childminders - do you take mindees when they are ill??

[Chepstow1]

Hi there, I have just started putting ds (12 months) into a nursery 2 half days a week in preparation for going back to work (3 days from Oct).

In the last 3 weeks, I have been called 4 times to collect him early. The first time I was told he had a temperature and was "not himslelf". When I arrived he did not (although was assured it had gone down) and was a bit grumpy and that night a new tooth appeared.

The second time I was called he had apparently had a very full nappy and again "was not himself". This continued for time number 3.

Today I have been called as he has a very gluey eye which I suspect is conjuctavitus.

I am really not too happy with the nursery right now for various reasons one of which is that I want whoever is looking after my child to get to know them and really know when they are or are not themselves.

How would you as childminders deal with sick mindees? Would you always called the parent/primary carer or do you look after children when they are under the weather??

Thanks for the reponses!!

Hi Chepstow, it would depend on the type or symptoms of the illness as to how I would deal with it. If it were a simple cold, cough, ear infection etc and he was only a little grumpy I would be quite happy to carry on with the care of your son at that time, the only time I would call you to collect him would be for D & V or if he seemed ill and unresponsive or extremely difficult to settle whilst ill or if I thought it was something serious or contagious.

I must say that I would also be wary of taking him if he had or was suspected of having conjunctivitus as it is very contagious.

Hi kcemum, totally agree about conjunctavitus and was more than happy to drop everything to get hime rather than infect all the baby room (and carers).

I guess I am frustrated when the nursery staff say that he's "not himself" when they hardly know him.

Hi Chepstow, I used nurseries with my children befor swapping to use a childminder. I found that they didn't get "personalised care" with the nusery and also thought that they didn't get to know my children as well as they should, however when they went to the minder it was so different- she came to know them inside out and was the first to spot DD3 was having petite mal fits (bad mummy).

I am now a registered childminder and like to think that I know my mindees enough to think that I would be happy to leave my kids with someone like me!(iykwim)

Spot on, this is exactly how I feel!! I would like to try and find childcare where I feel the carer is working with me to try and give my son a great experience each day. I just feel the nursery that I am using goes through the motions (he is always clean, new nappy, fact sheet filled in, lots of smiles from staff) however when I ask a question about him, they look at me blankly.

Right, going to find a childminder for sure!!!!

Anyone know any good ones near Knutsford (have been online and looked at the gov site.

One mindee today came and mum said she was under the weather and hadn't slept that night.

She grizzled and grumped all day, had Calpol instead of lunch - then slept for over 3 hrs

Today was fine - we were quite and didn't have to go out

But on a busier day it could have been a problem....I wouldn't have wanted to take her up to school or out visiting

Really it depends on the day, the children I have and the planned activities (& whether I could change them)

Did I read this corectly, they got you to pick him up because he had a full nappy - don't they change the childern?????

Have not used a nursery - sorry if this is a silly question.

No probably that it looked different and they were suggesting he had a tummy upset

Ahhhhhhhhhh, thought that must have been the case, just wrote before I thought really.

Well actually, the call came from the manager who said that Calum had a very full and dirty nappy and was "not himself". He had NOT bee sick and had eaten some of his breakfast and All of his lunch. He had also drunk a lot of water - more than normal (which suggests he may not be 100%).

After I collected him, we went to the library and swings and he was a bit touchy but no more.

I also have taken him to the doctor 3 times in 10 days and apart from today (when he confirmed he conjunctavitus) the quack told me basically to give him calpol and fluids and go away....

Made me cross with nursery..

Have to say this depends on the nursery, DS1 has just left his today after 4 years and they were great at this sort of thing, I have been called to pick him up once in that time, they were able to take his asthma and deafness in their stride, and cope with stuff like teething and off days. A friends nursery round the corner though persistently sends her kids home and had to get a prescription from the doctor before they would give calpol when they were teething.

I find childminders a bit more flexible than nurseries tbh. They will take a mild cold and a bit of a temperature, wthout sending home. No-one will take conjunctivitus (so I lied to my cm when she said she thought dd was coming down with it!! the gp said she was fine once the drops were inand it really wasn't bad ) Nurseries do seem to be a bit of a mare on this one tbh

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As a childminder i have taken midees with chicken pox etc. I also dont mind keeping the mindees with me if they have temp etc as long as they are not miserable and wanting mummy etc. Conjunctivitis, i think, isnt a send home illness as by the time you realise it could be conjunctivitis the child has probably infected others etc. I do OBVIOUSLY inform parents of my suspicions and ask them to get treatment and am then careful not to cross infect, i also inform other parents of the problem.
D&V my policy is D=3 runny ones and your out, V= if temp and vomiting then phone call to be taken home essential.
I do know my mindees very well and know when a temp or diarrheao(sp) is down to teething etc I also know if a mindee really is not very well. If a child is sleepy i see no reason why they cant sleep at my house as long as it doesnt disturb the other mindees care etc and that the parents are aware of the situation.
When i was manager of a nursery we had to send children home at the smallest symptom including runny poo. As a mum myself i know when a child is off colour and when a child is really poorly!

I wouldn't knowingly agree to mind a child with chicken pox if there were other children in the house who hadn't had it (even though they've been exposed to it in the previous days) - most of the children I've minded who've caught it have actually been quite poorly, and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to have them. However, if they suddenly produce the rash during the day, I certainly wouldn't insist on parents returning immediately either.

Crunchie - shame on you for lying to your childminder!!! I've had children arrive with "sticky eyes" and an assurance from parents that it's not conjunctivitis! We are not supposed to mind children with conjunctivitis, although most of us probably have done so - it tends to be something that other parents probably wouldn't want their children coming into contact with.

We are also not supposed to look after sick children but, as Crunchie says, we are more flexible than most nurseries.

I've collected sick children from school, and parents aren't always able to drop everything to race back. Those children I've minded for years that I've had from being babies are more than happy to have cuddles with me or to crash on the settee with a blanket and intravenous Calpol. Perhaps it's not ideal, as it perhaps compromises the care of other minded children, but I think that all the parents are realistic. They know that it could be their child next!!

Alibubbles - am interested in your Mercedes with leather seats ... would be even more interested in knowing what your hourly rate is for minding!!!

Before having ds I worked in nurseries for 13 years and unfortunately it has become more and more apparent to me that they are becoming too rigid with their sickness policies.

Though having said that if there is a true sick child you wouldnt beleive how fast it can spread. Worked in a nursery that had over 60% children go down with conjunctivitus because one parent insisted it wasnt contagious

I am currently going through the trauma of becoming a registered childminder. When i take children in i will hopefully get to know them well enough to judge whether ther need their own home and mum/dad/nan etc.

Was i any help ....doubt it

As a childminder, my policy is now that if the child is too ill to attend school/preschool then they are too ill to attend the childminders.

Like nurseries, we have to consider the potential risk to other children in our care as well as to ourselves and our families. If a childminder or her family is ill (s)he loses her income and has to let down all her families if she is closed.

Also, while one child may shake off a bug quite quickly - the people they pass it on to may not cope so well. It should also be noted that visiting mothers may not tell you they are pregnant.

Twice I have agreed to look after a child who was "off colour", had not been sick, had no diarrhoea nor temperature. On both occasions the child got steadily worse, needed almost constant attention and I had to clear up a load of vomit and get mum to collect early.

I follow my rules more strictly now!

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