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.

@Mysterian

It's always teething. Temperature? Teething. Child biting everybody? Teething. Child throwing up? They always do that when they're teething. Axe stuck in there head? Teething.

I've just had a second dose of Covid after cuddling a sad and poorly child at nursery who later tested positive. We should try merging one of these thread where parents complain and say they take their children to nursery when they're ill, with one of the thread with parents complaining that their child is always ill after starting nursery. Maybe people will see some kind of link.

This is 100% accurate

Also the NHS 'information' on it isn't based on anything. There isn't anything beyond anecdotal evidence that teething occurs. It's bollocks. Babies get upset. Same with colic. It's not a stomach issue and never has been. It's babies being very unsettled because we have stupid big heads and small pelvises.

37.6 does not count as a high temperature!

Have you tried teething grains?

There’s quite a contrast on this thread with parents being chastised for sending their kids to nursery with a bit of a temperature and cold symptoms, to all the people who say they will now be off to work and sending their kids to school when they have covid “just like we do with other illnesses”.

We would take paracetamol and go to work!

Back in the real world, yes of course I'd give them some Calpol and send into nursery if they were teething.

If I had tooth ache I'd take a paracetamol and carry on with my day, I wouldn't need to stay home.

@beattieedny

Oh come on, the NHS is a cultural phenomenon as much as anything else. Regardless, people use teething as an excuse for ridiculous things that are clearly infectious illnesses. If you have young kids, they'll get ill and you have to look after them. It sucks, but that's reality.

If you have kids, they will get ill. Sometimes it will just be a minor cold and they'll be fine to carry on as normal. Sometimes it's a heavier cold and they'll be fine with a dose of Calpol, like an adult taking day nurse and going to work. Sometimes they'll be a bit grumpy because of teething. Often they'll have a rotten dose and need a day or two at home having cuddles. Sometimes it will be a vomiting bug or indeed covid and they'll need to stay home for the designated period.

It's not always clear which it is at first. More often than not it's one of the first three options and children are fine to be in their childcare setting. An open and sensible relationship between provider and parent allows everyone to be open to all options and means no one feels someone's trying to pull a fast one. Little children can get sick and recover quickly and everyone needs to be aware of that.

@beattieedny

Also the NHS 'information' on it isn't based on anything. There isn't anything beyond anecdotal evidence that teething occurs. It's bollocks. Babies get upset. Same with colic. It's not a stomach issue and never has been. It's babies being very unsettled because we have stupid big heads and small pelvises.

Colic is unexplained crying for extended periods of time. You're correct that it's a misconception that colic is related to wind or digestion.

When babies scream and cry in pain for hours on end there is a reason for that and in my opinion any medical professional who sends a worried and exhausted new mother away with nothing to help their baby who is in pain with the words "it's just colic" is despicable.

@OnceuponaRainbow18

If you give it you should tell them otherwise they may give more and he’s had too much

Nurseries should never give medication without talking to parents first for this very reason..

@familyissues12345

I’ve signed that my can, which is why we don’t give it before hand…

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@familyissues12345

I’ve signed that my can, which is why we don’t give it before hand…[/quote]
I would still expect them to call in advance just in case (and to tell you your child needs it). At my nursery all parents do a generic "happy for nursery to administer meds/calpol" form when the child first starts, as a cover all on paper sort of thing. Then the parent verbally tells us if a child requires meds during the session, or we can ask for verbal agreement in the event of calpol etc over the phone.

I'd be surprised if other places do it differently , but maybe they do!

@CalpolDilemma

Admittedly I gave him the calpol and sent him to nursery. The policy is also that if he has a temperature of 37.5 or above, he can’t come to nursery for 4 clear days after. So essentially, the rest of the week. If he’s given calpol, he also has to stay away for 48 hours after the last dose. All this makes it impossible for me to work. So in the past 6 months, he’s attended maybe a total of one week out of each month.

He is teething. His nursery worker spotted the signs on handover.

I wouldn’t send him if he was actually unwell. He had the classic teething signs, and was just very slightly warm. But warm enough to miss nursery for the rest of the week if they checked his temperature.

I think this thread has shown me I need to look at other nurseries in the area and see if I can send him to one with more common sense, as the situation we’re in is really unsustainable.

The nursery is taking the piss. The NHS says that in children a high temperature is 38C or more. Excluding a child from nursery for 4 whole days because of a temperature of 37.5 is completely and utterly ridiculous. It seems like a scam actually, because you're paying for so much childcare that you're not actually getting. Definitely look at other nurseries and check their illness/infection policies.

@LittleBearPad
‘ I just have been imagining when my children woke up crying because they were teething.

Teething gel (or at least the one I used) has lidocaine in. Maybe that’s what helps…’

Lidocaine isn’t recommended to use for teething as it can be dangerous.
Why wouldn’t you just give them paracetamol? Unless you’re going to say something daft now like teething gel works better?

Also, putting gel on child’s gums… asif it stays on there long enough to even do anything.
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