To give DS calpol before nursery?

[CalpolDilemma]

Our nursery has a policy that children can’t be given calpol before or at nursery in case it masks illness. They also send home any child who has a temperature over 37.5 degrees.

DS is teething. He could be unwell but he has all the classic signs of teething. His temperature is 37.6. He’s well in himself and happy and playing, but is slightly warm. WWYD?

He’s 18 months.

Parents always say it's "teething" when they want to foist their sick kids off onto childcare.

You know it's wrong, and if you get caught you could lose your childcare place.

YABU to do this but I’ll be honest as someone who has worked in childcare - we all know parents do it.
We had a “teething” baby come in who ended up developing a very high temp during the day and had to be picked up anyway, and kicked off a round of flu in the setting that I caught too. (Pre-COVID).

If you do send him in be prepared to get a call to pick him up again.

@Glenthebattleostrich

Yes you are unreasonable. I say that as I sit here with my childminding business closed for the day because someone sent a 'teething' child. My 11 year old daughter caught 'teething'' and has been throwing up since 5. Their choice has cost me 2 days income and put my holiday on Thursday at risk.

I'm the last month I've had to close twice once because of Norovirus and secondly because of covid. The loss of earnings and dealing with illness is sending me into thinking of closing for good. Throughout the pandemic I've worked tirelessly to stay open, follow the rules and to keep everyone safe but the last few months have been a massive shitshow of illnesses with very little regard for others. Sometimes parents only think about themselves and not about the providers or other families and it's quite frankly selfish. I hope your DD feels better soon and fingers crossed you can still go on holiday

@thebabynanny

Parents always say it's "teething" when they want to foist their sick kids off onto childcare.

You know it's wrong, and if you get caught you could lose your childcare place.

Sometimes it genuinely is! Feeling bad now for sending my genuinely teething son in recently 😂 I could see the tooth coming through. Although he didn't have a temp to be fair, just rosey cheeks and a little grumpy and gnawing at his hands. Nursery said it was fine and they'd just give him calpol there if he seemed to need it in the day.

I wonder now if they all cursed me after I left 😂

they brig the child in and I’m the 4th member of staff off due to a bug!

Presumably this is a hazard of working in any close childcare setting. Surely you don’t expect any child with a minor cold to stay off nursery.

If I thought my child was in any pain I’d give them Calpol regardless of what any words of paper said.

I wouldn't. My child "runs" cooler than the average temperature so 37.5 is a significant rise for them

Our nursery has gone back to giving Calpol and allowing it to be given. They had a similar policy to @CalpolDilemma at the start of Covid but are now back to pre Covid policies. DD was a bit off colour with a cold and they happily dosed her up so she could say (she wasn’t feverish, just slightly warm and snotty).
I think common sense needs to prevail, I’d give the Calpol.

Yes. I keep calpol in the car….just for before school emergencies.

Just to say my ds was a bit grumpy yesterday, I took his temp which was 37.5, only just a temp, but his normal temp sits about 36.5. I didn't think much more of it, but today he has chicken pox!

@BoredZelda

they brig the child in and I’m the 4th member of staff off due to a bug!

Presumably this is a hazard of working in any close childcare setting. Surely you don’t expect any child with a minor cold to stay off nursery.

No I don’t but when the child clearly isn’t well, eg doesn’t join in with friends, doesn’t eat snack, lunch etc, child isn’t their usual self then it’s clear this child doesn’t have a minor cold. But parent claims I’ve topped them up with calpol as they have a slight temperature and I can’t afford to take time off work, It’s wrong.

So far this month we have had children in nursery with chicken pox… it’s only a few spots, it’s a rash it’s not chicken pox, scarlet fever, sickness bugs.. it’s not fair on the other children and it’s not fair on the staff.

Personally I wouldn’t but that’s because my child’s normal temperature is 36.3 or thereabouts and going up to 37.5 would be a significant rise for him. Plus I’ve never know him to get warm from teething - he dribbles like no one’s business and gets flushed cheeks, so looks like he might have a fever, but is never warm on a thermometer. But you know your child!

If he has a temperature is it definitely down to teething? Our GP told me it's a common misconception teething causes a temp, it may make them a little hot / flushed cheeks but not cause them to have a fever. Although saying that, 37.6 isnt actually a high temp! so seems a bit of a mad policy by nursery.

No if I'll enough for calpol keep him home. Otherwise you may get the lunchtime call when calpol wears off- staff know at lunchtime which kids have had calpol.
He may be I'll, if hes happy in himself why does he need calpol? If temperature keep home.

I do feel for parents though because lots of employers are incredibly unsympathetic when it comes to parents with sick children. And dependents’ leave is unpaid and there’s a major cost of living crisis - plus most people are only entitled to 4 days of dependents’ leave per year anyway which isn’t even enough to cover a bout of chickenpox.

I’m not saying it’s ok but I do understand why lots of parents do it. Other countries have much more generous rules around leave for sick children which I think would help.

@flower277

As someone who has worked in nurseries and currently works in a school, it’s really frustrating when parents do this.

As someone who had to hold down a job and paid an exorbitant amount in nursery fees, it’s frustrating when nurseries make up ridiculous rules. What happened to common sense?

@2pinkginsplease nurseries should bring in fines for such poor parental behaviour.

@Lipsandlashes everyone else at the nursery pays exactly the same as you do, why do you feel more entitled to take a poorly child there because you pay for the privilege of the service?
The service can’t run properly whilst parents behave like this, surely that’s understandable?

A bug for one child can land another in hospital, why is that fair? those parents pay the same.

@Lipsandlashes so it’s ok to just expose the staff looking after your children, plus other children to illnesses? What happens when nursery closes because it’s short staffed because everyone’s ill?

After working in a preschool during a pandemic where parents actively lied about their jobs to try and get a keyworker place, and parents didn’t stick to lockdown while we were all terrified to be at work, I don’t have much respect for parents who have no respect for us.

It’s absolutely terrible @flower277

@Lipsandlashes "RIdiculous rules" Which have always been in place

As someone else stated. A bug for one child could mean a very severe illness or even a trip to the hospital for another. You're not special because you pay "Extortionate" fees or because you have to work. I have three dc's, my youngest just turned one. But if he wasn't well he wouldn't go to nursery and I'd happily lose a day of wages if it meant I'd kept my son from getting someone else ill

Ds isn't nursery age but often has calpol before school and his special school will give it during the day. Many of the children don't cope with even mild symptoms ( due to sensory difficulties) at the back end of a cold and ds can need pain relief for weeks after something like an ear infection which isn't infectious anyway. If he actually looks 'unwell' I keep him off.

This wasn't a policy when my DD was little. If she was unwell, I'd keep her home, but often kids are just slightly 'off' and within an hour or two of getting up would be fine anyway - if I thought it was that, I'd happily dose her up and drop her off. Same with school. Any fever or vomiting, she'll stay home, mildly unwell - pain relief and off you go. Obviously slightly more reserved about that with Covid.

It's tricky as some kids are just way more prone to temperatures than others. DD is 3 and has never had one, but one of her wee pals gets a temp with everything: teeth, a cold, day of the week that ends in Y. It's obviously just how his body responds to stuff, but not helpful for childcare purposes. But also agree that it's frustrating for nursery staff and parents with children are sent in who end up being unwell.

[quote Staryflight445]@Lipsandlashes everyone else at the nursery pays exactly the same as you do, why do you feel more entitled to take a poorly child there because you pay for the privilege of the service?
The service can’t run properly whilst parents behave like this, surely that’s understandable?

A bug for one child can land another in hospital, why is that fair? those parents pay the same.[/quote]
I’m not talking about taking a poorly child in to nursery. I’m talking about giving pain relief to a child who is teething - as per the OP’s original point. HTH