When do you keep your child home from day/childcare?

[Jac]

My DS (13mths) has attended childcare x 1 day a week since 9mths of age as I have returned to work for this day. However, I have found that he seems to have a constant cold/cough/illness since attending and has missed about 4 days so far this year. The CC have told me that if he has a runny nose ect. just send him in or he'll never come and I admit that all the other children there look a lot sicker than him. I hate sendng him when he is not 100% as I feel he should be home with me but feel terribly guitly ringing in to work saying I'm not coming b/c DS is sick again! So, my question is, do you send your child to childcare if they are a little under the weather (not just a runny nose but whingy compared to usual)? I wish I hadn't returned to work as this is really stressful.

[visitor1]

Chelsea goes most of the time except if she has gastro or vomitting. 9 times out of 10 she has got the sickness from care. Im lucky im not working so she can stay home, but i understand how some families have no choice but to send them to care.

[Arimeh]

Jac,

All of DS's illnesses have come from his time at day care too, so I figure if he isn't sick already he soon will be!! lol

We sorta go by if its infectious or not. Like, this week he had a runny nose, but it was clear runny nose, no colour. If it was yellow or something like that, he would stay home or I'd send him to his grandparents for the day so I can still go to work.

And you know what.. he's NEVER as whingy for day care as he is for me....

[Boo Boo]

Jac,

Rylee started CC one day a week probably about 6 weeks ago, and I swear she has been continuously sick with a cough/cold and so have I since she started. She had a mild cough for about month so I took her to the doctor and asked him whether I should keep her away from CC he said no, half of them would be sick as well so I sent her Friday before last, then got a call at 12 pm from them saying she had gone down hill dramatically, I went and picked her up, straight to the doctor and she had tonsilitis - so felt like a bad Mummy sending her along. To cut a long story short, clear runny nose I would still send I think but temperature, gastro, whinging and clearly not happy I wouldn't send her. It is hard isn't it....

Laurin

[Karina]

We keep her home if she seems really unwell. The other week she was a bit off colour one day, and that night slept horribly and had a low fever. In the morning she was much worse so I kept her home. Turned out she had tonsilitis and a temp of 39, so I kept her home for a couple days till she was good. She has also had conjunctivitis a few weeks ago and since its contagious, I kept her home for that. After she had croup, she stayed away from daycare for 3 days.

If she is not coping and is really unwell I'll keep her home with me. I have sent her with a runny nose. As long as its not really really bad though.

[Nai]

I keep DD home if she has vomitting, the runs, a temp, a rash, is very irritable or lethargic or has conjunctivitis.

If it is just a runny nose or cough without any other symptoms then I send her along. Having said that, she has been there for almost a year and a half now and this year she has missed a total of 2 days. Her immune system is definitely stronger for it.