ask.

Just like the food program interpretation of the rules are up to each area and/ or licensor.

Either way, I personally feel it is highly unprofessional so it wouldn't really matter what my rules/regs say... I would just never do it and as a parent would not be okay with my provider doing it.

I was just going to say that "sight or sound" implies that you are readily available to assist the children.

I have my 17 yr old son here (homeschooled) and he is the BEST with the little ones. If I need someone physically in the room he is there. But I would NEVER leave him alone with the kids.. esp to shower. All my parents love and trust him. I know he is a good kid but that doesn't matter. This is my business. He can not be alone with them.

I would not ask the mom to stay with them because per licensing she is not qualified to watch them either. Even my teacher parents that are fingerprinted still would not be okay to stay with them.

[Maria2013]

It takes me longer than that to poop and i dont wait for naptime to do that.

good point::

[nannyde]

If I had a kid puke in my hair and I couldn't get it out by washing my hair and shoulders or neck by washing it in the sink I would confine the kids and take a shower. It would be a deal of confining, then setting up the bathroom, check kids, get new clothes in bathroom, check kids, then go in shower, put robe on, check kids, then get dressed. I would clean the bathroom up at nap time.

It would take me about one minute in the shower to wash my hair.

I have to look at the notion that I can't have puke near my mouth and nose for hours till I get off of work. I can't breathe that all day long. It puts me at risk.

A minute in the shower is a minute. I have my kids trained to stay in bed when I tell them to. They could easily do a minute.

We are flesh and blood not robots. There are some risks we have to take. One minute in the shower is a much lower risk than the risk of me getting sick inhaling puke fumes all day and having puke on me.

Other than removing something toxic off of me, I would never shower while the kids were here unless I did 24 hours care by myself.