Would you have sent this child home?

[gardenpixies32]

What a morning! Today is one of those days where you feel alone and helpless! I guess we all have them?!

I have 3 little ones today (13, 14 and 15 months olds). Mum of the 15 month old mentioned to me that he is a bit snotty. Anyway, pretty much from about 9am, he was tearful and clingy. He cried if I moved even a meter away from him, he went a bit hysterical if I left the room and went to the loo or to play or interact with the other 2 children. This is not like him, he is usually confident and very independent. He was very snotty, wiping it all over his face and in his hair before I had a chance to get to the tissues. After a lot of crying, one of the others got very tearful too and he decided he also wanted my undivided attention. By 11:30 the 15 month old had puked all over himself! So while I was changing his clothes and trying to clean up the sick, the 14 month old was going a bit hysterical! At that stage I was at a loss of what to do!

I ended up calling mum to collect the child who had been sick.

Would you have done this? Or should I just have persevered? I feel a bit rubbish today :(

I would have called his Mum. She had already mentioned that he was under the weather and he was obviously ill, so I think you did the right thing.

As a Mum that have used CM's a lot over the years I would have expected you to call me. You did the right thing. Don't beat yourself up for it.

I haven't ever used a CM, but all the nursery/school type settings send children home immediately if they vomit. It seem a bit wrong for the mum of the 15mo to have sent him in to you. I should think the 13mo and 14mo are about to get this bug! And you might as well. You have nothing to feel bad about.

Nope, don't blame you at all, would have done exactly the same.

Vomiting is a no go! lol and remember you shouldnt take them until 48 hours after their last bout of vomiting.

Absolutely would have sent any child home who had vomited and would tell parents I could not have child for 48 hrs after last bout of vomiting. Although this is a bit redundant if the other children were in the room because they will have caught anything infectious through contact/droplet spread anyway.

I hope you aren't asking because you've had a hard time from the parent. I have a clause in my contract that states I cannot care for a child who is clearly unwell so I may have sent him home before he vomited.

I send a big hug to you. Your not alone in facing challenges.

You did right to make that decision. When a child is unwell they need to be with mum or dad. You also have to consider the other two kids and YOURSELF TOO.

I had to send a note to parents letting them know that I cannot look after a child who is not well enough to go to school (contagious illness). This was because one of the children was dropped off at my house without his school unform as he was not 100%.

You cannot look after the cm kids or yours if you are ill....

Have a brilliant day tomorrow. Let us know how your day is on Tuesday, may you have the best day ever!!!

Thanks for the nice replies. I felt like a rubbish childminder yesterday and had a miserable evening, not nice.

I dont think he has a sickness bug, I think he was poorly and coughing, it was the coughing that made him vomit. He will be in today. I hope it is a better one. When his mum got here, he was full of smiles and laughing so it looked like I was mad and making up that he was ill!

I was a secondary school teacher for 10 years before becoming a childminder and I worked in a boys school. Teenaged boys are HARD work to say the least. Even though teaching is tough and hard work, yesterday I felt worse and more stressed than I ever did in the classroom!

Surely you have a duty of care to the other two children?

I wouldn't be happy if my baby was spending the day with a child that was vomiting yesterday. Are you not supposed to not have him for 48 hrs?

I think you did fine. If you were my CM I'd have been apologetic when I collected him. She's fine about taking snotty kids but I'd have been mortified if it turned out one of my DC were actually unwell. Bug or not, coughing until they're sick's not on. DS did that once at nursery and I felt dreadful. Hope today's better.

I would have done the same.

How is your day today?

Mum2Bless - Yes, a much better day, thanks! :)

The mindee who was ill yesterday is still not himself but much better than he was yesterday. We had a nice day, made rice shakers and sang songs. They are at that cute age where they are starting to dance, sort of!

Looking forward to Thursday and Friday with just one mindee though!

Hope you had a a nice day xx