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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 - Baby with High Temp.........am I right????

67 replies

looneytune · 01/10/2007 16:54

Hello

Both sibling mindees have colds atm, baby has been dribbly, had runny nose and awful cough for quite some time. Just got her up from nap and as soon as I gave her a kiss on her forehead, I knew she had a temp as she was BURNING HOT. Took temp and it's 39.9 (102.2) so I've phoned mum and I've given medicine (yes, I'm a bad childminder for trying to make her feel better rather than wait until I have a form signed!!!)

Anyway.....she's ok in herself but very very flushed and off her food. Hopefully the medicine will make her feel better but I'm thinking ahead to tomorrow........unless baby is EXTREMELY bad (and I mean extremely), she'll get dropped off as normal tomorrow unless I say something. I am right about not accepting children with temperatures aren't I? Obviously can't send home now as parents leaving in next 10 mins anyway and will be here by 6.30. If she has a temp tomorrow, should I send home? Presuming yes but we all know what a bloomin softie I am - I need you guys to give me the strength!!!

Thoughts please.....

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 13:42

dusty - please, please, i'd love a copy!!!

I'm also going to put something in my newsletter about it being PARENTS responsibility to sort out when kids are ill!

OP posts:

lisalisa · 02/10/2007 13:42

Message withdrawn

lisalisa · 02/10/2007 13:44

Message withdrawn

COUNTPinkChickULA · 02/10/2007 13:45

YES i definatly feel a strong worded NEWSLETTER coming along!..ive just done one too

hertsnessex · 02/10/2007 13:47

thats awful. when i worked in london it was hard to get away if boys were ill, but always managed it (we had a nanny) even though they were in their own home. so glad im not in that position anymore.

hows the baby now looney?

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 13:47

Sorry, about to rush off but very quickly.....it's hard to even begin to explain....a lot of people know about my long history with this family. As for work....her and her husband run their own business! As for baby, I could keep her here and always have been VERY good and kept them when poorly, this is why I'm upset. She's been shaking a lot and really isn't right. I take your point about baby would have to go on school run if i was her mum HOWEVER....being a childminder, I am paid to look after others and I have to be able to care for them all equally which I wasn't able to yesterday afternoon - others got ignored. That's not fair is it? Also, if I keep baby in that state, I get other parents then complaining. This is why we have policies for this stuff and at the end of the day, no parent should sign and agree to it and then treat their CM like this when baby is too ill to be here.

Sorry, that was a rant and wasn't meant to be. Think I need a cuppa

OP posts:

COUNTPinkChickULA · 02/10/2007 13:48

lisalisa, i understand you chose your nanny for those reasons and she prob happily agreed to them but looney has in her t&c she WILL NOT look after sick children, she ahs more than this one to look after and parents will be called, in THIS line of childcare, you always get some parents who think they can leave all responsability and crap up to us even though we have tried to make it clear about our guidelines, they have selcted hearing!

dustystar · 02/10/2007 13:48

lisalisa the situation with a nanny and a childminder is very different. Even if a nanny works for more than one family she only has children from one family at a time and works from the family's house. A childminder my have up to 6 children all from different families and works from her own home. I sympathise with the mum too but a childminder is a child care professional with a business to run not a babysitter. A sick child should be at home.

Loony - my mindee has just woken up so I'll have to give you my policy later.

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 13:49

hertsnessex - baby is asleep and I'm really not looking forward to getting her up in half hour for the next school run. She's been getting in a right state. And tbh, I'm worried her temp will get like it did yesterday.....she really reacted funny at times yesterday and I was worried about her temp going over 40 - my best mate died whilst fitting when 10 yrs old and that thought has stuck with me!

OP posts:

COUNTPinkChickULA · 02/10/2007 13:51

snap dusty..my dd had raging temp last night, instead of putting my own family first i got dp up early to collect my mum, who sat with dd while i did first school run, she stayed while i did second school run(nursery) and now dd seems a little better i will traipse her off for last school run to collect 3 other children, all so i dont 'upset' thier parents plans!

COUNTPinkChickULA · 02/10/2007 13:52

tell mum you will NOT accept baby tomorrow if she looks like she does today(she could dose with calpol to take temp down)and if she DOES get dropped off and temp rises, is THIS unwell again she will HAVE to be collected immediatly!

LoveMyGirls · 02/10/2007 13:55

Lisalisa -it's not quite as clear cut as that imo, cm's do offer a home from home environment but a baby that is ill with a bad cold needs its mum and mum should want to be with baby if they are ill.

i'm 25 and when i feel really rotten i still want my mum! It doesn't matter that i live with dp and have my own children theres nothing quite like a cuddle with your mum when you feel poorly (i dont mean a bit of a sniffle i mean high temp, head feels like cotton wool etc) OFSTED say think about what it is like for a baby/child in your care, we always put the childrens needs first which is why when we are caring for a child that becomes ill they need to be sent home as it is unfair on that child to be in childcare when they are ill and being taken out on several school runs isn't fair and also not fair on the other children we are being paid to care for.

How would you feel IF for eg you did send your child to a cm and when you picked up your child your cm said "sorry i didn't give your child much attention today (even though you have paid the same rate), I had a screaming ill baby with a high temp to care for that needed my attention more than your dc" You would think to yourself why didnt she send the ill child home so that the weel children could have equal attention?

Children should only be in our care if they are well enough to partcipate in day to day activities and the other children can get equal care.

LoveMyGirls · 02/10/2007 14:00

I don't care for children with high temps either as me and my dd1 have both had febrile (sp?) convulsions so I am only too aware that they do happen and if they do happen to have i'd rather they were with their parents.

MaureenMLove · 02/10/2007 14:15

Very well put LMG. I don't think I can add anything else LT, but I'm here and I'm listening.

HorribleHorace · 02/10/2007 14:16

looneytoone,i've just read through your threads and I feel you should give notice. It seems you have been more than generous to these parents. They clearly have no respect for you, your own child or the other children in your care. They are not treating you like a professional, they are treating you like the hired help, which you are not.

Would you be able to fill their places? if so, I would say give notice and give the reason as unreasonable behaviour on their part. How selfish of them not to pick up when their child so clearly needs to go home and they run their own business!

lisalisa · 02/10/2007 15:29

Message withdrawn

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 15:38

Thanks for all the messages since I last posted. I'm still really upset but am now feeling better about the fact I am right and she is wrong and she can sod off if she doesn't like it. I had words after the time that baby was coughing so badly that she kept throwing up BADLY and this was at 11am but oh no, I had to wait until her au pair picked them up at 4pm!! Yes, mum said she couldn't come home but would try and get au pair to come out of college!

lisalisa - oh...hehe....doing chores and going to tesco....I popped to asda yesterday for the first time in ages (usually get online as no time to shop) and was really worried that I'd picked up some banana's and strawberries for the kids whilst I was there in case that was bad - the only reason I was there was because the older of these mindees had NO SHOES yesterday and I couldn't let her not walk around outside all day so I bought a spare pair to keep here for her. You should see my washing pile - no time for chores. And yes, we missed group today as baby is not well.....had I had another mindee outside of this family (as I will in Jan), how unfair would it have been to keep them at home because of baby being too ill. I'm much more flexible than a nursery and I take them if they are fit for normal activities, even if got a cold, but I shouldn't be taking them when they are this poorly. And don't worry about your mis-understanding of childminders......I didn't have a clue til I registered

OP posts:

dustystar · 02/10/2007 15:50

lisalisa - I might get a bit of washing up done when i jst have a baby and he's sleeping but otherwise housework tends to wait until minded children are gone. I do sometimes take them shopping but only the ones that enjoy it. Since OFSTED took over the rules about childminding have become stricter than ever. I wouldn't say I'm the same as a nursery and like Looney I am quite flexible but i do plan daily activities for the children and go to toddler groups etc.

Looney @ no shoes!

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 15:56

no socks or tights for either of them and yes, no shoes for the toddler. Luckily I had spare socks for them both, oh and a raincoat for the older one as no coats either.

Gosh....I feel really sick and still can't eat. Will go and make a quick cuppa whilst I wait for her to arrive - why am I so scared???? This is MY house and MY business!

OP posts:

dustystar · 02/10/2007 15:59

Looney this is my sickness and infectious illness policy.

Childminders cannot care for a child with a notifiable infectious disease and certain other illnesses. The basic rule is: A child should stay in his/her own home until he/she is fit and well. For some illnesses there is a minimum amount of time that a child must be excluded from contact with other people (see below). If the child becomes ill whilst in my care, the parents will be contacted and asked to take the child home. This does not necessarily include everyday mild coughs, colds and sniffles, but will include any occasion when the child develops a fever and/or is obviously distressed or feeling unwell. This is necessary to prevent the spread of infection to other children in my care and is also in the best interests of the unwell child. I appreciate your co-operation in this matter.

I then have a list of the infectious diseases excluded for plus the duration of exclusion. At the bottom the parents sign and date a copy to put in my file.

MaureenMLove · 02/10/2007 16:00

Keep up the positive thoughts! YOUR HOUSE, YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR RESPONSIBILY IS TO GIVE THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE TO ALL THE CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF ONE OF THEM IS ILL.

I'm shouting to give you positive vibes!

dustystar · 02/10/2007 16:01

Good luck

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 16:05

That's great dusty, thanks

MML - thanks for that, I seriously do need you lot to help me with this as without you I'd be 'yes mam, no mam, 3 bags full mam!'

OP posts:

saltire · 02/10/2007 16:12

This mother, she doesn't have a sister in Fife does she? because you could be describing my old mindee1's mother. She never sent socks or shoes, forgot food, forgot to drop him off once and drove all the way to work, if he was ill she would still send him, then be surprised when I called her to collect him!

Original poster

looneytune · 02/10/2007 16:13

Yes, I've had baby with no milk and food before and so had to go shopping!

OP posts:

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