When Your Own Child Is Sick.....

[TSDaycare]

What do you do when your own child is sick? Mine is running a fever with swollen tonsils and can't go to school-otherwise vey healthy child so this doesnt happen often at all! I closed for the day and have a dr appt later, but why do I feel so bad about my parents having to take off?

[jen]

I wouldn't feel badly, you have to do what you have to do. For myself, I don't close when my children are ill. My pediatrician is open late and I schedule appointments then.

It's sad, but true...if you close unexpectedly more than very, very rarely, you will lose clients.

[Unregistered]

I think it depends on the illness. A cold with a low grade fever, I just isolate my own kids. Chances are the dc kids have already been exposed anyway. If it's a stomach flu with puking.,I close for sure and I think my dc parents appreciate it.

[Lilbutterflie]

I struggle with this myself. In the past I have always given the parents an option, bring your kids and risk it... or find alternate care (but I'm not closing, so they still have to pay). This happened in Dec, when my DD got a high fever. They chose to bring their 3 kids. Then my son came down with a high fever, and as my DD's illness escalated, we realized it was the flu. The kids had already been exposed, so the parents continued to bring them. I came down with it, but could not afford to close. I was miserable for two days, but I got the job done. Then the dck's all came down with it during the week of Christmas! The parents then got it, too. I felt so bad, thinking that if I had closed, I could've spared their entire family from being sick with the flu during Christmas. But, it was a period of about a week when first my DD, then my DS, then myself were having symptoms. I could not have afforded to close for an entire week! It's a tough one, and I still go back and forth on it.

[jen]

I struggle with this myself. In the past I have always given the parents an option, bring your kids and risk it... or find alternate care (but I'm not closing, so they still have to pay). This happened in Dec, when my DD got a high fever. They chose to bring their 3 kids. Then my son came down with a high fever, and as my DD's illness escalated, we realized it was the flu. The kids had already been exposed, so the parents continued to bring them. I came down with it, but could not afford to close. I was miserable for two days, but I got the job done. Then the dck's all came down with it during the week of Christmas! The parents then got it, too. I felt so bad, thinking that if I had closed, I could've spared their entire family from being sick with the flu during Christmas. But, it was a period of about a week when first my DD, then my DS, then myself were having symptoms. I could not have afforded to close for an entire week! It's a tough one, and I still go back and forth on it.

You gave them the option...next time they may choose differently...don't beat yourself up.

[Bonnie]

It depends on the illness. If it is just a low grade fever or cold, I stay open and isolate my own kids. But the DC kids have probably already been exposed anyway. But if it is the stomach flu with puking, then I close for sure. I think parents appreciate it and understand.

[KEG123]

If puking is involved, definitely close. If its a mild fever, like everyone else said- stay open, give the parents the option of coming in or not because their child has most likely already been exposed anyways.

[lvt77]

I think the part that we all have to remember that we are usually contagious before we even show symptoms of being sick. Therefore it is almost impossible to stop the spread of any illness. However, it is best that when a child is ill, they are left home for some good TLC. Don’t feel bad!