CM Club - what do you do when you suspect possible bug but it's not clear cut???

[looneytune]

I hate all this stuff, it's really starting to do my head in!

I had one parent who used to always send her children in when had a bug but would hide things or make excuses as why they have a runny nappy or whatever. I loved the kids but gave notice as we had one heated conversation when I was pregnant which made it VERY clear that because I'm one single childminder, she felt she could mess me about. I promised myself I would not let this sort of thing happen again. I now have 4 lovely families and non of them seem the sort to intentially mess me about.....however.....they clearly don't want to take time off work if don't have to so sometimes certain things are difficult.

For example......on Wednesday one of my mindees had 3 VERY pale and smelly stools, all were slightly looser than normal for her but last one particularly made me concerned. Mum arrived at point of changing her and did agree looked/smelt odd but then she said she put her on cow's milk this week (history of intollerance) so this she thought was down to that. I believe she thought this and I'd agreed that could be the reason and she seemed absolutely fine in herself so she came as normal yesterday. No stools throughout the day but at dinnertime, she was sick so then it was clear it's more likely a bug. Mum was already on the way home so she went home as usual and I don't have her today.

Well, another mindee had a loose stool yesterday making her bottom very red and then at drop off today, I was told that she'd had another very loose stool during the night/this morning and her bottom was sore. This mindee DOES get looser stools as has lots of fruit so it's harder to know whether or not she's likely to have a bug. When I said to parent that IF she had another one here that looks looser than normal then I'd have to send home. He seemed surprised and said that she gets like this and probably because at the end of a cold. This is another lovely family but all this stuff makes things awkward.

How on earth are we supposed to know whether or not to send home in these situations? It could be something or could be nothing??? It was more awkward because I'd sent her home one day this week as had sticky eye and looked like conjunctivitis.

I'm just starting to feel like a bit of a pushover again but if I get these things, I HAVE to close therefore affecting everyone's childcare and my income

So, anyone else have these borderline situations where it's hard to know what to do? If so, how do you deal with it?

TIA

Bumpity bump

I have a three nappies in a session strike and out rule.

Or one sickness and out.

I always say to parents, would they rather take a couple of days to make sure or, a week while I close for it to go through my family?

I say to parents that I have a duty to other mindees and their families to provide a healthy environment. Where a situation is not specified in my sickness/exclusion policy or on the HPA guidance then I HAVE NO CHOICE but to err on the side of caution and ask that the parents collect their child and keep at home until the symptoms have cleared. I am not a doctor, my first aid course has its limitations!

I need to be as sure as I can be that a child poses no risk to babies and other mindees in my care, or their families who may include vulnerable people such as pregnant mums, people undergoing chemo etc. But while there is any room for doubt, the child must stay away.

I had a parent who insisted they'd been to GP who had said the child was "absolutely fine", just a "mild case". I asked if she'd told the GP she was bringing ds to a childminder where there were babies and toddlers? She hadn't. So I said I'd have to phone the surgery and get official confirmation for my records that there wasn't any risk to the other mindees. She kept him at home.

hi,same thing is happening to me as well these days but parent is keep making ridiculous excuses,
yesterday mindee done runny ones (5 times)
but parent said it normal.

3 poops and you're out here! and 2 x sick - once can be excused sometimes if coughing etc, 2 isn't usually anything other than a bug.
I still have same probs esp similar to above re possible dairy intolerances. With this child although it's not confirmed nor are parents seemingly bothering to get to bottom of it ( no pun intended!!) I will only exclude this one if there is a known bug going round or if he seems unwell in other ways alongside the runny nappies.

As been said it's all well and good inconvenienceing parents but if we get it we have to close down affecting EVERYONE and also probably lose income.

One runny poop, sent home, one sick, sent home. I don't have any children with dairy intolerance so I can usually be pretty sure I am doing the right thing and of course I know what their poops are usually like.

One sick and home

Two squits and home