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Paid childcare

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

Childminder changing rules

121 replies

Mama12345678910 · 28/01/2021 10:37

Hi everyone after some advice and if you know where we stand.

Without notice our childminder has changed her policy to state that if a child has any of the main symptoms such as cough, temp etc they need to get a test and then isolate but also if they have a range of symptoms such as vomiting, runny nose, headache etc!

It then goes on to say that even if my child has a test and tests negative they still need to isolate for 10 days!

Is this even allowed? This wasn’t in the contact we originally signed or policy’s and if my child has to be off every time they have a symptom which could be a symptom of covid he will never be in. I don’t get paid when I have to take time off for him either.

Let me know

OP posts:
Daisypaisy2 · 28/01/2021 14:48

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion it’s not that I’m not aware. MOST children present with NO symptoms or did you choose to forget that part? Because I had Covid and my child was FIND however he may well of had it and I didn’t know because there hasn’t always been testing available.

Can you not humble yourself? Doctors look at chest x rays and so on... there’s no need to include every time some has a cold FFS!!!

Like I said you sound like you work from home or have high school children so it suits you to be OTT. Mean while lots of people are doing risky jobs.

What didn’t I know? Confused

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 14:49

Which is her right but small children get colds and tummy aches and runny noses. She'll have no charges left at all if she's expecting them to be off every time they have any symptom of any illness.

She probably will because these illnesses are not as prevalent at the moment. Even if that is the case, that's her choice.

Daisypaisy2 · 28/01/2021 14:56

[quote jannier]@Daisypaisy2

Have you now read the current guidence for children that was updated by the government or are you going by general media posts?[/quote]
Sorry media posts? Who told you that? It’s all well and good you sitting at home looking from your own point of view.

You have stated your goady opinion and I have given you mine.

MaMaD1990 · 28/01/2021 14:59

She can change her policy to whatever she wants. You protesting how unreasonable it is won't change anything so if it's not something you can work with, give notice and go elsewhere.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 14:59

it’s not that I’m not aware. MOST children present with NO symptoms or did you choose to forget that part?

No, and that's very unfortunate because it creates an even higher risk which is a worry for everyone. Not much you can do in that instance though, unless she shuts her business completely, which she's obviously not doing, so she'sinimising the risk as much as possible.

Because I had Covid and my child was FIND however he may well of had it and I didn’t know because there hasn’t always been testing available.

What do you mean hasn't always been available, it's still not available to people without symptoms. So if your child was FINE, as you put it, why would they test? They still have to isolate because YOU were positive.

Can you not humble yourself? Doctors look at chest x rays and so on... there’s no need to include every time some has a cold FFS!!!

No idea what you are talking about Confused humble myself?
Why would itatter what doctors are doing in hospitals with chest xrays? Weird!

Like I said you sound like you work from home or have high school children so it suits you to be OTT. Mean while lots of people are doing risky jobs.

Well yes, as I already said I work from home looking after other peoles children (I'm a childminder) along with my own children who are both at school, or were. One at high school, one at primary (although not sure what one being at high school has to do with anything. They had higher rates than the primary school Confused). I looked after people's children while they were out doing risky jobs, my partner has quite high risk in his job, my children were at school. I was doing a risky job up until about 6 weeks ago while pregnant Confused so no, it's not convenient for me to be OTT.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:03

*Sorry media posts? Who told you that? It’s all well and good you sitting at home looking from your own point of view.

You have stated your goady opinion and I have given you mine.*

Sorry what was "goady" about jannier's posts? They outlined the guidance which you seemed unaware of.

dementedpixie · 28/01/2021 15:04

Jennifer has posted guidance from the CDC which is American. How does that apply to UK guidance?

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:05

Apparently everyone on this thread who doesn't agree with you @Daisypaisy2 is sitting at home locked in their houses taking no risks at all.

dementedpixie · 28/01/2021 15:05

Jannier not Jennifer!

canigooutyet · 28/01/2021 15:06

Don't schools have similar guidelines - if symptoms and no test, stay at home.

And who sends their vomiting child to mingle with other people in the first place? Cannot get over she had to actually mention this

Hopefully more places will also stamp out the stupidness of dosing kids up with calpol when they have a temperature and sending them off to childminders, nurseries, schools etc.

ivfbeenbusy · 28/01/2021 15:13

I'd look for a new childminder - it's unreasonable and unrealistic to expect a child to be kept home for 10 days after a negative test. She can set whatever rules she likes obviously but in my experience some childminders act like they have parents backed in to a corner as they know we rely on them and just expect you to put up with these sort of things. She can make the rules but you are also free to find a new childminder

Mama12345678910 · 28/01/2021 15:22

@canigooutyet I never said I would send my vomiting child there I would keep him off for 48hours after he was last sick. As I’ve stated I don’t have a problem with that. I have a problem with her expecting him to stay off even after a negative test for 10 days and if he isn’t entitled to a test e.g vomiting because it is not a recognised symptom by our government then he still has to isolate for 10 days!

Also schools have to go off government guidance not their own so a school would be unable to put this in place

OP posts:
MaMaD1990 · 28/01/2021 15:29

@Mama12345678910 you clearly feel like she is being unreasonable. What else are you wanting from this thread? You seem to just be repeating yourself an awful lot. Either crack on with the childminders new change in policy or find a new childminder.

Ineedsleepzz · 28/01/2021 15:34

She sounds ridiculous.
I would go elsewhere.

Sounds like she wants a bit of time off!

Same4Walls · 28/01/2021 15:37

Sounds like she wants a bit of time off!

I have to agree it will certainly make her lofe easier. If she's expecting a child with any symptom to not come in for 10 days she's going to have a large part of each month with hardly any children.

canigooutyet · 28/01/2021 15:43

I never said you did. I questioned why people do it for it to be mentioned in the first place.

The guidelines don't mention if they have a negative. If they have symptoms for 10 days

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures#risk-assessments-and-individuals-with-protected-characteristics

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:46

Jennifer has posted guidance from the CDC which is American. How does that apply to UK guidance?

I suppose covid symptoms are the same everywhere really.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:50

And who sends their vomiting child to mingle with other people in the first place? Cannot get over she had to actually mention this

Honestly, nearly every parent I have ever minded for, and my mum says the same, (she has been a childminder for almost 30 years) does it. Even when you have it as a policy, parents ignore it and pretend they are absolutely fine and withing 10 minutes of coming in the door they have been sick all over the place.

dementedpixie · 28/01/2021 15:51

She implied it was changed guidance in the UK and its not

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:51

[quote Mama12345678910]@canigooutyet I never said I would send my vomiting child there I would keep him off for 48hours after he was last sick. As I’ve stated I don’t have a problem with that. I have a problem with her expecting him to stay off even after a negative test for 10 days and if he isn’t entitled to a test e.g vomiting because it is not a recognised symptom by our government then he still has to isolate for 10 days!

Also schools have to go off government guidance not their own so a school would be unable to put this in place[/quote]
But school can still implement a policy change r new policy at short notice.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 28/01/2021 15:54

@dementedpixie

She implied it was changed guidance in the UK and its not
We don't even know of the OP is in the UK for sure.
Maryann1975 · 28/01/2021 16:11

ScrumptiousBears
My sister had a runny nose and an upset stomach only and she tested positive.
How did she get a test if those were her only symptoms?

I am so fed up of saying on mumsnet posts, just because your LA won’t test with for a runny nose and upset stomach, please don’t assume that all LAs are the same. These have been valid symptoms in my area since beginning of November, we simply tick the box that says ‘my council would like me to be tested’ or something like that.

I can tell that the majority of posters on this thread do not work in early years. Pretty much every yearly years practitioner I know, especially childminders have noticed a massive decrease in common colds and other normal winter viruses. We’ve put it down to all the extra cleaning and hand washing, but also, families just aren’t mixing with others at the weekends, so bugs aren’t getting spread in the same way.

I look after 3 or 4 little ones ever day, we haven’t had a days absence for illness since this started. That has never happened before.

Back to the op, why would you not get your child tested for one of the other symptoms, (sneezing, headache, runny nose etc). To not do this is putting your cm and all the other dc and their families at risk. Why is your need of childcare higher than their need to protect themselves? The only way this virus will be controlled is if people stop it spreading by staying at home and getting tested. Yes, it’s frustrating, but it’s the only way.
The only thing I have a bit of an issue with about what your cm has said is that you need to continue isolating even if you get a negative. Our LA are saying you should only need to continue isolating until the symptoms have gone.

Also, if you don’t like things changing with zero notice, never take a job in education or early years. It seems to be the norm that this happens to us!

Maryann1975 · 28/01/2021 16:14

And who sends their vomiting child to mingle with other people in the first place? Cannot get over she had to actually mention this
You’ve never worked with children have you? This is so common that everyone who has ever worked in education or childcare has come across it. If I had a pound for every time This had happened, I’d be rich!

jannier · 28/01/2021 16:28

Maybe she knows that with so many parents who can't get a nappy on a wriggling baby, can't give medication eye drops or brush teeth its going to be really difficult for them to correctly insert a swab far enough up a nose or to the back of the throat to get an accurate result....most would find it hard myself included.
If a child has a bug it takes time to clear better safe than sorry.

We do know that the symptom list is growing but the UK government don't want to publish early years symptoms and close childcare for very valid reasons. The cdc advises World wide of symptoms and many LAs are saying we should exclude.....by the way the rash is not official guidence, I work with two hospital doctors currently on covid wards and a gp they all agree with this list.

jannier · 28/01/2021 16:35

@Maryann1975

For sure vomiting, chicken pox in hospital all night parents ill with D&V but toddlers sick is just a one off. Dosed on calpol so majically get temperatures 4 hours after arriving and sibling telling you they took medicine. These same people don't care about covid I have a friend who sent one home for a temperature to then find out both parents were already supposed to be isolating as had tested positive 3 days earlier. She went down with covid and ended up in hospital. How can you trust a parent you know has already lied in the past.