just sent child home

[geraldine72]

can anyone help i've just had hard time off of a dad because i sent his child home after trying to get hold of since 9am this morning. she was sick and really ill, she said she'd been sick during the night although parents didn't inform. i left a message on their answering machine saying that we had to be extra careful as this can be sign of start of swine flu. he said that him and child's mum had never heard of this and they're going to call nhs24 to see if i'm talking rubbish. i feel so insulted and am beginning to doubt myself. at end of day she shouldn't have been here anyway i sometimes wonder why we do this job!:mad:

[Blaze]

If you pm me your email address I'll sent you the HPA list of exclusions for schools & early years settings...vomitting is a 48 hour exclusion period from last bought - that should reassure both you & parent! :angry: on your behalf at this parent's attitude!:mad:

[cuffleygirl]

Take no notice of Dad - you did the right thing - swine flu or not a vomitting child has to go home! Dad would have been equally hacked off if you had to have time off next week as you'd been vomitting/swine flu due to infection!

[Alibali]

How naughty of them not to have told you the child had been sick, they obviously know about exclusions for vomitting or else they would have told you surely? Swine flu or not, vomitting is a 48 hr exclusion.

Hope you don't get sick (((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))))

[Blaze]

All sent!:thumbsup: :)

[Cazz]

Well what a lovely sympathetic parent - NOT!! :angry:

You definetly did the right thing by sending the child home - I hope you don't come down with it but if you do it'll serve him right if he has to take more time off work.

[keatingschick]

I know this is dragging up a thread but not been on for a while.

Totally agree with the points made, and I think thats something that parents dont think of when sending their children ill....the fact that a week later you might be ringing them ALL and saying "sorry I cant work I am sick".

I had a problem just before Xmas, I look after 3 under 5's and tbh they were all coming in "not 100%" a couple of times I had to ask parents to collect them early because they really weren't fit to be with me -and my sickness policay states that I am a "well child setting" (explaining that its not fair to the child, or the other children in the setting).

2 of the children I mind were particularly NOT WELL - they each took off a day but came back the day after alot better (the parents words obviously)...but they were not better and went downhill rapidly. When I handed one over to the parent I told her how he had been and said he really wasnt well and she decided to take him to the doctors - I got a call that night saying he had been diagnosed with swine flu. I was mortified because I had been telling ALL of the parents that their children weren't right but had been made to feel I was being a little panicky. I was a little apprehensive as my own daughter is diabetic and illness causes big problems with her, and also we were going away for Xmas and so I didnt want any of us coming down sick.
Anyway I informed all of my parents and was met with mixed reactions. 1 of them I was particularly concerned because he was displaying exactly the same symptoms as the diagnosed child. The mother was a little worried but kept the child off for one day, said he was MUCH BETTER and brought him back :(
Another parent really disappointed me with her attitude, she thought it was ridiculous the parent keeping the child off (the 2nd boy) and her attitude was that they had all been in contact ANYWAY and so if they were gonna get it they were gonna get it!! And continued to send her child.
I was really disappointed at her attitude because I felt it was so inconciderate of EVERYONE....and tbh she is the first one to be "miffed" on the very VERY rare occasion I have had to take time off ill.

When I spoke to the Early Years, and asked if I should exclude the 2nd child who had similar symptoms, I was just told that I must remind the parents of my sickness policy that children MUST be well to attend my setting - but they clearly dont take any notice.

I have decided I am going to re-vamp my sickness policy and tighten my reins.
Sorry for the long post

And Happy New Year to you all
xx

[sarah707]

I know what you mean keatingschick and totally agree with you.

it is a very hard thing to manage, especially when you have parents who feel that they 'must' go to work at all costs.

I am very strict with my sickness policy and regularly remind parents that if I am sick, everyone suffers including them.

Even so I had one parent telling me that he thought my 48 hour sickness exclusion was too long! :rolleyes:

I hope your re-worded policy and new stance work for you :D

[caz3007]

Some years ago, I had a little boy turn up mildly under the weather. Only looked after him, his brother and my own son, so wasnt too bothered. Early afternoon he was much much worse, really high temperature and really lethargic. Rang mum and said he needed collecting. No sign of her, after an hour she rang back and said no one could collect him and she couldnt leave work, so I had to deal with it. I did obviously, spent all afternoon cuddling him. Next day they decided to take him to the docs and the poor little mite had a raging ear infection. I just couldnt understand her not picking him up

[jelly15]

You did the right thing, what a mean dad, poor you and poor LO.

[keatingschick]

I had a parent a few years ago who totally bewildered me.

Picked up the child from nursery and the nursery nurse said she had been umming and ahhing whether to ring me as he just wasnt himself. He came out and he was pale and shivery but very hot - at that point I couldnt understand WHY the school was actually considering ringing ME to get him early and not his mum. Anyway, I took him home, he didnt want to eat and just lay on my sofa covered in a blanket shivering but very hot and really wanted his mum.
I decided to ring her, only at that point discovering that the "emergancy" number she had given me, wasn't working, 1/2 hour later I managed to track her down and she said "what?? do you want me to come and get him?"

"Erm....yes!!" I explained that I had other children and I also had to go out on the school run and he was in no state to be trailed around and stand in the cold waiting at school.

She came - under protest. The day after she brought him to me and THIS is what blew me away. She was quite patronising that a dose of calpol was all it took and that OBVIOUSLY I can't give him Calpol - I explained that I could give Calpol with parental instruction and permission but that it was NOT my place to diagnose a child and decide when they need calpol. (At the end of the day children can deteriorate rapidly and for me to just take it off my own bat to give calpol and then there be something else wrong?? THEN she told me that she gave him a dose of calpol, put him in the back of her car with his duvet and left him on the carpark of her works and just kept looking out of the window to make sure he was ok.

:eek:

[madwoman]

OMG, i am a newly registered childminder but have worked with children for a number of years, it never stops amazing me at what some parents feel is important, and it is not the children x :(

[Ripeberry]

Never heard of swine flu? What a liar!:angry:

[Eskysbabe]

before xmas I had a child who cried for 2 and a half hours before mum would even pick up the phone and it turns out he wa coming down with Croup! She had the cheek to say "This is my time, can't you keep him for another few hours?" the ****** cheek of some people! :angry:

[Kezzle]

THEN she told me that she gave him a dose of calpol, put him in the back of her car with his duvet and left him on the carpark of her works and just kept looking out of the window to make sure he was ok.

:eek:

Some people are not fit to be parents. It's things like this that make me question if i could be a childminder or if i'd loose my rag too quick with idiots like that?

[keatingschick]

Some people are not fit to be parents. It's things like this that make me question if i could be a childminder or if i'd loose my rag too quick with idiots like that?

Totally know what you mean. To be honest I am seriously considering giving up, not been happy for a while, sick to death of the way parents treat me and my home and the way they have no respect whatsoever.

It is very VERY hard to not loose your rag, I'm a person who likes to say whats on my mind and clear the air but very often you have to bite your lip.

Today I've had a child who CLEARLY wasnt well, and I know full well the mum has lied to me, I merely asked how he had been last night/this morning as he wasnt himself AT ALL, but was told rather indignantly that he was "fine and dandy" and that she had been told he had SKIPPED into my house. I was later told by a family member that he didnt seem well earlier and that he looked pale and had been very quiet (not like him AT ALL).
The annoying thing is I am virtually 99.9% certain the mum hasnt been working and yet she STILL seemed reluctant to pick him up sort of DOUBTING what I was saying.

But I was nice and polite when she collected the CLEARLY NOT WELL CHILD even though inside I was :angry:

Yep....all things making me know that I am sort of....making my way towards the door....clearing my desk lol....I'm gonna do the time I have at the moment, but I think its time to leave.

[caz3007]

I was gobsmacked the other day at the school. A mum of a child who is a friend of my DS said that the head had told her she could ignore the 48 hour rule and use her own discretion on sending her child back into school after vomiting. All because they complained about a letter they received about their childs absence and said that it wasnt fair they got the letter when the school wont let the child come back for 48 hours. :eek: :eek: