Do I send DS to childminders tomorrow or get my Mum to look after him ?

[rookiemum]

I am looking for a bit of advice on this. Our DS 18mths is never sick, this is the first time.

He has had a cough and is listless atm he is sleeping, I also think he is teething with his back teeth, the really painful ones. He is off his food but is eating a bit and doesn't have a temperature.

I am working tomorrow and I really can't take the day off as there is an important meeting in the morning ( and yes I do realise nothing is as important as my DS before I get flamed but it is a very very bad day for me to be off). My DH is a contractor so if someones going to stay off it really has to be me. My mum could come through and look after him if required but its an hours drive each way and she is looking after him on Friday already.

What do CMs think ? He hasn't got a temperature but he is not himself and has a cough, would you be annoyed if someone dropped their child off in that condition ?
I respect our CM and she does a fantastic job so I don't want to put her in an awkward position.

Thanks

i would not be annoyed if someone dropped child off like that its a cold u cant keep him off everytime he has a COLD.I HAVE HAD PARENTS NOT TELL ME KIDS BEEN UP ALL NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURE and still dropped off.y dont u ring her and ask her what she thinks good luck

I think I will ring her thanks, I'm getting the feeling today that its mostly because of teething. I just think we have been incredibly luckly so far that he has been so healthy, he certainly slept fine last night and is actually less active than normal just wants lots of cuddles.

Will he be happy with the CM if he's not well? I find that generally my ds wants mummy or daddy when he's off colour. I appreciate the difficulty when you've got an important meeting, but your dh could take the day off at a push. Okay, he loses a day's pay but such is life.

How many other kids will the CM be minding tomorrow? Will she have time to give him cuddles?

Every working mum's dilemma I know but surely if he is unwell he needs to be looked after by somebody who can give him undivided attention - not sure a childminder could do this. If it is really impossible for either of you to take a day off work then I would ask grandma.

Those are reasonable questions tribpot. She has another baby who is about 10months and two other children that are mostly in nursery for the day. DS loves being there as he had settling in sessions from when he was about 8mths and she would give him as much cuddling as she could.

I know its life that parents need to take off time when their children are ill, its just the borderline aspect of it I was questioning, if he was badly ill, important meeting or not I wouldn't hesitate to take the time off, but he is just a bit off colour, not as happy as usual with no temperature iyswim.

Just a quicky as off to Dr's in a mo........I personally think it's down to how happy/miserable he is. I've had babies come with terrible colds, terrible chesty coughs but are happy in themselves. When they are miserable and clearly just want their mum etc, I wouldn't expect them to attend tbh (but this is with me having my hard hat on as I've been totally taken for a ride and told off for trying to send a very poorly baby home with temp on 39.9!!! )

Can I just add that for most of us it's half time therefore there wouldn't be nursery. Therefore the CM may have them all day (or not at all if term time only).

Why don't you phone CM and see if she will take him. Then go into work - explain how ill Ds is, say you have come in for the meeting because you know how important it is but that you will have to leave afterwards. Then go back and look after Ds for the rest of the day or take him home early for some TLC.

I have phoned CM and explained situation and she is happy to take him tomorrow. He actually seems a bit happier now anyway and had a wee play in the play area.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Pleased it's sorted

Glad he's feeling a bit better. My questions were definitely not intended as a criticism of you; my ds has been a bit off colour recently (also teething/cold related) and I had to be in the office today, it's just the way things go sometimes. Of course if he had been seriously ill I would have prioritised him too.

Thanks tribpot.

We are just spoiled because DS has (touch wood) always been really well, so much so that I genuinely didn't know wether it was wrong not to be with him tomorrow or not. However as I said he has brightened up a bit and I feel better for phoning the CM and making sure she was ok with it.