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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

CM CLUB - How bad does a babies teething have to be before you send home???

34 replies

looneytune · 15/05/2006 14:27

I have a baby who started with me last Monday and she been screaming for ages. I've given Bonjella and Calpol as her mum said she's been battling the painful gums since Friday.

It's really hard as she's so tired and in cot trying to nap but she's obviously in a lot of pain :( Thing is I have two 3 year olds to look after so I can only spend so long going back to baby to try and comfort her.

I've always been soft and never called for a mindee to be sent home and yes, I've had the other 2 babies crying lots with teething - but not this bad!

How bad do you let it get before asking for them to be collected?

Don't want to send mindee home when only 2nd week but she really seems to be suffering :(

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Original poster

looneytune · 17/05/2006 19:32

Cheers riab - I had called mum and after that was updating via email (she was working from home). I was wondering when I should insist she goes home iyswim :)

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riab · 17/05/2006 19:00

Actually as a mum I would want to be called if my baby was screaming hysterically, especially in the first few weeks. Seperation anxiety can kick in at 7 months and on top of teething I'd prefer to have th eoption of coming and collecting baby than pick up at end of day and find out they had been that upset.

There is a world of difference between crying a bit and screaming without breath, I think you are right to point out that you cna niether give the baby the best attention or your other mindees in that situation

Original poster

looneytune · 16/05/2006 18:44

Well I mentioned GP yesterday and sent a 'how's things' email today and mentioned that ds had an ear infection once when he was teething and said how hard it is to know there's something else on top of teething etc. Hopefully they will decide it's worth a trip to Dr's?!

Mum was lovely in reply and had nothing but praise and apologies for it so at least keeping her whilst she was like that shows I don't just call at the first whimper! :)

If it's ever that bad again then I will call the parents and ask for her to be collected (if she's just normal crying due to teething then of course I wouldn't make them come, I expect that! )

OP posts:

saltire · 16/05/2006 16:54

I knew what you meant looneytune. As i said i have had experience of a hysterical screaming child - i had it every day for four days. Unlike yours though the parents wouldn't give Calpol/bonjella etc.

You have made the suggestion to the parents to see their GP, there's nothing more you can do. I would like to add though, that from my own expericence with hysterical mindee, if i ever got a child that bad again, i wouldn't hesitate to call the parents. As you rightly pointed out, many of us have encountered teething children before, but this is totally different, and can be quite stressful for CM as well.
I hope they do take the wee soul to the GP just to make sure there is no other problem

Original poster

looneytune · 16/05/2006 13:35

She's been like it since Friday from what they said and I did tell the dad that I personally would take her to the GP to check there's not something else wrong aswell as this is possible when they are run down from teething. I got the feeling he didn't think it was necessary but I've made the suggestion and that's all I can do really.

I may actually send a friendly email to mum saying I hope she is ok etc.

I personally felt it was more than just teething but you know what it's like when babies are teething, easy to put all problems down to that! (my ds had his first ear infection whilst he was teething as a baby).

That poor mindee of yours, how painful - glad they are ok now :)

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alison222 · 16/05/2006 13:09

Just wondering if the baby is as bad at home if she might possibly have an ear infection.
the reason I ask is that in October I had a LO start with me who had been teething, not eating etc etc at home too. She was very clingy with me - but for a long while I put it down to settling in (she was 11mthsBTW)but in the end I was asking the parents to take her to the GP and get her checked out. They didn't until her eardrum burst one sunday morning. It took 3 different lots of Anitbiotics to clear it up and kept recurring for a while. She is now a completely different girl now she is healthy.
It may not be relevant but just wondered if the parents had considered?

Original poster

looneytune · 16/05/2006 12:06

My point was she wasn't just teething. I've had both other babies teething badly for weeks too, this one was HYSTERICAL.

Never mind, I know what I mean :)

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Isyhan · 16/05/2006 09:26

well can understand both sides of this but my dd has been teething on and off now for quite a few weeks and as a working mum if I was to collect her everytime she was teething I would prpbably be facing the sack. That is the point I was trying to make.

jollyfolly · 15/05/2006 21:05

i think i would rather be called if it was my ds, he has an awful time teething and if he was that upset then i would just want to be with him.....

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 21:02

Thankyou. Hope she is better for next week! :)

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Booh · 15/05/2006 20:37

To be very honest, as a childminder I would be miffed if a teething baby who was in that much pain and had been that ill over the last few days was left with me, then I would sent them home.

In my sickness policy it states that a child will be sent home if they need 121 care ( and therefor put the safety/happiness of other mindees in question) , and I am unable to do that - then they will be sent home! Also surprised mum would want to leave her if she was that unahppy!

And yes I think teething is an illness ,and it can be awful!

Booh · 15/05/2006 20:37

To be very honest, as a childminder I would be miffed if a teething baby who was in that much pain and had been that ill over the last few days was left with me, then I would sent them home.

And yes I think teething is an illness ,and it can be awful!

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 20:04

Thankyou Bradford mum :) I've just cut ds's hair and bathed him and a rather large red wine is waiting for me (thanks to SIL who left it this weekend )

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BradfordMum · 15/05/2006 19:05

Well done for coping!

I know just what you were tring to convey to us, and I'm glad the baby was able to have a sleep.

Take care.

Sally xx

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 18:16

In the end I was ok with the 3 yr old as as soon as I could, I made up for it. When I originally posted, I was worried this might continue all day.

Baby ok as slept loads after.

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Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 18:14

Isyhan - sorry, I rarely get annoyed with comments but I just don't think you understand what I'm saying here. It's not that I couldn't cope at all - I was worried about how the parent of the 3 yr old would react to me not being able to spend as much time with her due to another baby needing CONSTANT attention. AND........my policy states that if a child is needing my FULL attention then they shouldn't be here!

I actually only have 2 mindees a day and one ds.

OP posts:

jellyjelly · 15/05/2006 18:11

how is the baby now looney?

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 18:11

Saltire - thanks so much, I felt I wasn't explaining myself very well earlier. I have 3 babies to look after (7 months, 8 months and 9 months old) and they all teeth and of course I expected this when I took them on. As you very rightly put, hysterically screaming is soooooooo different to a normal crying/screaming baby and we are paid to look after other children too.

As for neighbours, just glad they were out as I've already had one complaint and if they get too annoyed, they are in a position to be able to complain and possibly make it so I can't childmind anymore :(

Anyway, thanks for the sympathy, she went home about an hour ago and I finish in 20 mins - have a bottle of red wine with my name on it!

OP posts:

jellyjelly · 15/05/2006 18:09

yeah if you freeze them the can rip skin off, Dont freeze them.

What did you do re the 3 yr old?

Isyhan · 15/05/2006 18:08

No I didnt mean to be hard on you lonneytune but if I was pthe mother I may say 'yes Im aware its difficult looking after the other children when a baby is teething but its your choice how many children you take and all babies teethe'. Thats all.

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 18:03

That's probably why I've never frozen them then! Thinking about it, maybe it's because they could stick to babies lips? Frozen things can do that can't they.

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saltire · 15/05/2006 17:59

Can i just say lonneytune you have my complete sympathy, re the teething child. I childmind a 3 year old, who really suffered with his teeth, he screamed hysterically the whole day, the only time he stopped was when the pram was being pushed - even if i stopped to cross the road ihe started. However, unlike your mindees parents, this little boys mum wouldn't let me give him anything, not even bonjella because "I don't believe in giving him drugs". I remember one day when he had screamed hysterically for three hours without a break, i called her at work and , she could hear him in the background, and i was pleading with her to let me give him some calpol, or even bonjella, but she wouldn't have it.
There is a difference between ababy who is crying and one who is screaming hysterically, which is what yours has done, and what mine used to do. On more than one occasion i had my neighbours round to see if everything was allright because of the screaming he made. It unsettled the other children, whose parents then weren't happy. All my friends used to call him screamer, cos that's all he did.

Uwila · 15/05/2006 16:59

Oh. You are probably just supposed to chill them. That's probably why my kids don't like them.

But, then, my kids aren't miserable teetheers either. They get a bit crabby for a day, and in pops a tooth.

jellyjelly · 15/05/2006 16:34

I didnt think that they were ament to be frozen just chilled. Cant remember why must had read it somewhere and you know how much i like to read looney.

Original poster

looneytune · 15/05/2006 16:19

She's 7 months old. Will get her dad to talk the options through with the chemist when he goes. I know she's been very very bad at home so I expected it but I just felt it was probably made so much worse from the whole childminding thing being new to her.

Haven't got frozen teether but have 2 that are kept in fridge that are very cold which she liked for a bit but not long. I wonder actually if these are able to go in the freezer for next Monday (or actually in case the other babies need them as I have different babies each day) - don't see why mine can't be frozen???

OP posts:

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