Everyone is SICK!!!!!

[laundrymom]

Allergies here (Indiana) have been horrible the last two weeks too. Come on hard freeze. Come on hard freeze!!

[MunchkinWrangler]

I disagree about treading lightly. If you have policies, enforce them. If you don't they are as good as the paper you printed them on.

I do not care if I lose families due to my strict illness families because "those types" of families don't understand or respect the daycare world/perspective and that's great because the back lash you get from those types make it easy because it clearly separates them from worthy clients....the kind I want.

I also understand needing the income but I need to be healthy more than I need the income...kwim? I AM willing to lose those "types" of families and when they know and are aware of that, it helps with enforcement.

That being said, I do not exclude for clear runny noses on a regular basis. I will and do exclude for clear runny noses when care of said runny nose causes me to provide more care, supervision and/or attention than I am capable of providing WHILE continuing to provide care and supervision to the other kids in care.


4 yr old with a clear runny nose that uses a tissue on their own.. NOT excluded.

14 month old with a clear runny nose that uses toys, furniture and other kids as tissues.... :dislike: Excluded.

I 100% agree with you. Absolutely. I also have made the same argument with families about the maturity of children with excessive runny noses. I, unfortunately can't recoup the business lost, and I am trying hard to. I have a small group and don't know the size of OP's but losing 3 families is shutting me down. The other issue is there are providers that are willing to take ill children, that's what I was told by these families leaving. I just can't compete.

My main point is be prepared to lose these families, start trying to replace. I didn't do that right away and am now closing. Most of the reason why I am not trying to continue is because I don't want to put up with this issue repeatedly because I hate working sick, being up all night taking care of my own sick kid, and then working all day on little sleep and taking longer to recover.

Not trying to hijack OP but your situation is very similar to what I dealt with all summer long. The summer!!!!! Not willing to do it during cold and flu season. Not interested at all. My ds spent 4 days in the hospital after 2 months of catching every single germ that came into my home. I was sick for 2 months straight, doc said I was catching virus on top of virus, for the reason why I wasn't getting better and feeling so terribly ill. My son had severe anemia, was told by docs that my daycare and everyone not following my illness policy was to blame. I was told not to allow even the slightest cold symptom into my home. That's what I did. This issue became very personal to me, I watched my child suffer as well as having cancer testing and numerous blood draws...it was horrific

[Blackcat31]

See in my case all my kids are 18 months or younger, so... yeah, not an option there . The fact mine do let me wipe on a regular basis helps ( I make a game of it). I only do 4 littles and there is no way I could afford to lose a family or pay over allergies; like I said, severe colds, yeah the kids go home, never had a parent not back me up because they do know my policies.

THE single most used reason for providers not enforcing their policies.

The trick is for providers (individually) to figure out how to not let that be an issue.

If we allow fear of income loss to dictate our business, it will slowly and eventually be the downfall to your business.

I am not saying people need to exclude for clear runny noses. I am saying that when a kid is sick and needing to rest at home, the kid needs to be home. The decision to send home or not allow them to attend, needs to be based on provider polices verses fear of losing pay.

For further clarification, I am not saying anyone has to have certain things in their illness policies...I am not even saying a provider needs an illness policy...that's up to each provider. My ONLY point is fear of income loss simply should not be a motivator or deterrent for a business.

If it is, the business owner needs to figure out how to secure income or have a back up plan for unexpected loss rather than waiving or ignoring polices they created.

Once you allow a parent to disregard a policy, it opens Pandora's Box and that's more trouble than it's worth.

[MunchkinWrangler]

THE single most used reason for providers not enforcing their policies.

The trick is for providers (individually) to figure out how to not let that be an issue.

If we allow fear of income loss to dictate our business, it will slowly and eventually be the downfall to your business.

I am not saying people need to exclude for clear runny noses. I am saying that when a kid is sick and needing to rest at home, the kid needs to be home. The decision to send home or not allow them to attend, needs to be based on provider polices verses fear of losing pay.

For further clarification, I am not saying anyone has to have certain things in their illness policies...I am not even saying a provider needs an illness policy...that's up to each provider. My ONLY point is fear of income loss simply should not be a motivator or deterrent for a business.

If it is, the business owner needs to figure out how to secure income or have a back up plan for unexpected loss rather than waiving or ignoring polices they created.

Once you allow a parent to disregard a policy, it opens Pandora's Box and that's more trouble than it's worth.

Yes, agree with the bold!