CM Club - Can I refuse to look after exhausted children? Quick help please!

[Booh]

Probably not the best of titles, but I will try and explain!

I look after two children, siblings and they are always exhausted, they are out every weekend with their parents, on long trips to see friends have lots of late nights etc etc

One day this week the older child was falling over he was so tired, he is 6 and will not sleep here during the day, I thought about sending him home as all he wanted was his mum (he cried for an hour he was so tired) and his younger brother is just the same

It is now starting to effect the other children (and my own) that I have here as today we have a big day out planned and I know that they are going to be just too exhausted to enjoy it, but we are going as I feel that the other children I have had really missed out on a lot this week because of these children!

What should I do, they are due to arrive here at 9.30 and if they look like they did yesterday can I tell mum I can't look after them like that and they need to go home and have a really quiet day? IT is really hard as they are not 'ill' as such, but they will be if they don't build themselves up at bit!

I'd explain the situation to the parents. Do you give advance notice of days out?

I would explain to the parents, just have a quiet word and say that they are very tired, explain what happened with 6 year old, and that perhaps he is needing more sleep. Are they like this all the time or just during the holidays, if it's all the time then it must be impacting on his schoolwork as well

poor kids
dont know what i would do but feel sorry for the children (all of them) and you its not fair when another child spoils the day for the rest

When my ds started reception he was absolutely knackered. He started full time 2 weeks after his 4th birthday. After a few weeks he was so miserable and hated going because he was so tired. I talked to the teacher and she said if a child isn't fit for school then they should be kept home and being so exhausted fell into that category.

In my case it was down to me to decide whether he was fit for school, but I think you should speak to the parents if it's affecting the other children in your care.

Well we had a almighty horrific day as the two children where totally exhausted and we had a big day out - so much so that I called mum and asked her to pick them up from me at the farm. She was very shocked, but she wasn't working today just having a day at home.

I have just called her and they fell asleep in the car at 2pm and she woke them up and put them into bed and they are still both asleep - I told her I wouldn't be surprised if they slept until the morning!

I am just about to give notice (for other reasons) to the mum so I am not tooo bothered!

Good for you! I think I may add something when I do my policy review to say about children being unfit etc. Poor poor kids!!