To ask childminder not to bring DS to playgroup

[Mynumberone]

So we have a wonderful childminder, our DS is 15 months and started with childminder 5 months ago. Cannot fault her and DS loves her.

Childminder is great at bringing DS to playgroups which we love but would I be unreasonable to ask her not to bring him for a couple of weeks before Christmas. I really don't want DS picking up a bug or virus for Christmas.

He has had a few colds, nothing major and childminder has kept him of playgroup until he recovered.

YANBU if he’s the only child but he will miss out, I’d probably ask her not to take him in the week before Christmas (if he’s there).

Just to clear up a few questions that were asked. Yes our childminder only minds my son. Pre covid she ran a highly successful childcare facility, employed numerous staff and had a two year waiting list. However since Covid she has stepped back, her DH was very unwell and her four children were coming into their teenage years. My niece and nephew actually attended her childcare when they were younger and my sister could not praise childminder enough so that's why we contacted her. She has numerous people looking for childcare but she's quite selective in the positions she now chooses. My son goes to her three days a week. She only minds him on these days. Everyday they go to either a library group, soft play or church playgroups. They go for a walk every morning and the normal trips to the shops , village etc. Her teenagers also adore him when they get home from school. He is like a part of their family and he jumps into her arms every morning. He really has the best of both worlds, playgroup with similar age children but then plenty of outdoor time and one on one with his childminder. I know I'm very lucky.

Anyway, I spoke to childminder yesterday evening. She finishes up for Christmas on the 19th December due to the way Christmas falls this year and the days she minds my son. On the 19th there is a party for the kids at the Church playgroup with Santa, songs and a little gift. Childminder said its a lovely start to Christmas for the kids and usually only a couple of hours. I don't want my DS missing out so I agree with the majority and I'm not going to ask childminder to not bring him. We still have a week from then until Christmas Day.

Just to point out that most viruses take about 3 days to incubate so if he did catch anything on the 19th it probably wouldn’t start until the 22nd so he would likely still be ill for Xmas.

Sounds like you've got a lovely childminder and that together you've made the right decision for your child. Ignore the posts about incubation periods because so much of the magic of Christmas for little children is built upon special events like playgroup parties with visits from Santa.

I understand your point of view entirely. We are pulling our little one out of nursery from the 11th to avoid this scenario (she only goes in two days a week for full disclosure, and we are taking additional annual leave to accommodate), just because the nursery bugs are so hideous this time of year and we have had two Christmases where she has been terribly unwell. If your child is the only child then yes of course you can ask this.

Well with this awful flu going around, I would definitely be stopping any playgroups going forward, especially for a 15 month old!

Thanks, but when I made that post more than two weeks ago there was very little awareness of how bad the current flu strain is and how widespread it was going to become so you are contributing to a different conversation...