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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

CM CLUB - HELP, think DS has Chicken Pox..........advice please

14 replies

looneytune · 19/08/2007 12:40

Yesterday I thought ds had been bitten as had a few spots on his legs that looked like bites (and I get bitten lots so just thought was that). He now has 7 of them (on legs mainly but 1 on wrist and another on the bottom of his back). I thought chicken pox started on their fronts and backs so didn't think it was this, still thought he'd been bitten but my best mate has just been round and said someone at nursery started like this.

Soooo, going to keep an eye out and see if he gets more later but I'm planning ahead in case this is what he has.

My policy states that the child should be excluded for 5 days from onset of the rash. What if I get parents saying 'oh, I don't mind them still coming, chances are they will get it anyway'? I'm happy to take their kids if they end up with it HOWEVER if baby starts screaming in pain and needs 1:1 care, then I'd have to send them home. I'm not sure how I'd feel about sending them home if it's ds's fault to start with? Also, what if one parent wants to continue coming but the other doesn't? Would I be making the chicken pox germs be around for longer?

Oh....I don't know

HELP!!!

OP posts:

Jackmummy · 19/08/2007 13:57

When I got chicken pox, as a child, the spots started on my legs.

My ds and dd both had CP reacently. I cm for two different families, but on different days. One family continued to send their daughter, the other didn't. The mindee who came then got CP 2 weeks later. However I was able to have my other mindee as on different days iyswim. I still had mindee1 when she had CP and she was ok. Just needed a bit of piriton and extra cuddles. Not really ill, kind of like when she has a cold.
Its a hard one though if you have different mindees on the same day.
I'd talk to the parents and see what they think. If they all want to continue sending their children, then fine, stay open. If its mixed you may be best to get their opinions, but close for 5 days.
Have i made sense!

Original poster

looneytune · 19/08/2007 14:51

Thanks for that. I've decided to act as though he does have chicken pox as I don't want to leave it all till last minute.

I actually don't have kids mixing which is good. I have 2 sisters Mon-Wed and then a baby only on Thurs/Fri (as I'm paid for 2 spaces for them).

I'm PREDICTING that the parents of 2 sisters will still want them to come and the double pay baby's parents won't want her to come. If that's the case, I'm happy to take them. But thinking ahead, if any of the children get really poorly (one of them is only 8 months old, other baby is 6 months old), am I still able to send them home if it ends up like 1:1 care because they are more poorly? I always take them when they are pretty needy so I doubt I'd send home, just thinking if they had a really high temp etc? And if they were off ill, should I let them off the fee because my ds started with it? Or would I be better off just closing?

Sorry, hard to think straight with ds being mad in the background - he's certainly not feeling poorly with it atm!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

looneytune · 19/08/2007 16:54

ANYONE HELP WITH THIS????

If he does have Chicken Pox and mindees end up with it, I'm happy to take them but if they get very poorly, they'd have to be sent home. Usually it's normal fee due to THEIR illness however what if it's from my ds to start with??? Would you refund?

OP posts:

Jackmummy · 19/08/2007 17:13

I would still charge if they end up going home poorly.
You could explain that to the parents before they make the decision.
I said to the parents that I'm happy to have mindee1 as long as she is alright in herself but if she's really upset or poorly she wouldn't be able to come... but I'm sure she'd just want her mummy in this instance and obviously they wouldn't be happy to leave her like this... (making it hard for them to argue!)... not that they would in this case!
I also spoke to them about it generally being fairly mild in young children so I shouldn't think it would be a problem.

Original poster

looneytune · 19/08/2007 17:16

Cheers Jackmummy. I have the email ready (answerphone at home so I said I'd send an email) and wanted it to be all upfront to start with. I think I will say that, thanks

BTW, the problem I have is these parents WOULD still want me to have them even if they were crying and probably wanting mummy . Problem being that she doesn't have an au pair at the moment as the other just left!

OP posts:

Original poster

looneytune · 19/08/2007 17:19

Email sent, thanks

OP posts:

Jackmummy · 19/08/2007 18:47

I've had that and twice called the parents back from work when TBH I could see that the child wasn't really up to it first thing.
If they have a temp you can always say that its your policy to check the temp on arrival if a child is unwell and if they have one to not accept them...
Also your ds was probably contagious towards the end of last week, so they may well be infected already.

Original poster

looneytune · 20/08/2007 08:04

After all that, I'm not even sure if he has got it, probably bites after all. I would have thought he'd have more spots this morning if he did?

OP posts:

LazyLineLegilimens · 20/08/2007 08:07

Possibly, looney, but some kids get more spots than others. Are they headed spots?

Jackmummy · 20/08/2007 08:08

The spots he has got would have puss heads on them.
I don't necesserily think he would have more today as sometimes there is a few days between the crops of spots.
However its the actual spot you need to look at. They start off just like a normal red spot, but then kind of erupt into a pussey looking thing.
Had another thought re pay... If they gave you a cold or something and you had to close as a result you wouldn't charge would you... therefore if you give them something and they can't come you do charge. Works both ways.

Original poster

looneytune · 20/08/2007 08:11

Yes, they have got little heads on them but so do my bites when I get bitten. Oh, it's just so hard to know. I've told parents that he MIGHT have it and left it to them to decide as I don't want to risk anything. He has 9 of them, hasn't been itching like mad or anything, they are mainly on his legs but 1 on lower back and 1 on his wrist.

OP posts:

Original poster

looneytune · 20/08/2007 08:18

Cheers Jackmummy - I'd decided about the works 2 ways thing in the end but thanks anyway Plus, I don't close for colds anyway

Now I'm confused about this pussed filled business I looked and thought not, had a TINY little blistery look on the top, others sort of scabbed but all this is what happens when I get bitten (I suffer from lots of bites) BUT dh looked and said 'suppose they could be' SOOOO, I just don't know.

At the end of the day I've told them he might and it's up to them BUT I'm wanting to know if we can go out. Probably best to stay away from toddler group today? But we need some bread if they do come (waiting for text back - this is what she wanted to do, me text this morning) as I agreed to have my first ever mindee to help out. They only texted last night and now I don't have enough food if they all come and have lunch. Maybe I should pop to the chemist and see what they think once they've looked? Or should we hide indoors to be on the safe side.

Can you tell I am having trouble thinking straight this morning!

OP posts:

Mum2Luke · 21/08/2007 21:59

My son has just got over chicken pox, I told the parents and the 4 yr old had already had them so he came as usual, the other little boy (17 mths) did not come as his Mum is expecting and she didn't want him to have them and pass them to her.

i normally charge half when off ill, its not their fault the child is ill.

be careful Jackmummy, my ds cp started looking like bites + they spread v quickly! he had them everywhere and has taken a while for them to disappear altogether.

Rubybees · 22/08/2007 14:09

My children 3,5 haven't yet had chicken pox

but I always talk about it with parents when doing contracts and t's also in my policies that whoever comes out in cp it's 5 days after onset/or until crusty (hehe), so if my child came out with cp they would have to come and collect their child. After 5 days they come back then possibly 5-7 days after that their child may come out with it anyway.

But I do not accept under any ground ill children , schools, and nurseries wouldn't do it so I don't. I had a parent say to me yesturday, if she get's grumpy give her some calpol, I reminded her that unless subscribed by the doctor I can't she pulled a face, so I asked if she had had any today which she said 'errmm well at 7am'

arrhhhhh --- so I politiy said if she felt her child needed calpol and has givin her some I can't take her incase you have masked anything.

it's soooo hard this job but I am a childminder not their parent who is what the child wants when poorly

(sorry to take over with my rant hehe)

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