To be annoyed at nursery

[Pikehau]

Currently in the midst of yet another vomit bug. fair enough i send my child and choose to, to nursery. I have 3 children and when the 16mth old gets it he is a little germ spreader over the weekend and the other 2 get it.

I emailed nursery asking if they have seen an increase in bugs this year as he has been sick (vomit sick) every month since he started in July apart from August (we were away on holiday for 2 weeks)

I also noted in the email that i suppose they have to rely on goodwill from parents to obey the 48 rule, and I understand that. what followed was this

I then got this in response:

Our policy is 24 hours for any sickness or diarrhea but if children become unwell at nursery they are sent home as soon as possible. We do have to rely on parents to keep children off if they are unwell and we do have to take it in good faith.

i replied challenging saying this:

I would like to know why it's 24 hours, not 48 hours?I can see public health England guidelines state 48hours.Without sounding ackward please can you justify this policy?

the reply that followed:

There are many different reasons in which children can have sickness and this can be either children with allergies, teething, medications, food intolence and can be not classed as a bug, however if we feel a child has a sickness bug then we do abide by the 48 hours guidelines. We have to again trust parents honesty on matters to illness.However we are a nursery in which we predominately care for children for working parents and therefore endeavor to work with parents if their child is unwell.

So in short i am now annoyed at this odd policy and reply. I totally understand that children are sick for various reasons and agree that if my child was car sick on sunday i would send them in monday. if they were intolerant to food all staff would know and there would be "proof" for lack of a better word that this may be the cause.

I am now thinbking that someone who's child is sick monday say 9pm would say oh ill put them in at 9am as thats 12 hours and thats half of 24....

I have also asked othermums at nursery, about their understanding of ppolicy, and it ranges from 24 - 48 hours, some telling me they blatently ignore it.

so AIBU to be annoyed at this policy / response and lack of clear gudilines?

I am thinking of relpying and asking for a meeting to get this clear in my head. nothing will change but since i love the nursery so much I feel really down about this.

PS apologies for this massive post! any advice welcome.

I'm not sure what good a meeting would do? They have their policy (24hours generally, 46hours for a bug)- you may not agree with it, but they aren't going to change it just for you.

I think their reply was fine - as they say, a child being sick doesn't necessarily mean they have a bug so 48 hours is excessive and would inconvenient a lot of working parents.

I am now thinking that someone who's child is sick monday say 9pm would say oh ill put them in at 9am as thats 12 hours and thats half of 24.... - There is not much they can do about parents who disregard their policy.
some telling me they blatantly ignore it. - I would be more angry at those parents, they are the ones potentially infecting your child, not the nursery.

The ones who disregard the 24 hours policy would be just as likely to disregard a 48 hours, 72 hours, or anything else policy ime. And in schools now it's often just 24 hours after being sick I believe, such is the pressure of attendance requirements.

ok thanks for your opinion. I agree nothing I can do and yes i am annoyed at the parents and have told them so, make no mistake about that.

just seems odd that they say 24 hours at the start and not 48 until i challenge them. and many of the parents i have spoken to think its 24 regardless.

i would say its sensible to say 48 and obviously exceptions to the rule would mean 24. and that is their policy.

I just think starting at 24 makes people think 12 is ok.

anyway not much i can do apart from stop work, or remove my child and get a nanny or childminder, which is an overreaction.

maybe i am just astonished that people put infectious children into nursery. they wouldnt like it if i dropped my sick chilren at thier house.

people continue to baffle me.

oh thats interesting about school being 24 now. thanks.

without sounding like i am stirring, should we ignore the public health England guidelines - how does that factor in to all this.

yes maybe people ignoring the 24 would also 48 or 72. i just hope people have some sense of moral compass and might take one day! i live in hope that on the whole we all remember mrs do as you would be done by... mind you maybe that ship sailed with everythging thats going on in the world and its just ME ME ME!

thanks ALL!

I agree in principle op but if faced with putting kid in nursery / school and hoping or taking unpaid leave / booking a day sick themselves / risking the wrath of their wage payer, people will largely do what is best in their opinion for them.

A blanket 48 would annoy me as DS is periodically sick for none bug reasons and the first few times I kept him off 48 then realise school is 24. I don't work so if he's got a bug I keep him off the 48 / till he's better in himself / whichever is longer but then I can and his teachers with kids can't

so now i dont know whther to compromise my principles and next time it happens just put them in.

however i also have empathy towards my children. if they cant run around and play at nursery / sit and learn at school why put them in. I wouldnt lkike it.

agree i am fortunate in that i dont need to take unpaid leave but my child has been ill way too much in my opinion.

thanks for all the hnesty and bringing me back to the reality of the world.

I agree 48 for non bug is too much. I have a friend who's son gets sick for no reason - has been sonce a baby and now 7 (school and parents work together and communicate). relatives with intollerances and allergies. and a daughter who gets motion sickness (sometimes at the playground if i am not careful!)

Our school is 48 hours as is the nursery . There is also a rule that if you have given your child Calpol/Nurofen then they are not well enough to be at school /nursery Parents of course still flout it but over all it works well.

Honestly OP if you don't need to send a sick kid to nursery then you shouldn't. It isn't about what others do so much as what's best for your child. And in turn you don't pass it on for someone to return it

The responses from your nursery are fine.

yep you are right. I wouldnt send them in. still bothers e this 24 hour policy. will do nothing for sickness.

lets hope for for a cold cold winter any time now....