What would you have done?

[JCrakers]

Yesterday I get to school 5 mins before the children are due out and teacher comes to me and tells me my 8yr old mindee has just been sick. (his 3.5yr old sister was sick on Tues so had 2 days off from me)
So it was quick decision making.... Mum works 20mins away and Dad works 30mins away and its a 15min walk from school to my house.

So hastily I decided to take him with me and he walked behind me with his brother....Poor chap, didn't look well.
We took a slow walk back in the rain and we arrived at my house but Dad hadn't arrived so I sat him on the doorstep with a bucket.....didn't really know what else to do???? He was being sick in the bucket and I couldn't bring him in as I had 3 under 5's inside as well as my dd who had an operation on Monday.

So, he was getting some fresh air and being away from everyone. I gave him water and checked on him and 10mins later Dad came and took him home.
I felt awful for leaving him on the doorstep but its a covered porch and we live on a culdesac so not a lot of people coming past. He was old enough to sit there (I wouldn't have left a younger child there)

I thought afterwards that maybe I should have left him at school for Mum or Dad to collect but it was one of those snap decisions.

[AliceK]

If I'm honest as a parent of an 8yr old child I would not have been happy to find my DS in that position. I think you were right to bring him from school and call parents to collect but I would have isolated him in the house in the warm and dry. It's bad enough having a bug and chucking up without having to be sat on someones door step doing it
Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

xx

[silvermist]

Bless you, I would have probably done the same, its tricky when you're forced to make snap judgements. If I had had time to think about it I might of rung mum or dad and said they needed to collect him as you had other mindees. Tricky one but I really wouldnt worry about it hun.

Just to add, when I worked in a primary school, los would have to sit in cloakroom with a bucket til parents arrived!!

[SarahJellybean]

Sorry to say I think the same, I also have a covered porch but would never leave a child out there! What would have happened if he had got to your house feeling fine and then started being sick at your house? Would you have kicked him out?

[JCrakers]

Yes, I would have kicked him out because that's the sort of person I am...cold and callous.

Seriously, I had walked up the hill, got a bucket, got the 4 younger children inside, shoes and coats off, into the playroom. Then I thought right...where is the best place for him to sit to get some fresh air (he still had his coat and shoes on) so my doorstep is literally down the hallway form the kitchen.

I had no concerns for him sitting there for 10m until his Dad arrived. I've been looking after this child for 5yrs. Maybe I should have left him a school because that would obviously have been better than the abuse he suffered

[EmmaReed84]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing! I probably would have done the same as you. If I had a covered porch I don't think I would leave them out there, I would at least let him in the hallway and sit on the stairs with a blanket and a drink. Then when he left I would have blitzed the place with anti-bac stuff, and scrubbed my hands and the floor and bleached the bucket! LOL

[Little Pickles]

If I'm honest as a parent of an 8yr old child I would not have been happy to find my DS in that position. I think you were right to bring him from school and call parents to collect but I would have isolated him in the house in the warm and dry. It's bad enough having a bug and chucking up without having to be sat on someones door step doing it
Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

xx

I totally agree with Alice. I don't mean to offend but I would not have been happy to find my ill child outside. If you didn't want him in your house you should have left him at school for parents to collect.

[The Juggler]

hon you are not cold and callous - you did what YOU thought was right for all of the children, keeping the well ones safe and him isolated. We all respond differently. You thought fresh air was best, others think warm and blanket. If you'd had him in the hall and he'd thrown up all over the hall and missed the bucket and you have small babies, then how do you care for him, the babies whilst cleaning up??? Same if you put him up in a bedroom and he threw up everywhere - how would you clean him up whilst the littlies are downstairs?

Me, I would have said best thing was to leave him at school but THEN...... he is going to think, why is she leaving me here when I am sick it's a no win situation. I probably would have said to the teachers he's not well enough to walk with me in the rain so best he stays with you to wait for mum and dad - but then mum and dad might have not liked that and teachers might have been busy as all children are due to be collected at finish time and they have no obligation to keep him later, but neither do you have any obligation to take him when sick.

Lots of people do things differently don't be upset by the responses people are just telling you what THEY would have done. Chin up. At the end of the day, he didn't suffer for it, got picked up by mum and dad and was tucked up at home in no time - and the fresh air probably did him a bit of good.

[sarah707]

It is very important that a child who is being sick is quarantined.

You should clearly state in your illness procedures that you will ask them to sit somewhere where other children are not so that there is less risk of cross contamination.

These procedures should also be discussed with parents so they understand why their child has been taken out of the play area in case they comment on it / moan about it later.

It depends on the size and shape of your house doesn't it? If you are lucky enough to have a spare room that has been risk assessed then great they can go in there until parents arrive.

if you have a downstairs toilet that is often a good place to sit them with a bowl or bucket.

if you do not have either of these then you need to look around and think about where the child might be safest waiting for collection.

If they are in your sight and hearing then I think a porch is as good a place as any!

They can shout if they need you ... they are warm and dry... you can keep an eye on them while getting food / drinks etc for the other children...

I hope the little one is feeling better soon x

[JCrakers]

Its not that I didn't want him in my house, he didn't really have time to come in.
I was happy that he was happy, I was happy that I did the right thing. Dad was happy that I had picked him up and was happy with the care he had received.

It was a case of sorting the younger children first, so by the time I had got them out of buggy, taken shoes and coats off, taken them through into the playroom without them coming into contact with him, his Dad was here. I could have sat him on the bottom stair which is right next to where I sat him but the children were taking their shoes off. I didn't want him being sick right next to the little ones so I chose a place for him. That wasn't my question. A child being sick into a bucket where an 18m old could have quite easily fallen over onto the bucket/picked up the bucket wasn't a good idea so I asked him to wait there while I sorted everyone out.

If he had been sick at my house and not school I would have chosen the hallway with a bucket but this wasn't available at the time of getting everyone into the house.



My question wasn't meant to be towards where should I have sat him it was would you have left him at school or taken him with you knowing he had been sick?

[Bear23]

Its not that I didn't want him in my house, he didn't really have time to come in.
I was happy that he was happy, I was happy that I did the right thing. Dad was happy that I had picked him up and was happy with the care he had received.

It was a case of sorting the younger children first, so by the time I had got them out of buggy, taken shoes and coats off, taken them through into the playroom without them coming into contact with him, his Dad was here. I could have sat him on the bottom stair which is right next to where I sat him but the children were taking their shoes off. I didn't want him being sick right next to the little ones so I chose a place for him. That wasn't my question. A child being sick into a bucket where an 18m old could have quite easily fallen over onto the bucket/picked up the bucket wasn't a good idea so I asked him to wait there while I sorted everyone out.



My question wasn't meant to be towards where should I have sat him it was would you have left him at school or taken him with you knowing he had been sick?

Don't know what the correct answer is, but i know i would always take them home with me.

[Toothfairy]

I think you were right to bring the child home and let the parents collect from you but I agree with some of the others, I probably would have kept them indoors in the warm.
It's very hard when things are pushed on you without warning and I'm sure you did what you thought was best at the time which is all any of us can do.

[sonyach]

Personally i think the school should have phoned his parents and sorted him out he was sick when he was in their care, but then i find they are usually happy to pass the buck.
I think you made the right decision given the circumstances you have to consider everyone in your care, he was safe and his dad was on the way. Don't feel bad you did good!!

[QualityCare]

If it had happened 5/10 mins before the end of the day would school have rung you or parent to collect, whilst l appreciate it was the end of the day possibly they should have rung parents if they knew he is collected by you and not them, l would have rung parent whilst at school and told them l would wait in school with the child for them to collect (immediately) as l couldn't be sure he wouldn't be sick again on the way home, if school offered to wait with him then l would have left him in their care.

[marie2012]

I would have taken him home too I'm sure after you having him for 5 years he felt better with you regardless of where he was sat than being left at school. Maybe not my place to say as I'm not even registered yet lol. X

[FussyElmo]

I would have taken him home

You did what you could in the circumstaces - job done parent was happy, the child wouldnt have wanted to have been left at school. You looked after the others in your care while quaranting the ill child.

[eddie]

Personally i think the school should have phoned his parents and sorted him out he was sick when he was in their care, but then i find they are usually happy to pass the buck.
I think you made the right decision given the circumstances you have to consider everyone in your care, he was safe and his dad was on the way. Don't feel bad you did good!!

I agree the school should have phoned the parents. I would have done whatever it took to make sure the others were safe especially as you have someone recovering from an operation where the risk of infection could have been serious.

[sweets]

I would have done exactly what you did

[Jods]

yup I would have done it x

and no it would not bother me if I found my child on your doorstep, poor little mite, sometimes wrapping them and keeping them warm is not the right thing to do!!

[samb]

I wouldn't have thought twice about taking him with me until parent could collect. I also wouldn't have anywhere to put him inside in "quarantine" - he probably would have had to sit in the bathroom at mine but if I had a porch I think it's a great idea. Equally I don't think it would have been wrong to leave him at school for parents to collect but I would have wanted to stay with him and that's not really helpful for the others in your care either is it!