Just Sent Two Home...Second Guessing Myself

[Raivien]

Hi!

I have never posted here before but am hoping for some confirmation that I made the right call..

Two boys -brothers ages 7mo and 3yrs were kept home yesterday by mom because lo didn't sleep at all. She mentioned both parents had been sick all week and thought it could be related -they are wonderful parents! Well today we sit for breakfast and it was 3yro's favorite of oatmeal and applesauce. He refused his applesauce and milk saying his tummy hurt. Ten minuets later and he had exploded out of his diaper - I had to change and wash his pants it was so messy! Then lo had 3 bouts of exactly the same color and consistency within 30mins. I catagorized it as mild diarrhea as it was a vast amount of very loose yellow mush (sorry it's gross).

Parents upset because they haven't seen any more since taking them home and no fever. My policy is diarrhea more than twice they go home, fever or not. Plus I consider lack of appitite and complaints of a sore tummy as there being something more to it. Was I wrong to catagorize this as diarrhea?? Note that the 7mo is still on formula so this was not diet related and both had the exact same thing going on which seemed to me to be more than just a coincidence..

[daycare]

Hi!

I have never posted here before but am hoping for some confirmation that I made the right call..

Two boys -brothers ages 7mo and 3yrs were kept home yesterday by mom because lo didn't sleep at all. She mentioned both parents had been sick all week and thought it could be related -they are wonderful parents! Well today we sit for breakfast and it was 3yro's favorite of oatmeal and applesauce. He refused his applesauce and milk saying his tummy hurt. Ten minuets later and he had exploded out of his diaper - I had to change and wash his pants it was so messy! Then lo had 3 bouts of exactly the same color and consistency within 30mins. I catagorized it as mild diarrhea as it was a vast amount of very loose yellow mush (sorry it's gross).

Parents upset because they haven't seen any more since taking them home and no fever. My policy is diarrhea more than twice they go home, fever or not. Plus I consider lack of appitite and complaints of a sore tummy as there being something more to it. Was I wrong to catagorize this as diarrhea?? Note that the 7mo is still on formula so this was not diet related and both had the exact same thing going on which seemed to me to be more than just a coincidence..

no you did the right thing. always better to be safe than sorry. if your policy says two bouts of the runs, and it happens, then they need to go home.

Let the parent be upset, you have to protect yourself and the other kids in your care too.

[Cradle2crayons]

Hi!

I have never posted here before but am hoping for some confirmation that I made the right call..

Two boys -brothers ages 7mo and 3yrs were kept home yesterday by mom because lo didn't sleep at all. She mentioned both parents had been sick all week and thought it could be related -they are wonderful parents! Well today we sit for breakfast and it was 3yro's favorite of oatmeal and applesauce. He refused his applesauce and milk saying his tummy hurt. Ten minuets later and he had exploded out of his diaper - I had to change and wash his pants it was so messy! Then lo had 3 bouts of exactly the same color and consistency within 30mins. I catagorized it as mild diarrhea as it was a vast amount of very loose yellow mush (sorry it's gross).

Parents upset because they haven't seen any more since taking them home and no fever. My policy is diarrhea more than twice they go home, fever or not. Plus I consider lack of appitite and complaints of a sore tummy as there being something more to it. Was I wrong to catagorize this as diarrhea?? Note that the 7mo is still on formula so this was not diet related and both had the exact same thing going on which seemed to me to be more than just a coincidence..

I'd have done he same thing. I call for pickup after the second loose stool. No exceptions.

[melilley]

I send home for 2 or more diarrhea's. It's a health hazard to have the potential of poo going all over.
Do you have a sick policy? I have one that parents have to look over and sign, that backs me up and keeps me from having to explain anything.

[Unregistered]

Thanks I feel relieved to read that. I think the parents only consider the runs to be.. Well, runny.. But this was just not normal and I really didn't want to risk it. If it had been just one of them I probably wouldn't have thought so much of it but what are the chances that two kids from the same household suddenly have very clearly mild diarrhea?!
And the lo was crying but no tears so obviously dehydrated - would have thought the parents would take that into consideration when trying to say they are fine! I'd want to be home with them and making sure they were getting as much fluids as possible just to be safe.

[nannyde]

You just need to preface each exclusion... no matter what it is... that once the child gets home they will be perfectly fine. The fever will go to normal, they will eat like Kings, there will be no coughing or diarrhea and they will be running around like little maniacs for the rest of the day.

I assure each parent that their child will not have a single solitary sign of illness once they step foot out of my house. I know this before I send them home so they don't have to let me know. Never had it not happen except for on Fridays or the child's last day of care for the week.

When it is the last day of the week the child is usually really sick and the parents are posting on Facebook how they are home snuggling little sickie. That kid who is sick on Saturday will be right as rain on Sunday.

In my whole career I don't think I've had more than a handful of kids I excluded who were sick at home unless it was the last day of care for the week. I've had a couple who were hospitalized who were actually sick when they got home or the next day. Barring something like hospitalization, I can't remember a kid not being in perfect health at home after an exclusion except for the last day of the day care week.

I make sure I let the parents KNOW I KNOW they will be symptom free immediately. That way it doesn't come up as an in to return them to care the next day. When the parent texts to say they are fabulously healthy I say "I KNEW it... I told you she would be."

I don't offer discounts for sick days but providers I know who do will have parents call to tell them the child was in perfect health no matter what day of the week.

[Play Care]

You did the right thing. Further, I refuse to entertain parents who play the "it's not happening here" card. To be brutally honest, I don't give a rats batooty what happens at home - if they have a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting AT day care, they go home. I often find parents minimize the child's symptoms just to make the provider doubt her judgment. The "oh he's been completely fine at home, running all over and eating normally!" comments from parents don't even phase me anymore. Because I find they are either lying or the child did seem to have a miraculous recovery only to wake in the middle of the night in a pool of their own vomit.
And if the child is old enough to try to play me by faking illness to go home, it's the parents job to nip that in the bud. My older dd did it ONCE at school. When she saw that mom was going to make her stay in bed with no tv or electronics she asked to go back to school...I didn't complain to the nurse about it, I did MY job

[Cat Herder]

Two boys -brothers ages 7mo and 3yrs

exploded out of his diaper

3 bouts

My policy is diarrhea more than twice they go home, fever or not.

lack of appitite and complaints of a sore tummy

Just the facts.

Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

[cheerfuldom]

yup you did the right thing. happens all the time. parents swear that kids were just fine at home and get upset about exclusion. but you know that both were horribly sick. next time I would not wash the pants, I would bag up and send home so mom and dad have evidence. no I am not joking.

if mom and dad push the issue, I would straight out ask if they think I am lying. I cannot work with people that do not trust me. and then stare and have an awkward silence while they realize they are accusing you of lying and about to tick off the person who provides a needed service, childcare. 99% of the time, they will immediately start back tracking.

[nannyde]

yup you did the right thing. happens all the time. parents swear that kids were just fine at home and get upset about exclusion. but you know that both were horribly sick. next time I would not wash the pants, I would bag up and send home so mom and dad have evidence. no I am not joking.

if mom and dad push the issue, I would straight out ask if they think I am lying. I cannot work with people that do not trust me. and then stare and have an awkward silence while they realize they are accusing you of lying and about to tick off the person who provides a needed service, childcare. 99% of the time, they will immediately start back tracking.

Yup... take vomit and diarrhea diaper pics and pics of the thermometer. Take temp twice with two thermometers and take pics of both. Save diaper and soiled clothes to send home with Mom.

Videotape if necessary the vomit so they can see it.

Taking pics and video and sending the diapers with them saves SO much grief. They still say the illness is over but that's okay. Exclude for what you see BEFORE you send them home not for how they will be after they go home.

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

Like Cheerfuldom, I don't wash clothes out either. I used to, but more often than not, dcp's tell me they threw them away anyway! All they had to do was throw them in the washer! I did the disgusting part, and it's not even MY kid! So many people are so lazy and wasteful, I won't do it anymore. Also, it does serve as evidence that I am not exaggerating, and maybe they will appreciate what I had to clean up when they see it (I use gallon-size ziplock bags for soiled clothes).

OP, don't feel bad about sending home. I so wish I had the lady balls to send home for diarrhea. Dcp's always say it's "teething" or "too much juice" or "something they ate," so I am a ninny about sending home for it.

I had one just last Friday, with 4 nasty diapers just like you described (I call it the sick poops). Lo and behold, my DS had diarrhea Sunday/Monday, and DH Monday/Tuesday, but they were able to tell me it came with terrible cramping. True, they could have picked it up somewhere else, but probably not.

[e.j.]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Raivien
Two boys -brothers ages 7mo and 3yrs

exploded out of his diaper

3 bouts

My policy is diarrhea more than twice they go home, fever or not.

lack of appitite and complaints of a sore tummy

Just the facts.

Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

And don't forget.....by dcm's own admission, both she and her husband had been sick all week prior to the kids having diarrhea. Why would she even think to question why you sent her kids home given all of these facts?! I agree with everyone else - you made the right call.

[Josiegirl]

One of my dcgs stayed out on a Monday, because she'd been up all night being sick. That Monday she was bouncing off the walls, acting just fine, ate well, normal kid, but then Monday night she was up all night again, being sick. I'm so glad dcm didn't try to bring her thinking she was just fine. I guess what I'm saying is that kids can get home and act just fine, but then get sick again.
We shouldn't worry about second-guessing our decisions(I do it all the time). Like others said, you based your decision on the facts.

Hope that made sense. I'm tired.

[JLH]

Where I live, state policy mandates that kids with 3 or more loose stools in a 24 hour period be sent home. I would have sent them home though like you did because they had other symptoms too.