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View Full Version : chicken pox - close or not?



butterfly
12-08-2008, 07:32 PM
i understand that i cannot except any ill child in to my care however... what do i have to do if it's my own child? my son has chicken pox - am i right in thinking i can still except children if the parents have been notified and are fine with it? he's not actually that ill with it and i feel it would be fine to have other children.

Dragonfly
12-08-2008, 07:40 PM
I would say if you wouldnt take a child with chicken pox (some would, some wouldnt) you shouldnt have children there if your child has it.

Having said that you are contagious before you have the spots, and around here it is up to the individual childminder what she does.All my mindees have had it and some keep them away till the spots dry up, usually about five days(or the ones that show!!!). If your parents are okay with their children coming to you when your son has it, that is fine. Someone is going to disagree with me I can feel it in me water!::panic:

RachelE
12-08-2008, 07:40 PM
Personally, I would still mind.

I'd let all the parents know asap and if they dont want their child there then, maybe offer an alternative? (reduced fee, other minder?)

Some parents might not want their child there if they are about to go on holiday etc.

Personally, I wouldnt mind as my child hasnt had it yet and needs to get it at some point. (but not tis week as I go on hol on Saturday!!)

Chances are if your child has it, they've probably got it anyway, just not come out in the spots.

Rachel x

Heaven Scent
12-08-2008, 08:37 PM
I didn't let a baby come who had it because when the mum rang and told me he had it and to check if I could take him I rang around all the parents and asked if the children had it and just 1 didn't so he couldn't come as my understanding is that the must stay away until all the spots have crusted over because of the risk to pregnant mums in the early stages and as they often don't know they are pregnant at this stage I err on the side of caution -it has always been this way wherever I've worked.

That was the last day I worked before I went on holiday and as they didn't come they didn't pay me and when they came on the Thursday and Fri when I got back they just paid me for that week and not the Thursday he couldn't come - I was closed on the Fri. I did give the mum an envelope with some invoices and receipts in that they keep forgetting to take from the notice board and the invoice for that day was in there.

The then when the dad dropped the child off last Thurs he told me that the mums dad had died and funeral was on Fri and mum would be taking C with her and could they swop Fri to Mon for this week as his mum who usually has C on a Mon's was going on hols - they are a lovely family so what could I say. I just wish they realised that they need to pay for the chicken pox day.

I'll just have to let it go and hope it doesn't happen again as they will soon be getting my new prospectus/portfolio for EYFS.

Chatterbox Childcare
12-08-2008, 08:50 PM
This is a hard one.

Is your son clingy and maybe needs your 100% attention.

Are you happy to have the childminded children if they have got chicken pox?

I for one would be happy to go with it but get it in writing from the parents.

Debbie

bubbly
12-08-2008, 09:08 PM
We all had chicken pox here in April. I came down with it first and was too ill to mind. Therefore the minded kids stayed home.

My doctor told me there was no medical reason why the minded kids shouldn't come to me as long as I felt up to it, which I didn't. The kids returned when I was better but then my own 7 year old caught it. I informed the parents (both my minded kids are from the same family) who decided not to send their kids because they didn't want to risk baby catching it (the 4 year old had already had it when younger but she stayed home too just in case she passed it to baby). To cut a long story short, baby caught it anyway.

My doctor told me it's best to catch it during childhood as you get it much milder than in adulthood. I was 40 when I caught it and it was bl**dy agony. I was in so much pain I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Gherkin
12-08-2008, 09:34 PM
Both my ds and dd had it in Oct/Nov last year. A mindee had it at same time and I let her come. Other mindees had all had it so they all came.

Minstrel
13-08-2008, 08:06 AM
Unfortunatly its a bit like a cold.
Everyone usually gets it at some point even if you try to avoid anyone who has it.
It affects everyone differently some can be very ill, even reports of death.

It can also be bad for woman in last few weeks of pregnancy too as babies can catch it and be born with it and make them very ill.

fionamal
13-08-2008, 08:17 AM
When my 2 had it last easter hols I gave the parents the choice to either come or keep their kids away but by the monday when they were to come another 2 of them already had got it so by the end of the week all of my 6 kids had had it .

Alibali
13-08-2008, 08:25 AM
If the children have all been together before the spots come out they've been in contact during the infectious stage anyway, so if the children are all well enough to join in normal activities and the parents are happy for them to come I wouldn't have a problem with it. Sometimes they are a bit under the weather for the first few days so may need a one to one but otherwise kids usually just get on with it. My 3 under 5s all had them at the same time last year so they all still came to me as my own kids had already had them.

Hope ds is well.

littletreasures
13-08-2008, 05:19 PM
I would let the parent's decide. Say you will be open. The kids were probably exposed to it anyway.

My kids are older and have all had it, the 2 mindees I have who are brother and sister haven't had it. Their parents don't have anyone to look after their kids except me and as they are teachers find it difficult to have time off. If they get it I have said as long as they are not really ill I ill still look after them, and as long as I haven't got any other mindees.

LisaH
13-08-2008, 08:04 PM
I still had all my mindees when my youngest had chicken pox last year.

By the time you realise they have it the other kids have probably already caught it!! :)

miffy
13-08-2008, 08:34 PM
I would leave it to the parents to decide whether they wanted to send their children or not

Miffy xx