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

[littlemissmuffet]

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.

I am glad you chimed in here, Nanny - I know a lot of the providers here look up to you, and then a lot of providers look up to BlackCat... so I think it's interesting that we have two very different answers from vet providers.

I also agree that showering to get some puke off would take 1-2 minutes. The time-consuming part of washing my hair is the drying of it, which I can do (and have done) in the playroom while I can still supervise 100%. Having the children safely contained, checking on the children between prepping for a shower, showering and getting redressed is also crucial in my thinking that having a quick shower is ok.

[Blackcat31]

I am glad you chimed in here, Nanny - I know a lot of the providers here look up to you, and then a lot of providers look up to BlackCat... so I think it's interesting that we have two very different answers from vet providers.

As much as I lovethis Nan, we don't see eye to eye on everything.

Which is what makes being friends with her awesome! I learn and share every time I chat with her.

The differences in this situation though are:

• I have confirmation from my licensor that I would be cited for showering with kids present,
• I do NOT trust my kids as much as Nan trusts hers,
• I don't view vomit as a toxin and am ok with just a wet wipe bath to make it through the day
• I don't have assistants
• I also know my DCK families wouldn't be ok with it
• I have had one sick day in 20 years so I trust my immune system to not get sick from a little baby puke.
• and cannot shower in a minute... I would need 5-10.

[Blackcat31]

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 .

This is the route I would take IF I had to do more than wet wipes.

[Laurel]

Technically it is not okay but I've done it before. The children were sleeping in P&P's.

Laurel

[littlemissmuffet]

As much as I lovethis Nan, we don't see eye to eye on everything.

Which is what makes being friends with her awesome! I learn and share every time I chat with her.

The differences in this situation though are:

• I have confirmation from my licensor that I would be cited for showering with kids present,
• I do NOT trust my kids as much as Nan trusts hers,
• I don't view vomit as a toxin and am ok with just a wet wipe bath to make it through the day
• I don't have assistants
• I also know my DCK families wouldn't be ok with it
• I have had one sick day in 20 years so I trust my immune system to not get sick from a little baby puke.
• and cannot shower in a minute... I would need 5-10.

Yes, see that's why I really like this forum... we all technically have the same "job" - but we all run our daycares very differently, have different policies, different ideas, different families and beyond that different legal regulations to follow depending on location. So a simple question like "Is it ok to shower during daycare hours?" is going to get a lot of opposing and various answers depending on all the different factors we are dealing with.

[TwinKristi]

Yes, see that's why I really like this forum... we all technically have the same "job" - but we all run our daycares very differently, have different policies, different ideas, different families and beyond that different legal regulations to follow depending on location. So a simple question like "Is it ok to shower during daycare hours?" is going to get a lot of opposing and various answers depending on all the different factors we are dealing with.

And this is what I like and dislike about the forum at the same time. I think sometimes some people come across as "THIS is the rule" when really it's "their" rules not general rules. I think we all have to make choices for ourselves but obviously with the reg's in mind. I honestly don't think the chances of an analyst coming to my house on the one day I have an emergency and baby puke all over and the DCKs all do something they normally don't do (not nap or get up, etc) are very high but it's the risk some people are not willing to make and that's FINE because it's our business and we run it the way we run it within guidelines set by licensing. A one time occurrence isn't the same as regular practice which is what the guidelines are for. They can't tell you what to do when x,y,z happens because there's 50 million scenarios out there. If you run a good childcare 99.9% of the time and 0.01% you take a 1-2 minute shower when everyone's asleep and secured than I think you're doing well! I don't think licensing could possibly come up with the fluke occurrences that could happen. We have emergency first aid life or death/injury type training and we know what to do as parents but each individual needs to decide for themselves at that moment. I, as a parent or provider, would be okay with this in the setting the OP stated. The cafemom link I would NOT be okay with. Just a shower because you feel like it and because you're covered in vomit is different to me and even if my licensing contact said no, I would know it's for a general scenario because that's all they can go by. They can't tell Sue at Happy Hearts it's ok to shower even though she's in an unrestricted part of the home within ear shot of the room all 3 of her infants are sleeping in confined safely in PNPs with the gate up to unrestricted areas, doors locked and bathroom open for hearing but tell Ann at Sunshine Kids she can't because her only shower is in an unrestricted part of the home, upstairs and unable to supervise the 7 kids on cots in the living room accessible to the kitchen. Do you see my point? They have to make "general" rulings but there are situations where it's perfectly safe to do so.

[nannyde]

One more note. I did 24/7 care for years and did 24/5 care for about 16 years. I took a shower every other morning with kids in my house for many years.

I took an afternoon nap for YEARS too. I slept with kids in my house because there wasn't time when there wasn't kids in the house. The day kids were the same to me as the evening kids. I made more money on the evening shift. I had to sleep when the house was quiet and when I didn't have arrival or departures.

I did what I had to do to make money.

[kitykids3]

Consciously I wouldn't be able to. There have been a couple times I have been tempted, but then I think, if something happened, i would not be able to respond quick enough because I am wet, naked in the shower. Even if I leave the door open and take a monitor in, it is not the same thing as taking the monitor to the kitchen and just washing dishes. If nothing else, you would need that extra 30 seconds or so to throw on clothes for an emergency.

[nannyde]

Consciously I wouldn't be able to. There have been a couple times I have been tempted, but then I think, if something happened, i would not be able to respond quick enough because I am wet, naked in the shower. Even if I leave the door open and take a monitor in, it is not the same thing as taking the monitor to the kitchen and just washing dishes. If nothing else, you would need that extra 30 seconds or so to throw on clothes for an emergency.

I would have a robe right next to the shower in case I had to run out of it.

I know I couldn't manage having puke in my hair and on my skin. I just couldn't do it. Breathing that in and having the fluids on my skin would put me at risk. It's a greater good argument. It would be for the greater good that I minimize my exposure. A one minute hot shower would be better for the group. I would have kids at my hair level many times a day. They would be breathing that in too.

[littlemissmuffet]

Consciously I wouldn't be able to. There have been a couple times I have been tempted, but then I think, if something happened, i would not be able to respond quick enough because I am wet, naked in the shower. Even if I leave the door open and take a monitor in, it is not the same thing as taking the monitor to the kitchen and just washing dishes. If nothing else, you would need that extra 30 seconds or so to throw on clothes for an emergency.

In a true emergency I would run to a child wet and naked - there are towels and robes hanging on our bathroom door but I KNOW I would likely be so panicked that I'd not stop to put one on.
It is what it is.

[Cradle2crayons]

I would have a robe right next to the shower in case I had to run out of it.

I know I couldn't manage having puke in my hair and on my skin. I just couldn't do it. Breathing that in and having the fluids on my skin would put me at risk. It's a greater good argument. It would be for the greater good that I minimize my exposure. A one minute hot shower would be better for the group. I would have kids at my hair level many times a day. They would be breathing that in too.

I'm pretty sure I can get out of the shower into a robe just as quick as I could get off the toilet and my pants pulled up.

[wabbittrouble]

Be very careful - I know a provider in my area who asked this question once and got a visit from CPS because another provider IN ANOTHER STATE called and reported her. It's a shame that you have to be so careful even asking a question.

[My3cents]

I respect both sides of this argument - but I lean more to it being fine. I wouldn't take a bubble bath or anything, but a quick shower with the door open, sure.

I feel the same...... speedy quick. Part of clean up and a convenience to me to be able to do that working from home. My kids would all be set up so that I could do that. I hate puke, and smelling that all day on me would most likely make me throw up. Anti bac soap and in and out.

[My3cents]

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.

I take my job seriously and treat it as professional, but with that I would not want to expose the other kids to throw up on me, and I have that convenience that my shower is on the same floor and ear shot with the door closed, so I would make it speedy and clean up so that I don't get sick or the other kids don't get sick if not already exposed. This would not be a regular occurrence or long ordeal. It would be quick in and out, get the job done, wouldn't even take me five minutes. If it is a containable clean up then I wouldn't, but if I was covered and had the option then yes.

[My3cents]

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.