if LO not well enough for school surely he is not well enough for CM?

[Numberfour]

mum wants to drop him over later.

I am fairly suprised by the reactions here
I mean yes of course it depends and if the child is REALLY sick then no the childminder shouldnt HAVE to have them.

But yesterday, for example, DS was up half the night with a cough and so slept late and I didnt send him to school because he didnt wake up till 9.15 -9.30 even with me trying at 7.30.

He went to my mum who had him all day along with my convelescing dad

He basically lay around watching TV for the morning and in the afternoon did jigsaws, and by 1.30 was probably fine for school, but my mum saw no point.

He wasnt contagious or holding anyone back just a bit tired. I would have been a bit suprised if a child minder hadnt agreed to do some extra hours to have him if I used childminder

the flip side of this is if you send your sick child to a childminder they may infect other children and if like has just happened to me they infect your childminders children your childminder can not work so you may end up taking more time off than if you had just kept your sick child home to start with. Also why should younger children miss their groups etc so the childminder can let your sick child stay on the sofa sick children should not be sent

Dreamteamgirl, it would depend on the childminder and on his or her routine for that day. For example, today, where I am it was wet and mushy and general unpleasant outside, but I had a school run consisting of one drop off at the school, 4 children to be collected and then one dropped off at home. if the LO was feeling really grim, that would not have been a pleasant outing - even if the child was only extremely tired.

the main answer to this dilemma that crops up time and again is: It All Depends!

Dreamteamgirl - but if he had gone to the childminder he wouldn't have been able to lie around watching TV all day. He might have had to go on school runs, to toddler group, the park. If he was fit to do that then the cm probably wouldn't mind.

I am really shocked by Shiney's response. A childminder provides childCARE they are not a nurse nor a substitute for parents when the child is ill. surely if your child is ill then you'd want to stay with them - care and comfort for them. Its a PARENT's job first and foremost to CARE and NURSE their own sick child.

Lots of responses saying that its unreasonable and unfair to expect a childminder to mind a sick child (and yes that depends on how ill/type of ill) - a childminder has other children to care for and a responsibility to those children and families, there is also the responsibility towards her own family and not least - ensuring that she stays fit and well to be able to carry on minding and providing a service.
I know when a parent insisted on sending their child to me when they were ill(well pretending that their LO wasn't ill) - S&D - it ended up going round my family and i had to close my business for 10 days (large family) resulting in 3 other families having S&D as well not to mention having to find alternative care and my huge loss of income - all because of this one very inconsiderate family. I felt like billing them for my loss of earnings - which was considerable.

As for taking a schoolie who is too ill to be in school - then absolutely not. If it was caring for a child with a broken leg for example - then yes, but if they are too ill to be in school then they are too ill to be with me.

Charges - if I close the setting no charge, if I am open and you are not using the service as contracted - you pay

pippin26 i know exactly what you mean what amazes me is the grief from parents like that when you say you can't work because your children have caught whatever illness they came to you with

I had to laugh at this comment
'He basically lay around watching TV for the morning and in the afternoon did jigsaws, and by 1.30 was probably fine for school, but my mum saw no point.'

Do you really think thats what happens at a childminders house!!!!

If a child came to me not well enough for school but mum wanted him to rest, it would mean he would first have to go to a toddler group,an active start session or a music group.He may have to go for a walk in the woods etc why should the other children stay at home just because one child needed to rest.
I may not have space in the car, it also may take me over safe numbers if the child normally is at school.Why presume a childminder should take the child if they are not well enough for school.
He would get to rest in the afternoon but by then he would have been begging to go to school!!

it is nice to have a cm who will take them though. i never expect mine to but she does. she's ace and the reason why I can actually hold down a job rather than being unreliable and have to take time off all the time

i have had children with me who have had sniffles and colds, ear infections even.

One little one of under 2 was dropped off by mum who asked that we stay indoors and as she started to leave, her son curled up on the carpet and lay with his head on the floor. once she had left, I tried to pick him up to comfort him but he did not want me. i had to call mum to come and fetch him - there is no ways he should have come to me. mum was so upset because she was due to go on maternity leave soon and did not have any leave left. it was a horrible situation but that child should not have been with me at all, poor thing.

but then this week i have had a little one with a cold. it really does depend on the illness, the childminder's own situation and the responsibility that the childminder has to her own family and the other children she minds.

Sanfairyanne, I can see where your coming from with regards to being reliable etc,
but
Im a childminder, This is my JOB, it also goes towards paying the Bills and our Mortgage.
I do not get paid if I have to take time off work because I am ill or my own kids are ill.

I have had to take time off work recently, UNPAID, because a parent had thoughtlessly brought their child to me without telling me, said child had been ill in the night!
V & D. The other mindees and my family caught it!!

I had took take time off to look after me and mine, so all in all she had to find childcare for several days, longer than if the child had been kept at home for 48 hours to recuperate.

I hope this reply doesnt sound to harsh, but it really is annoying when parents dont see beyond the loop, iykwim.