I AM SOOO CROSS - SICKNESS POLICY

[brighter]

Hello,

I am soooo cross I can not tell you :angry:

Monday night I felt not great felt really sick (normally get that once a month) and just had a very bad night, thought about callling minding mum and telling her I cannot look after her child but then felt sorry for her and minded him as sickness feeling passed and I felt a cold coming on...

... well she dropped him off as usual told me he had a great night. The child is 13 months and was sick twice yesterday in my care but I didn't think anything of it as small children often have food coming up. The child gets picked up 9 hours later by Dad I told him about him being a bit sicky after food and he said "oh, yes he was sick in the night we had to change the whole bed" :angry:
I do not charge for no shows because I always tell parents I don't want them to feel they have to sent their child because of money but this is just NOT ON!!!! How can you sent a child after it has been vomitting in the night???? What can I do about it??? If they never tell me I never know but I am also taking on another child, is this what working mums do? Do you call them straight back to pick up their child when they are unwell???????

Any help, please.....

I have my own children to think of too otherwise if they all get ill from minding children I am shut for at least a week...

[christine e]

You need to show them your sickness policy again and draw their attention to the bit about sickness and the d word (can't spell at this time of the morning) and make sure they understand that they cannot do this again. If a child is sick whilst in your care you should contact parents immediately and insist that they collect as soon as possible. You have to be tough!

Cx

[The Juggler]

i agree with Christine and I really would reconsider charging for no shows. Your parents up til now might have been really good with this but if you get someone who wants to save here and there you migth find the child has long bouts of 'sickess' when granny comes to stay - if you see what I mean. Could have a massive impact on your income.:)

[brighter]

You know when I start with the new baby in September I will not mention that I won't charge for no shows... i.e. charge for no shows! I was naive. I believe a sick child should be with parents and from a financial point of view I thought that is a excellent deal.... but not in the real world.

Do you all charge full for sickdays?? I don't charge for holidays either I think I am doing something wrong!!! I just wanted to be fair. :mad:

Thank you for reading!

[miffy]

You're perfectly entitled to phone parents and ask them to collect a child who is throwing up. In this case child shouldn't have come at all if he was sick in the night!

Also, as Juggler says, I would charge for no shows - why should you lose income if the child is ill, that is something outside your control. Anyway as you've just found even that doesn't guarantee that parents will keep their child at home if ill.

Miffy xx

[Milli147]

Good luck with this one. The only thing I can add is nip it in the bud quickly! If you appear to be flexible on this then they will continue to take the :censored:
I would give them another copy of your sickness policy with a covering letter basically stating that you are paid to mind, not nurse.
This is my real bugbear at the moment after the winter I've just had!

[gegele]

I would charge for sickness as i don't charge for mine so it kind of compensate over the year.

i would explain to parents again and give them a copy of policy again and tell them that the policy is there for a reason. if their child is ill and contaminate an other child who also comes ill then evryone is going to vomit and poo for ever after as they keep contaminating each over UNTIL YOU get sick and then nobody gets ill as you won't be able to work at all for a while!!!!!!

i tell parents that i try to keep their children from being ill and they have to do the same for the other kids of my setting by not bringing them ill. i also say to new parent that if my 2children catch sickness and diarrhea because they braught their child knowing he was ill i would pack a bag to my kids and bring them to theirs!!!!! they can look after my sick children!!!!:laughing: :laughing:

[onceinabluemoon]

I charge as follows:
If I am open and working I charge, if I am closed an not working I don't charge.

That's simple and easy for everybody to understand :)

I always tell parents they pay for the space rather than the days their child attends.

WRT the sickness, yes this is what some, or even most (in my experience!) working parents do. I have had children sent in with all sorts always described as something else 'she's teething' or 'he has hay fever' or 'she's eaten something that has disagreed with her'.

Now when I get their colds and bugs I take time off to recover...

[brighter]

I will look into a new policy this evening. We caught a sickness bug from them before. In general do you mind children with fever? At what point do you all call the parents?

:laughing: Haha, I like the suggestion of dropping of my sick children to them, should add that as a clause in a new contract!

[christine e]

I will look into a new policy this evening. We caught a sickness bug from them before. In general do you mind children with fever? At what point do you all call the parents?

:laughing: Haha, I like the suggestion of dropping of my sick children to them, should add that as a clause in a new contract!

I will mind for children who are a bit under the weather for example with coughs and colds provided I can still go about my daily routines (toddler groups and school runs), if child needs special attention in that they are crying and won't leave my knee rather than an extra cuddle or two then I would be ringing parents to collect.

Cx

[candy cat]

I have just done a polite notice as last week mindee sent with flu we then got it and i'm off as it aggravated an inner ear problem ..... i have lost £130.....it's not just about the money it's the dis honesty isn't it! Anyway this letter going out tomorrow and will probably upset,but after this week I really need to get tough!

I would definately charge for no shows as what if say you had a full timer who just didn't show for a week because of illness.....a lot of money to lose isn't it. good luck and if you want to see my polite notice PM me x

[angeldelight]

Hello,

I am soooo cross I can not tell you :angry:

Monday night I felt not great felt really sick (normally get that once a month) and just had a very bad night, thought about callling minding mum and telling her I cannot look after her child but then felt sorry for her and minded him as sickness feeling passed and I felt a cold coming on...

... well she dropped him off as usual told me he had a great night. The child is 13 months and was sick twice yesterday in my care but I didn't think anything of it as small children often have food coming up. The child gets picked up 9 hours later by Dad I told him about him being a bit sicky after food and he said "oh, yes he was sick in the night we had to change the whole bed" :angry:
I do not charge for no shows because I always tell parents I don't want them to feel they have to sent their child because of money but this is just NOT ON!!!! How can you sent a child after it has been vomitting in the night???? What can I do about it??? If they never tell me I never know but I am also taking on another child, is this what working mums do? Do you call them straight back to pick up their child when they are unwell???????

Any help, please.....

I have my own children to think of too otherwise if they all get ill from minding children I am shut for at least a week...

I agree with everyone else

Time to get tougher

Angel xx

[keatingschick]

Hello,

I am soooo cross I can not tell you :angry:

Monday night I felt not great felt really sick (normally get that once a month) and just had a very bad night, thought about callling minding mum and telling her I cannot look after her child but then felt sorry for her and minded him as sickness feeling passed and I felt a cold coming on...

... well she dropped him off as usual told me he had a great night. The child is 13 months and was sick twice yesterday in my care but I didn't think anything of it as small children often have food coming up. The child gets picked up 9 hours later by Dad I told him about him being a bit sicky after food and he said "oh, yes he was sick in the night we had to change the whole bed" :angry:
I do not charge for no shows because I always tell parents I don't want them to feel they have to sent their child because of money but this is just NOT ON!!!! How can you sent a child after it has been vomitting in the night???? What can I do about it??? If they never tell me I never know but I am also taking on another child, is this what working mums do? Do you call them straight back to pick up their child when they are unwell???????

Any help, please.....

I have my own children to think of too otherwise if they all get ill from minding children I am shut for at least a week...

I think thats probably something we have all experienced, parents not telling us the child has been ill overnight or over the weekend, thats why I have gotten a little tougher with my policy on if they are ill with me and how I WILL exclude etc.

But if the child was sick I would have rung the parents and sent them home and then said they can't come back for 48 hours after the last bout of vomitting.

I've had this so many times and my daughter being diabetic catches EVERYTHING, and it totally throws the diabetes all over the place, and often she is upstairs ill and I am minding and its horrible. But no matter what they STILL try to send them. The only time they respected was when my husband just came out of intensive care, I agreed to work but said children MUST be fighting fit, he had just nearly died and his immune system was shot at and so I didnt want him coming into contact with anything unnecessarily, so they did respect that and one parent said that her son had been really coughing and so she'd not send him.

I have one parent who sort of makes me feel so bad when ever I have said he isnt well and asked her to come to take him, I know she is working and its hard but I do have other children here, its not fair dragging him out on school runs etc, but also I have to think of my family and my own health, cos if I get ill then obviously I have to let all of my parents down.

I'm a bit miffed at the mo cos they all have really snotty noses and a bit grizzley, and we go away in 2 weeks, and I am scared stiff of my daughter getting ill. The last time we went she got tonsilities and we spent the 2nd week of our 2 week holiday in Florida in the hotel room!! She gets really ill and it affects her diabetes.

We've waited for 2 years for this and so I've basically told my family to all keep WELL AWAY!!

[keatingschick]

I will mind for children who are a bit under the weather for example with coughs and colds provided I can still go about my daily routines (toddler groups and school runs), if child needs special attention in that they are crying and won't leave my knee rather than an extra cuddle or two then I would be ringing parents to collect.

Cx

Yeah thats how I operate Christine,it's hard though as parents do get annoyed when you ring them and ask to collect.

I had one last week who was CLEARLY not well, but when I contacted mum she said he was ok that a.m, and sort of unless he was hot then she wasnt coming for him. We were supposed to go to a playgroup but he went to sleep, she asked if we were going I said "we can't, a) if he is ill, then I cant take him and put the other children at risk and b) if he is ill, he doesnt want to be trailed around, and he is fast asleep anyway" (she hates him sleeping)

She has been so awkward in the past when I have rung, so......but he is leaving soon so thats out of my hair.

[The Juggler]

hon, i would not just do this with future parents but change it with current parents too. And make sure it is IN the contract not just something you mention - child sick/occasional absence, whatever reason = FULL FEE or if you charge 1/2 or nothing for their holidays then make allowances for that but if you consider doing this, cap the number of weeks holiday they can take.:thumbsup:

[WibbleWobble]

I think thats probably something we have all experienced, parents not telling us the child has been ill overnight or over the weekend, thats why I have gotten a little tougher with my policy on if they are ill with me and how I WILL exclude etc.

But if the child was sick I would have rung the parents and sent them home and then said they can't come back for 48 hours after the last bout of vomitting.

I've had this so many times and my daughter being diabetic catches EVERYTHING, and it totally throws the diabetes all over the place, and often she is upstairs ill and I am minding and its horrible. But no matter what they STILL try to send them. The only time they respected was when my husband just came out of intensive care, I agreed to work but said children MUST be fighting fit, he had just nearly died and his immune system was shot at and so I didnt want him coming into contact with anything unnecessarily, so they did respect that and one parent said that her son had been really coughing and so she'd not send him.

I have one parent who sort of makes me feel so bad when ever I have said he isnt well and asked her to come to take him, I know she is working and its hard but I do have other children here, its not fair dragging him out on school runs etc, but also I have to think of my family and my own health, cos if I get ill then obviously I have to let all of my parents down.

I'm a bit miffed at the mo cos they all have really snotty noses and a bit grizzley, and we go away in 2 weeks, and I am scared stiff of my daughter getting ill. The last time we went she got tonsilities and we spent the 2nd week of our 2 week holiday in Florida in the hotel room!! She gets really ill and it affects her diabetes.

We've waited for 2 years for this and so I've basically told my family to all keep WELL AWAY!!

DD2 has diabetes and i know how you feel. I must admit when she got a D&V bug last year all my parents shot round to take their kids...and they all rang to see how she was. When its me or their own kids they dont seem to want to bother! i think DD2 is so well loved here everyone worries about her!

mandy x

[crazyXstitcher]

Fortunately I've never had this, my mindees parents are very good, but I do have a clause in my policy in addition to the normal 48hrs exclusion, that if the child has D&V while in my care then the exclusion time is 72hrs. I'm hoping that will put off any parents that try to send any child back too soon.

[keatingschick]

DD2 has diabetes and i know how you feel. I must admit when she got a D&V bug last year all my parents shot round to take their kids...and they all rang to see how she was. When its me or their own kids they dont seem to want to bother! i think DD2 is so well loved here everyone worries about her!

mandy x

Wish mine were so thoughtful Mandy :( . I've got a VERY thorough sickness policy stating that if a child is too till to join in every day activies - toddler groups/school runs/park etc, then they should not be with me and state I am a WELL SETTING. I go on to explain the reason behind this is
a) consideration of the other children in the setting and children at groups where we visit
b) me getting ill therfore resulting in ME needing time off which means not only me not getting paid but more importantly ALL of the parents needing to find alternative care
c) my own family, in particular by daughter who seems to catch anything and EVERYTHING.

But they STILL bring their child and I am still WRONG when I suggest they arent well and need to go home.

The only time they have ever seemed to be considerate was like I said when my hubby came out of intensive care, 1 parent did actually say that her son had been ill over the weekend and would probably be better if he didnt come cos of my hubby being vulnerable - the other 2 children both came snotty as anything.

But they never consider that my daughter will catch it and that when she is ill it is a case of being up all night constantly checking her blood sugar and maybe giving injections through the night!

When I first started I've said re them being off after sickness but they've still come back cos they are "all better now", but what I do is along with my sickness policy I copied something off the HPA giving details of exclusion periods etc. and I stick to the 48 hours. Like Kathryn says I think it makes them think twice, I had one parent who tried it on a little at first, but now I can sort of suss how ill her son is, cos she has said that he was a bit off and wont be there that day, but then gran has decided to have him, and it got to a week, and I reckon thats cos he has been really rough and she knows that if she doess bring him back too soon, I'll send him home and then STIPULATE 48 hours.

[Dragonfly]

I find a annoying thing is that I have had one mindee this winter with constent coughs colds etc(been a really bad winter for illness this year dont know why)and the days the child doesnt come to me he goes to playgroup.Why is he well enough to come to me but not well enough to go to playgroup:(

[alwaysright]

i have to agree with everything said on here and dont forget to put in your sickness policy that be caring for a sick child your would not be meeting your ofsted requirements as you must have a sickness policy in place, but like everyone else i too have had parents that had sent in sick children, i have had one who's child vomitted in the taxi on the way to mine and she cleaned her up and sent her in, obviously mentioned nothing to me :angry: and another parent had swine fu but sent the child in every day and didnt tell me :angry: needless to say when i did find out everyone got a swine flu updaye letter :mad: