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Rainy
21-07-2008, 05:29 PM
A few months ago my full time mindee came to me on a tuesday morning as usual. He was his normal happy self but his mum phoned me at lunch time to see if he was ok because she said he had been sick in the night. I was really annoyed because this hadn't been mentioned at the start of the day and i told her she should have mentioned it. She said she didn't realise it was a bug until her husband had come down with it the day after. As he was fine i said well as he's already here he might as well stay because i had already been exsposed to the bug. Anyway come Thursday i went down with it too, i told mum i wasn't happy and in future she must keep him home.

Well, today he has come and has been absolutely fine, ..............you can see where this is going can't you.

She picked him up at 5pm and said has he been ok because he was sick twice yesterday.

I am so p***** off, i am meant to be going on holiday on Saturday and the chances are that i will get it and then probably pass it on to my son.

How do i deal with this, i have tried telling her to keep him home but she seems to think as he's not being sick the next day he's not contagious. She doesn't bother to tell me about until after he has been in my care. Last week i gave her a load of new updated policies to sign (including sickness) but she still doesn't seem to take any notice. She is also a teacher so she must be aware about keeping sick kids at home.

I really want to give notice but this is my full time one and i can't afford too.

I have thought about writing her a letter telling her how unhappy i am and if it happens again i will be given notice. What do you think ?

fishbones1
21-07-2008, 06:01 PM
I would explain again that if her child is sick more than once in a day that he needs to be away from you and your setting for 24 hours as the same in most schools!!!

I would probably write her a letter about it as you hav suggested, then if it happens again then discuss possible notice if she still doesn't follow your policies as this is exactly why they are in place in the first place. She should also know this from school as teachers are always complaining in my school if pupils are sick.

sarah707
21-07-2008, 06:02 PM
Poor you, that's not fair, I hope you don't catch this one.

I'm not sure which way would be best to go - a letter might make her think twice but it might also set her against you so she starts looking for somewhere else to go.

I wonder if a request for an urgent meeting would work better? Rather than quick chats at the beginning and end of the day, ask her to sit down and talk to you about it ... find out whether she's actually read the policies you gave her to sign and show her the HPA guidance which states 48 hours.

Hth xx

Rainy
21-07-2008, 06:35 PM
Thanks guys, I have typed up this letter although i am not sure if i am going to send it yet. I have put a ????? in place of names. What do you think.



Dear ?

I am writing this letter regarding ?????? sickness on Sunday.

As you know he was absolutely fine with me on Monday and showed no signs of having a sickness bug but as he was sick on Sunday he would still have been contagious.

I appreciate that you and ?????? have to work and it is difficult to get time off but I also have to work and I have a responsibility to other parents as well as yourselves. If either myself or ?????? catch this bug off ?????? then I will have to close my business for at least 48 hours making it very difficult for you and any other children’s parents that I care for.

This has happened on a previous occasion when ??????? had been sick in the night, you sent him to me the next day and didn’t tell me he had been sick until after I had minded him for four hours. I did catch this bug on this occasion and was quite poorly. You said that time that you wasn’t sure he had a bug but really you should have kept him home just in case.

Again, on Monday you say you think it was because he had eaten too much sweet stuff but as no-one can be sure he should have been kept home just in case.

According to HPA guidance, if anyone has sickness or diarrhoea they should stay away from childcare/school/work etc until they have been clear for 48 hours. I am aware that this is difficult with work commitments and I am prepared to make it 24 hours clear as stated in my policies.

I am asking in future if ?????? has any type of illness, that I am informed before he is brought to me that day giving me the option as to whether I am prepared to care for him or not.

I Love looking after ?????? and I am not trying to be difficult but I am running a business and I need to follow guidelines and keep my business open.



Yours Sincerely


???????????

mrsb
21-07-2008, 06:39 PM
That sounds like a very good letter, professional but friendly as well. I hope you get it sorted, the mum is totally out of order in my opinion:rolleyes:

childminder54
21-07-2008, 06:40 PM
yes very good put hope she does not take it the wrong way and find someone else..

veronicaxx

flora
21-07-2008, 06:41 PM
Good letter, hope it does the job :thumbsup:

Rubybubbles
21-07-2008, 06:41 PM
the letter sounds really good, worded really well

littletreasures
21-07-2008, 07:21 PM
I think your letter sounds really good.

Hope Mum will understand from reading that that she really must keep child at home.

littletreasures

Gherkin
21-07-2008, 07:27 PM
I think your letter sounds very reasonable.

The only thing I would say though that if business is tight in your area sending a letter appears very formal. Maybe organise a mutually convenient time for you to discuss the issue and hold the letter back until you really need it.

I'm probably just being captain cautious.

Rainy
21-07-2008, 07:45 PM
I think your letter sounds very reasonable.

The only thing I would say though that if business is tight in your area sending a letter appears very formal. Maybe organise a mutually convenient time for you to discuss the issue and hold the letter back until you really need it.

I'm probably just being captain cautious.

You are probably right, i wasn't sure whether to send the letter or not. I should have said all this when she told me he had been sick but i was so shocked i just stood there and went "oh".
Part of me thinks i should just leave it and keep my mouth shut unless i do go down with it but then she will only do it again the next time.

I don't want to fall out with her and i love the little boy, he is so good and i'm scared that if i p*** her off she will cancel contract. I think she knows this though, i am a single mother and she know's she is my main source of income. I am her second childminder too as she gave the first one notice because she wasn't happy.

Maybe i will just give her another copy of my sickness policy and say she must follow this in future.

Polly2
22-07-2008, 07:17 AM
Just an idea - maybe you could print off the HPA guidance and give it to her "for reference" Of course she should know this already but it might just give her a bit of a kick iyswim!

angeldelight
22-07-2008, 07:30 AM
I agree with Sarah

I would not give a letter - although your letter is good

Some parents can read things different to how you mean them and she might go really funny and you dont want to risk that

I would do what Sarah suggested and have a meeting with her so you can explain to her about your sickness policy

Good luck keep us posted

Angel xx

emma04
22-07-2008, 07:54 AM
I think the letter is a good idea. I am fed up of tip toeing around parents like they are made of egg shell.......... They take the pi** because they think childminding is NOT a proper business and that all of the rules and policies we put together are just about us being petty and trying to look official! Many parents totally under estimate the work we do and think that cos they're paying us we should do as they tell us! Teachers are the worst!!!!
Sorry for digressing into a rant, but this situation is far too common.

(up to you about the letter, the above is just my opinion after a bad morning!!! SORRY! x ):mad:

Pudding Girl
22-07-2008, 08:00 AM
I'd not give a letter tbh, I would demand a meeting and hand them ANOTHER copy of sickness policy and exclusion table and say that they really HAVE TO ADHERE to it as it puts you at risk and your family, not to mention other mindees.

I would also point out that it is important to trust what each other is telling you and to continue working with them you have to be sure that trust is in place.

TBH if this situation occurred again I would give notice.

wendywu
22-07-2008, 08:03 AM
No i would not give the letter either i prefer face to face. In the 11 years minding i have never had a situation turn nasty and end in termination of the contract. I have always sorted it out in person.:panic:

Rainy
22-07-2008, 12:35 PM
I have decided not to give the letter, i had typed that while i was still feeling angry and have calmed down a bit now. I have him again today and he is fine. I have just put him to bed and as i am sitting here typing this my stomach is starting to gurgle so looks like i am going down with it. My sons friend is meant to be coming to tea tonight then they have school disco. Tomorrow i don't have any mindees but i have a hospital appointment which i will now have to cancel and also i am booked into hairdresser to get rid of my grey roots in time for my holiday on Saturday.

I have decided to give her yet another copy of my sickness policy (this will be the forth one in 1 year)

At least if i am going down with it today i will be fine for my holiday, i just hope DS doesn't get it too.

Also if i am getting it now i will go sick on Thursday (he is the only mindee i have that day) making it difficult for her then perhaps she will think twice next time.

Forgot to say apparently Dad came home early from work yesterday as he didn't feel good.

Thanks for your advice

ChocolateChip
22-07-2008, 10:20 PM
I understand that it's difficult to confront people and to lose income but it sounds like she is taking the mickey, and should know better. Can't help wondering why she left other minder- she would also have to follow the same policy with any other minder worth her/his salt so stick to your guns on this one.
Hope you are not ill or spoiling your holiday!

Trouble
22-07-2008, 10:29 PM
everytime you give her a letter double it and give her one personally and with the other tell her to date it and sign it and give it back to you their and then so that the next time you can say yes you do know and this is proof

i think she is pushing it now.

if you get it i would ring in sick to her everytime and she might realize when she keeps being off work what the point is, or i would be tempted to say if you want to send him in sick you will pay the other mindees payments as they will have to be off, so someone has to pay

Rainy
23-07-2008, 11:53 AM
Well, slight false alarm yesterday. After having a grumbly tummy yesterday afternoon and having to rush to the Loo (sorry if that's a bit graphic) i have been fine since. I managed to keep hospital appointment this morning and i am going to hairdresser in 1/2 hour for a bit of pampering.

When mindee's mum picked up last night i gave her a complete new set of policies and asked her to read them over again.

Hopefully i have managed to escape this bug but last time i caught it off him it took 2 1/2 days to come out so there is still time yet. :panic:


Good idea about doing a double letter rascal, The thing is she knows i'm p***** off and i don't think she will bother telling me at all if it happens again, then if i get a bug she will say i must have caught it somewhere else.

Chocolatechip - i am thinking the same thing about her leaving other CM. She said it was because she always seemed to have a house full of people and they were all sitting down watching the telly (including CM) and her DS wasn't getting attention. Maybe the CM had given her notice.

Bushpig
23-07-2008, 11:59 AM
I think a letter/email is needed in this case, with you getting it in writing back from her... that she will adhere to your business policies (as she has signed...). You need to get it in writing. Also, I would add in the dates these occurances happened.

I am sure you both have a good enough relationship to deal with this issue and not let it harm your future partnership as childminder and parent :)

cloud9
23-07-2008, 02:05 PM
A few months ago my full time mindee came to me on a tuesday morning as usual. He was his normal happy self but his mum phoned me at lunch time to see if he was ok because she said he had been sick in the night. I was really annoyed because this hadn't been mentioned at the start of the day and i told her she should have mentioned it. She said she didn't realise it was a bug until her husband had come down with it the day after. As he was fine i said well as he's already here he might as well stay because i had already been exsposed to the bug. Anyway come Thursday i went down with it too, i told mum i wasn't happy and in future she must keep him home.

Well, today he has come and has been absolutely fine, ..............you can see where this is going can't you.

She picked him up at 5pm and said has he been ok because he was sick twice yesterday.

I am so p***** off, i am meant to be going on holiday on Saturday and the chances are that i will get it and then probably pass it on to my son.

How do i deal with this, i have tried telling her to keep him home but she seems to think as he's not being sick the next day he's not contagious. She doesn't bother to tell me about until after he has been in my care. Last week i gave her a load of new updated policies to sign (including sickness) but she still doesn't seem to take any notice. She is also a teacher so she must be aware about keeping sick kids at home.

I really want to give notice but this is my full time one and i can't afford too.

I have thought about writing her a letter telling her how unhappy i am and if it happens again i will be given notice. What do you think ?


Unfortunaltly if she is not telling you until the end of the day there isn't alot you can do. However i would write another letter but explain that if you come down with the same bug that her child has had within 7 days of the child coming and exposing you to it, she will be liable to pay for your loss of earnings as a direct result of her not adhering to the sickness policy. She may then become a bit more co-operative if she thinks she will have to pay for it, and if she does phone and tell you in the middle of the day, tell her she must pick the child immediately!

Rainy
23-07-2008, 06:08 PM
Unfortunaltly if she is not telling you until the end of the day there isn't alot you can do. However i would write another letter but explain that if you come down with the same bug that her child has had within 7 days of the child coming and exposing you to it, she will be liable to pay for your loss of earnings as a direct result of her not adhering to the sickness policy. She may then become a bit more co-operative if she thinks she will have to pay for it, and if she does phone and tell you in the middle of the day, tell her she must pick the child immediately!


Thats a good idea saying i will charge her loss of earnings. He is only with me tomorrow and friday then on holiday until 1st sept, (term time only contract). I also had two episodes when he had conjunctivitis and she still sent him on one occassion telling me his eyes were clear, one hour later they was muck everywhere so i called her husband home (it took him 1 1/2 hous to get to me and he only works 1/2 hour away.) God they really do take the p*** but i can't afford to lose this job and i don't want to lose mindee either, he is georgous and a pleasure to look after
I can't understand that if her child is ill she would not want to be with him anyway. I wouldn't want my DS anywhere else than with me if he was ill.