Sending LO to nursery with a cold

[MrsBandEgglet]

I kept Arf off nursery last week because he had a cold. I went to play group today and a girl who's LO also goes to Arf's nursery at the same time said how her LO has had a cold for about the last three weeks and she's still gone. I sarcastically said to Arf "oh we'll we know who to blame for the lot of us been ill last week ha mister" and she walked off in a huff. I was only joking but I think it's me that should have got the huff! I know you can't keep them off all the time but one week to give them a chance to get a bit better and hopefully avoid passing it on too much. My hubby had to stay off work he felt so rubbish and Violet's still got it

 

[hattiehippo]

Tbh I would send Tom to nursery with a cold unless he had a high temp or was really, really miserable. I can't afford to take a week off work because he has a cold and we have no alternative childcare. Maybe this woman is in a similar situation?

Obviously I don't send him if he's got a stomach upset, high temp or when he had chicken pox.

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

She probably is but it'll eventually just end up a perpetual cycle because once they get rid of one cold they soon pick up another as there'll always be one or more child at nursery with a cold or something. Arf had a bit of a temp last week and i'm glad I kept him off because he's such a little misery when he's sick I don't think the staff would have thanked me. I do think as this child was I'll for so long she should have thought about keeping her off for a day or so but I know it's not always possible for some people.

 

[anna matronic]

Evan goes to the CM with a cold. I've gone to work with a horrid cold and I teach around 150 kids a day. A cold is a cold, a pain in the arse, but I can't be taking time off for a snotty nose. If he was ill, in pain, had a fever, then I would keep him off x

 

[Gingerspice]

They send them hoome if they have a temp, bu if its just a normal cold then they still go same as I go to work.

I could be pretty cross too if somebody said it to me, and maybe they're sensitive to it so they didn't recognise it was said in jest. Perhaps just a bad day already or something?

 

[Hellodoris]

We've sent E to nursery with a cold, it's where she gets it from anyway.. I see it as part and parcel of sending them, just like being at school.
Mind you E has a permanently running nose.. lovely.

 

[hattiehippo]

I know the colds go round and round don't they! Especially at this time of year - I go into loads of schools over a week for my job so if I have one I pass it round to lots of people....having said that I pick them up from everywhere too

She does sound a bit insensitive and I would have had the hump with her too even though I'd still send Tom in.

 

[xprincessx]

Hmm it's a tough one..

There could be two scenario's really.

Scenario 1: She sent her child in with a cold because she had to work and couldn't afford to have time off as she hasn't got much money coming into the household and had no alternative childcare.

Scenario 2: She couldn't be bothered to sit at home with her child while they had the cold so sent them off to someone else to deal with it.

It more than likely is scenario 1 so I can kind of understand why she got a bit upset. Maybe she didn't realise you was joking so took offense?

I can totally see where you are coming from 100% and I wouldn't send Callum in with a cold but some people have no other alternative sometimes and having that week off could mean the family have to go without for a few days x

 

[Gingerspice]

Its not just about the money either. I simply couldn't take that much time off if I didn't send LO everytime she had a cold. They esimate the first time children mingle in care they get 13 colds/illness in the first year, that pretty much at least a week a month and I'd like to be ble to do nice things with LO by taking my leave for holiday rather than not having any leave left and spending it all on 'bad times'. This year I have spent most of my leave when LO has been ill including a week in hospital, it bad enough now knowing christmas will be short as I've spent my leave.....The only option would be to phone in sick which is a lie plus puts me more at risk of redundancy

 

[isil]

oh the debates this has started in the past!

Here are my thoughts though: If there are no immuno-compromised children at the nursery, your LO doesn't have a temperature, is eating (at least something) and doesn't seem particularly ill in themselves; I don't feel there is any need to keep them off. The first year my LO was in nursery he constantly had colds. Now, after well over a year in that kind of environment, he doesn't really get them!

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

No, she doesn't work princess which is why I found it a bit annoying really. I don't work at the mo (on maternity leave) and so Arf is only going to nursery because I like him to go and play with other LOs but I can understand why you wouldn't keep them off when you have to go to work yourself unless they have a temp. I kept Arf off because I was able to stay home with him. Perhaps she had other things on I don't know

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby's nursery says specifically in their policies that they don't exclude children with coughs and colds, but not to send them if they have a temp, are miserable, are requiring calpol to get them through the day, or require one to one attention all day.

Common sense really.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

No, she doesn't work princess which is why I found it a bit annoying really. I don't work at the mo (on maternity leave) and so Arf is only going to nursery because I like him to go and play with other LOs but I can understand why you wouldn't keep them off when you have to go to work yourself unless they have a temp. I kept Arf off because I was able to stay home with him. Perhaps she had other things on I don't know

Ah, if I didn't work I'd be choosier about when I sent her.

 

[xprincessx]

Oh that changes things completely then. I don't know her situation but I don't work and I wouldn't send Callum with one out of pure courtesy for the other children. I know kids all get sick but I wouldnt want to give them it just because.

I would just change my plans

 

[Gingerspice]

oh, definitely wouldn't send them if i wasn't working and they didn't 'need' to go

 

[JadeyB]

I think it depends on how your little one is feeling within themselves.

I too would send Ethan to nursery with a cold because apart from the runny nose and the cough it doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

I am at the moment experiencing him with an ear infection and there is no way I would have sent him to nursery today. One he had a temperature of 39/40 so would have been sent home anyway. But all he has done all day is slept and whimpered, poor little mite I guess some little ones may feel that way with a cold or even some colds are worse than others. I know that I can go into work with a sore throat, cough and runny nose and be fine and other times I'm aching and feel like I've been run over so would stay home and sleep it off.

I think its personal preference but I think that if they are ok within themselves and haven't got anything really nasty then I wouldn't hesitate to send him. He has just started nursery so I have no doubt that he will permanently have a runny nose this winter and if I kept him off for every one, he would be off every other week.

xx

 

[Murphy98]

I hear what your saying but my son has pretty much had some kind of cold or illness since he started daycare in Sept. I can't take every week off work. If he's really sick with a fever or obviously miserable I keep him back for sure....but if he just has the sniffles and a bit of a cough I send him. From what I can see so far the other parents pretty much do the same. I try to chop it up to building immunity but I understand it is really hard on everyone. I would say the daycare has been surprised thus far how much I have kept him out which I suppose is saying something.

 

[LPF]

Evan has been at nursery for 10 weeks and for every day of those 10 weeks bar 5, he's had a cold. I'd get the sack if I stayed home with him!

To me it's part and parcel of being a baby/toddler entering the world of nursery/pre school and building up immunity.

Nursery are very relaxed about it too - they only send home for d&v, temps and really not seeming themselves etc.

Tbh I would of taken offence too if it wasn't obvious you were joking!

 

[lisa9999]

Evan has been at nursery for 10 weeks and for every day of those 10 weeks bar 5, he's had a cold. I'd get the sack if I stayed home with him!

To me it's part and parcel of being a baby/toddler entering the world of nursery/pre school and building up immunity.

Nursery are very relaxed about it too - they only send home for d&v, temps and really not seeming themselves etc.

Tbh I would of taken offence too if it wasn't obvious you were joking!

I agree with this. Sophie was poorly last week and I had 1 day off with her (cos her temp was up and she was really, really offside) but for a normal cold, I would still send her.

Luckily my cm agrees, she said last week that if I kept her home every time she had a sniffle I will be taking most of the winter off work!

 

[mrsraggle]

I send Eloise to nursery with a cold; I'd have no parental leave left if I kept her off! Unless she's not herself, has a temperature, sickness etc. then she still goes.