CM Club - SICKNESS POLICY - colds? when is it too bad to work/take children???

[looneytune]

Right, some may have seen my thread about me having a streaming cold today and a mindee's dad said not to have mindee. Well, after seeing different opinions about colds, I need to give this some more thought and may as well do it now whilst updating the sickness policy.

As I'm sure most CM's agree, you quite often get children with colds and I've always seen it as just part of the job, never sent home for a cold in itself. Same goes for when I have a cold, just get on with it HOWEVER, I quite often get 'streamy' colds (where my eyes and nose run the whole day, or maybe 2 days). I've looked after 13 children to date and all parents have always wanted me to continue working with colds until today. I totally understand why a parent who's at home anyway would decide to collect their child from pre-school and ask me not to work. At the end of the day, I can't wash my hands after EVERY time I blow my nose - I know it sounds digusting not doing so but my nose would need blowing again before I've finished washing my hands .

Questions.........

1. Do I put something in policies saying that if I have a cold that becomes streamy like this (need better phrasing though), I will close and refund? Or should I say I'll let them know and give them the option whether or not to use me?

2. If I give them the option to choose, best to refund whole fee or half fee (as would still be open)?

3. What about when mindees noses are that bad you spend the whole day chasing around wiping their nose? At the end of the day, I caught this from a mindee so I think the same rule for me and mindees should apply? Do you agree?

4. If I choose to continue with children with any sort of cold, would it be fair to say they must provide medicine to help keep clear if it's bad (obviously if old enough for it)?

Any other thoughts?

TIA

I have nicked Shosh's bit about sickness (thanks shosh!!) which is that if the kids have a cold but are able to join in the normal day to day things then they can attend - if they can't join in and just want to lie in bed/on sofa etc then they are not well enough to be in your care.

I suppose the same can be reversed - if you feel well enough to be doing the norm then have the kids - if all you feel like doing is curled up in bed with a lemsip then you are not well enough to look after the children.

I would give parents the choice to bring child if you (or any of your mindees) have a cold but to make it clear to them that you are available to look after child and if they choose not to bring child they will still get charged. I would also say to parents that this is the only illness they are allowed to bring child with.
defo get them to give medicine so it doesn't keep being passed back and forth.

sorry if I haven't helped much

sorry - forgot to say - I wouldn't close and refund every time you have a streaming cold as you have said you get them quite often so not only will the parents get miffed at having to find alternative care but you will also be out of pocket

Think I'll nick that too [thanks Shosh!], hopefully then that covers things like my current 5 month old who's STILL got this horrible chest At the end of the day, she may not be crying the whole day but each feed takes a lot of work to try and prevent being sick, lots of being sick/changing clothes - it stops me from doing what I'd normally do with the others so imo, that would count as a 'send home' illness.

Agree that I don't want to close every time I'm like this. Of course I'd love to be able to rest, wouldn't anyone, but I need the money and MOST IMPORTANTLY........most parents woulod get annoyed with me not being open!

Bump for the evening crew

I always worked with colds unless i felt that i could only curl up in bed (It was never that bad though as far as i remember!).

I always took the stance that if the children could take part in all the activity/ies and did not require lots of one on one or was obviosuly not feeling well then i would take then.

Hope this makes sense and very tired at the moment.

Hiya, how was the party???

Thanks for that, I think the most important thing is probably how I WORD it now Just been chatting about it to my mum as my dad is like me EVERY time he has a cold. I'm just concerned about how parents will feel seeing me like this as it's not a pretty sight tbh

Actually, isn't this just what HAYFEVER is like? If so, do any of you childminders suffer from Hayfever and if so, what do parents think about it? This is sounds crazy as it is just a cold after all.

Off to put ds to bed then be back

bump