CM CLUB - Why do I feel bad for DS being poorly????? FED UP - QUEUE RANT!!!

[looneytune]

I'm so fed up!!

Ds had slapped cheek a few weeks ago so he had 2 days off nursery and I sent mindees home as a precaution (after getting advice).

He's not been right since, just little colds and things but he's been PROPER POORLY since Thursday the poor thing. High temp (up to 103.7F/39.85C) and then last night dropped right down to 94.7F with him sweating so much his bed was soaked! He's still very pale but slowly getting better but I suspected conjunctivis on it's way so have just been to the Dr's. They said he's really run down, ears sore, lots of little glands up in his neck, yes he has conjunctivitis. So, the Dr suggested that I don't take mindees for 24 hrs (but then said 48 hrs when mentioned I have babies) as otherwise they'll get conjunctivitis and ds being run down will get it again blablabla.

Well, phoned mum of mindees I have Tues-Thurs (luckily only parent affected) and I can tell she's not happy. I told her everything the Dr said and then she said 'so does that mean you don't want the kids tomorrow', I said YES (in nice way). She then went on to tell me how ill her toddler has been (I know as this is where I think ds got it), runny eyes, puffy face etc. I KNOW, I had her like this last week!

It really pi**es me off that I'm so soft and stupid that I allow them to drop the kids off like this (well, the au pair drops off). I never have a problem with normal colds but the toddler mindee was soooo clingy last week, all she wanted was to be cuddled. Wasn't eating etc. Now if I had different families and other kids to consider, I'd just say 'sorry, but she needs 1:1 care and I can't provide this with other kids to look after' BUT because it was just my own ds and her baby sibling, I just put up with it as usual. Now I have a poorly ds (this isn't the bit that bothers me) and feel bad that I'm not having them tomorrow. I've agreed to call her tomorrow afternoon and we can decide between us whether or not they can come on Wed. I did apologise and say it's better that I have day off and they get money back than them catching conjunctivitis and me not being able to take them but they get charged iyswim.

Anyway, I'm just really fed up as I've hardly ever had to close since I started.

I'm feeling bad about something that's actually in my policies but the other thing is, my ds really needs 1:1 at the moment so I want to give it. Believe me, if I could work I would - I'm SKINT but it's just the way things go.

Do others have the same problem as me?

[hennipenni]

Oh Helly, it's really hard isn't it? Hope your DS gets better soon.

I'm in a bit of a similar situation as both my younger DDs are at the moment having to go to lots of hospital appointments to see peadiatricians, consultants, dietician, audiology appts, blood tests etc, and at the moment I'm having to cancell mindees at least once a fortnight (parents are being fab but I feel very guilty) and it is looking very likely that DD3 will need a hospital stay for an op, so will have to cancell mindees again for a few days. (Also she's been dignosed as Asthmatic so if any mindees come with couyghs she ends up with it going straight on her chest)

Sorry if that's not much help but at least your not on your own with this problem.

[looneytune]

Oh hennipenni, your situation is far worse than mine and I'm not surprised they are being good about it, they'd be very mean if they got cross with you!! Hope everything is ok. What a nightmare for you!

I just get really fed up with it as I know I've inconvenienced them but these things do happen (and not very often!!!). It's not even like they have a boss to worry about upsetting, it's their own company. Ok, I admit they have got a lot of work on and I really do feel bad BUT should I work just to please them? What would happen if I had lots of different mindees like lots of childminders do??? Policies are there for a reason!!!

Oh ignore me, I'm just shattered after another bad night with ds. Been up since 4am and it doesn't agree with me!!

Luckily the mum who's signing up baby and paying double for 1:1 time has been GREAT about it all. SHE is the one I thought would think twice about using me but she understands it's just bad timing and we've agreed to do contracts by post. She wanted to make sure WE were ok. How nice and refreshing is that!!!

[saltire]

I think i must be soft like you. Mindee 1 has had snot coming out of his nose every single day since November, and it's gone round the others, colds, conjunctivits, etc, Mindee 3's mum commented on his nose, but what can i do, his parents don't seem to think there's anything wrong.
maybe when DS goes to bed tonight you should just go as well, get some rest, even if you don't sleep you will be relaxing.

[PinkChick]

aw, your poor ds..i know how you feel but i am so lucky that this week my full timer is on hol and i only have the two partimers together on thurs.my dd has been ill since friday night, head aches, neckache, back ache, wobbly legs and last night vomiting everywhere, really high temp and wont eat.....so am so glad i dont have to cancel(hopefully she will be better by thur as that is also her last day at school before half term!)
i have taken mindees when i shouldnt have and kept them when i shouldnt have, we mcut start ebing harder and more thick skinned!

[looneytune]

Right, we all need to get tougher then!!!

I'm tweeking my policies at the moment and will be making things EXTRA clear on them the reasons why we sometimes to have close for these types of illnesses. It's clear already but I'm going to re-word it and maybe put in BOLD!

[PinkChick]

you could tattoo it on your forhead and 'some' of them still wouldnt see it

[looneytune]

Yep, probably right!!!

[PinkChick]

how is he today???
dd is better, snored like a gadgy last night!, poor lamb, but cant see anything i can remove from her nose, even blowing birngs out nothing? and vicks didnt help

[looneytune]

Sorry, just seen this PinkChick. He's better than he was thanks and now I'm back working which is good. Eyes cleared up, just slightly puffy face now.

What I am even more annoyed about now is something the Au Pair said this morning. Apparently mum was chatting (probably to her dh?) and said 'this is the 3rd day she's been off since Au Pair came!' It's all part of the same thing!!! He had 2 days off with the Slapped Cheek on advice I received! Then yesterday off! I admit it doesn't look good as unfortunately, this illness came once au pair was here but I certainly didn't 'plan' it!!! I'm skint and can't afford to refund £73+ a day so why would I take the day off just because they have an au pair??!!! It's just because I've been lucky that I've not had to close like this before but now they think I'm doing it on purpose!!!! Some parents do my head in, wish it was just about the children!!!

Sorry, even more fed up now