I got angry with nursery staff today

[angrym]

My DD wasn't allowed to come into nursery today because she's on antibiotics and it hadn't been 48 hours since she started the course - although she has actually been on antibiotics since Wednesday..

In any case, they have a rule which states that even though she's been on antibiotics since Wednesday, because they she was put on a different one on Saturday- that's what counts and it's therefore counted as if she only started Saturday - hence Monday morning makes it less that 48 hours.

Official websites suggest you need to stay off work / school for 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

In any case, I lost my cool a bit. No shouting by any means but I showed that I was less than impressed. I said something like ' it's just not good enough and a ridiculous rule '.

I've never done anything like that before with nursery as I am usually very very nice/ complaint with them, as they look after my precious baby. I was feeling super stressed as I missed a lot of work last week due to the illness and I'm really falling behind and had a lot of important meetings today, so really needed DD in nursery.

Would you apologise or just ignore ?

No, she sounds frustrated.

The nursery are trying to cover their own backs as well as look after the interests of the other children.

You should apologise

It’s a very common rule. It’s about ensuring your child doesn’t have a bad reaction to a new drug. So considering a new drug was started on Saturday, their position today makes complete sense.

What is the rationale for this rule? Have you asked them? What is the risk of contagion? Somebody must have written this policy and based it on scientific research and facts. Ask to see them.

It depends what the illness is but usually it's a Dept of Health rule, not the nursery itself.
If they changed her AB is that because there wasn't an improvement? In which case it makes sense to restart the clock

Honestly - I'd be looking for a different provider. Nurseries with rules like this aren't really suited to providing reliable childcare for working parents and you'll have similar problems over and over. They'll try and send her home every time she farts or sneezes.

There's a degree of pragmatism required with toddlers. Yes they are germ factories, its completely normal for them to regularly get runny noses, lingering coughs that last months, phases of teething/loose nappies, watery or crusty eyes with a cold and rashes like molluscum. No working parent can hold down a job if expected to keep them home purely because they've got antibiotics after a water or ear infection,or their 7th cold this year is accompanied by red watery eyes.

Find a more reasonable nursery.

It’s a very common rule. It’s about ensuring your child doesn’t have a bad reaction to a new drug. So considering a new drug was started on Saturday, their position today makes complete sense.

And yet plenty of settings manage to not have this rule, including all of England's state school nursery classes which of course abide by department of health guidance.

Why are they resetting the clock? Is it part of their sickness policy or some random rule? DS’ nursery used to make up random rules a lot to people claiming 30 hours free if someone on a private plan needed last minute childcare and you could predict the days it’d happen - Mondays, Tuesdays,Thursdays. Once they tried to claim DS might have sen as he had a (perfectly normal) regression and refused to let him back in until we spoke to the GP - so I refused to leave. I had a stand off with the manager for nearly an hour until she finally allowed him in.

They couldn't tell me. It was the owners rule and they don't know why. That's when I said it's a ridiculous rule.. ah well, not my finest moment.

Ah OP sometimes things get the better of you and nobody's perfect. Hopefully she can go in fine tomorrow and you can catch up with everything.

I wouldn’t apologize. You didn’t shout and you stated your opinion. Nursery is a paid service and you’re allowed to tell them if one of their rules seems incorrect.

Official websites suggest you need to stay off work / school for 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

What official websites though? A nursery can have any policy they want, you agreed to it when you put your child in.

Just like there’s no rule that says got need to stay off work for a temperature but the vast majority of nurseries won’t accept children with one.

Typically they change antibiotics because a course isn’t working. If the course wasn’t working then they have only been on (working) ones for 24 hours.

you sound like a pest. Apologise

You're the only pest around here

Somebody must have written this policy and based it on scientific research and facts.

Why would you assume this?

Most nurseries in fact ignore health guidance, including the fact that there's no exclusion recommended at all for hfm or conjunctivitis.

Private nurseries are there to run at a profit. They tend to be excessively cautious about disease because a quiet nursery with low ratios because half the toddlers have been forced home "sick", is a nicer place to work for the staff, and staff retention is a problem in nurseries.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infectious-diseases-schools-and-other-childcare-settings/how-long-should-you-keep-your-child-off-school-checklist-poster-text-version

Whooping cough and impetigo are 48hrs after starting antibiotics. Resetting if you have changed medication makes sense.

Exactly what I was going to say! I would have done the same.

I think I would ask to see the policy.

If the child is infectious - they shouldn't be at nursery. It really should be about the medicine though and so resetting the 48 hour clock is a red herring.

but Why were the antibiotics changed? If the child wasn't tolerating the medicine but their condition is improving - yes send them.

If the child has had to have a change of antibiotics because the first ones weren't working and the child is still unwell - keep them off until better.

Apologise. Whether you like their policy or not, you knew about it and it's always been the same. You were frustrated, which I understand, but the antibiotics were changed and so the policy kicked in with the new ones. They didn't need the snark, although they will understand you were u der work stress.

Just go back and apologise. I'm sure they'll understand. What was the reason for changing the antibiotics though? Was she unwell and the original course didn't help & you had to go back to A&E to get new antibiotics prescribed? Our GP isn't open on a Saturday.

If she was going to have a reaction she’d have had it by now, she could react to anything at any time in nursery or at home. If she’s well in herself and had likely 3/6 doses or more if it’s a 4 a day med - how different is the antibiotic to the first one?

I understand you’re frustrated but if those are their rules there’s not really much you can do.

I wouldn’t apologise

It depends what illness it is as there are different rules on return to childcare/school

eg for strep throat it’s 24 hours after starting antibiotics

NHS guidance is 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

No she doesn't.