Stop sending them in!

[JustLikeJasper]

My DS has been in nursery FT for 2 months he has had a cold pretty much since he started and today has been sent home for the 3rd time since he started with a high temperature.

Every morning queuing up to drop off i see kids clearly not well enough to be attending yet parents waving off their poorly kid knowing they are spreading germs!

Why can't parents be responsible and thoughtful of other kids/families when their child is unwell? Yes its a pain being off work and no we don't get paid but FFS stop sending your sick kids in!
Please and thank you 🤪

If my son was off every time he had a cold he would be there about once a month from October to March. D&V yes, a cold, no.

@Dontlickthat oh I don't mean not sending them in with a cold but kids with hacking coughs, conjunctivitis etc

My DD has been in nursery 2 months too and has been exactly the same although we’ve managed to avoid her being sent home so far. Tbh as frustrating as it is they are always going to catch germs when they go into a childcare environment regardless of there being poorly children there or not, they get exposed to all sorts they aren’t used too even just off the toys/equipment etc. Once their immune system strengthens they’ll be grand! Like a PP said it just isn’t practical to keep off for a general cold!

I totally agree, mines just had conjunctivitis and there’s been never ending coughs, colds, d&v.

The problem is that most parents’ workplaces are only sympathetic about time off to a point, and parents are conscious of this. I’m sure they don’t want to send their children in poorly, but I’m also sure that they don’t want their house repossessed because they can’t pay their bills because they’ve lost their jobs either.

I used to work in nurseries and my DD has been almost constantly ill since starting nursery at Easter, so I do understand your frustration, but it’s not realistic to expect children to be kept at home with every illness.

Dd was sick multiple times within her first few months at nursery. The doctor told me it was her immune system building and it would get better, it has a year down the line. I dont send her in if shes not well, I kept her off today for a bad cold because I am lucky my work are flexible. A lot of others don't have that luxury so I kind of understand why some people need to do it, as much as I might not agree with it.

Ours are allowed in with conjunctivitis and we send them since they're generally well in themselves. Not desperate to take unnecessary days off since the work still needs doing!

Does having a cold really strengthen your immune system though? Genuinely interested as DS gets a cold brings it home and gives it to me every time. I have had many colds over the years and still get them. Perhaps I am run down.

@Dinosforall just because they are well in themselves with conjunctivitis doesn't mean they should go in and spread it to other kids, it's not an unnecessary day off with something highly contagious!

Also, most nurseries have relaxed their policies about conjunctivitis following a change in the public health advice a few years ago. It will be in the policies that you should have read and signed to agree to when your child started attending.

@DinoSn0re ive only been at my work for 2 months so still in probation period, I'm so worried taking time off in this time for childcare issues will be taken into consideration at the end of my probation i could loose my job and then wouldn't be able to afford my mortgage, when i get a call saying he needs to be picked up I don't have a choice but if people were a bit more considerate knowing their child is too poorly and not sending them in would help

The NHS advice is that children with conjunctivitis don't need to stay off nursery or school.

I know they are allowed in with conjunctivitis but doesn't make it right 🤷🏻‍♀️

Most illness are most contagious prior to the appearance of symptoms so not sending in symptomatic children isn’t going to do much to hinder the spread of illnesses.

How do you know your kid is catching this stuff from nursery? He could be picking it up anywhere.

Children are often contagious before their symptoms become apparent anyway, so what do you expect the nursery to do? Hose them down with disinfectant every time they step through the door in case they’re germ ridden? The staff will be trained and should easily recognise and send home the children who are too unwell to be there. They will be well used to the process. That’s just nursery life I’m afraid.

I think you’re being unfair judging other parents to be inconsiderate OP. They’re just following the rules and I imagine they’re doing the best they can to cover everything in their lives too.

If those rules don’t suit you, I would suggest getting a nanny so your child can stay at home.

What you're saying only really makes sense if the child in question is 1000% the originator of the illness.

Otherwise all parents are just doing what you are, trying to get by so they can pay their mortgage etc. The rules say conjunctivitis is fine, so they go in if fine in themselves.

If your child had it but was absolutely fine, would you stay indoors and not do food shopping / visiting anyone etc?

A few weeks ago my dd picked up a bug (high temp, cold, bad cough) that she passed to me and dh, which hit us all bad and lasted 10 days.

She picked it up at a parent and toddler group when a little girl cough all over her, I saw it and thought FFS, here we go!! Little girl was at the group with both parents (and siblings). There was absolutely no need for her to be there.

My dd is fortunately pretty tough and this was the first time she had been ill since march. Other children, however have underlying medical conditions, or newborn siblings at risk of hospitalisation with bronchiolitis at this time off year.

We stayed away from any baby/toddler groups or activities for two weeks, so as not to spread it further.

If your child has been sent home for the third time with a temperature, I'd put money on you having sent them in knowing full well your child wasn't in full health

Don’t be daft, the fact that your child has been sent home 3x shows he’s probably spread his illness around at least that many. Bit hypocritical of you, things are contagious before symptoms. It’s unavoidable. If it’s any comfort dd was permanently coldly/awful coughs for pretty much her whole year at nursery but since starting school she has only had 2 days off despite being numerous awful bugs doing the rounds. I do believe they need to catch these things in order to build some resistance.

Nurseries are absolute germ factories...however since my son has started school he has only had 2 illnesses - chicken pox and a stomach bug and he's in year 2 so I think nursery has helped build his immunity!

@Gruffalo45 we always used to find it really interesting that the majority of children going down with high temperatures usually started suffering between 11-12, presumably this would be because it was about 3 to 4 hours after their parents had dosed them up before dropping them off...

@Gruffalo45 @Solihooley i can 100% say i have never sent him in knowing he was poorly, he has been fine all weekend and this morning before he went so getting the call today was a big surprise

@Cyw2018 thank you for being considerate to other families by staying away, it's a shame the original family didn't to avoid you all having to go through that