need opinions

boyohboyohboy wrote: the kids i watch are 7, 4, 2

the father just called me to tell me that the school called him because the 7yr old has a fever of 102. and is throwing up and asked me to go get her..so I do and as I am taking care of her she starts to cry, she wants her dad to come get her.

well he says, he is calling her mom its her day..and the mom says she isnt coming till her normal time off work...

so now what?
can I tell her tonight that she cant bring her unless the fever is gone?
we are all already exposed to what she has..(which might be strept throat since the mom had it last week)

I was thinking of telling her that and keeping just the other two kids..
what do you do?

Crystalina replied:
Heck yes! Even if you have already been exposed, a sick child only wants their parents. You should not have to deal with that unless you want to. Especially if you have other kids to take care of.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Honestly, most daycares don't even take the kids with fever. IMO, you shouldn't have had to go get her in the first place. Do you have a contract with them? If I recall, you don't... but maybe you could just call the mom back and let her know that her daughter really isn't doing well, and should not come back until the fever has been gone for 24 hours.

money vs sick, it will be your decision ultimately of course.

I have NEVER asked my sitter to pick up my children from school. It's not in my "job description". Especially not when they have a fever, and are exposing me to an illness. Good luck......

Boo&BugsMom replied:
The child should be fever free for 24 hours before returning, IMO. No throwing up either, etc. I would not have even picked the child up...the parent should have done that and then taken the child home. No sense getting your children sick...they should have never even asked you. I'd be livid for them putting my own children in the sitution and even asking me to do it.

Personally, I wouldn't even take any of the other kids either. Chances are they WILL come down with it, and why take that chance?

After this is said and done, I would tell them for future reference that their children will not be allowed at your home when they are ill, and if the school calls it is their responsibility. Do not let yourself get roped into them treating you like their personal 3rd parent. Some parents do this, and it's wrong! Put your foot down, you will thank yourself later. Perhaps you should write up a few policies about it. If you need help, I can send you the ones I used when I did daycare. The other thing I did was give them a 1 hour time limit from the time I called to have them come and get their child if they were sick. If they weren't their within the hour, HUGE fee was applied to their payment.

Parents take advantage a LOT. There are many good ones, but there are others who will walk all over you and then want a mile after you've given them an inch.

CantWait replied: Ya you've already been exposed (as you know), but you have enough on your plate then adding someone else's sick child to the mix. It's completely up to you depending on what the terms to watching them were agreed to.

boyohboyohboy replied:
I dont really want to take care of her, just thinking of having this many sick kids makes my head spin..but her parents are something else...
as you can see...

but I got to thinking that most daycares make you keep your kids home with a fever...
and you are right she is crying because she wants her family not her sitter..she just looks so sad.
I have her on the couch wrapped in a blanket, but she needs to see a dr.
her mom called and I told her that but she just said well we will see how she does over night. and I said well if she has a fever she might have your strep throat..

I guess she just tugs at my heart strings sometimes, and I know what she is going home too..not much.

boyohboyohboy replied: no we dont have a contract. and I went to get her because i knew that her father wasnt going to and he and her mother were fighting about it because of whos day it was to get her..

I guess I just thought get her home and comfortable and see whats wrong. I should have thought to just say no, you get her.

I am going to say she cant come back tomorrow with a fever. the mom just called me and told me she car pooled today and she cant leave work till her co worker is done and can drive her....

so thats her story..
the little girl I think really needs a dr.

I didnt go get her thinking of the money. I dont lose money if she is here or not.. i get paid regardless. I went to get her because she needed me to.

but the more i thought about it, I was wondering if people who sit at home ever just said no to sick kids or it was expected since its not a public day care.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
You have to make them take responsibility, or else they will never learn. Do not enable them by given them a get out of jail free card. Sometimes we tend to educate the parents more than the kids. Sadly, it comes with the territory.

boyohboyohboy replied:
OMG thats me. I am becoming a third parent. I make no bones about the fact that I really dont like these kids, and I only do this job for money...but I wont ever mistreat them or not take care of them just as I do my own kids.....
but you are so right, I think that they know that I will take care of them...

This mother is something else she has a church meeting tonight...the mother who tells her dgt its ok to get preg. outside of marriage, and says she wont miss her meeting.. it lasts till 10pm. I dont see how this little girl is going to be feeling better by morning.
and worse yet I am afraid that if she isnt checked out by a dr what happens if this strep if thats what it is, is left to fester....

I wonder if the school can make her get checked better then me?

boyohboyohboy replied: UPDATE: three hours later the mom just showed up to get the little girl..
she comes to the door and starts yelling for her dgt to get her coat on and carry her bag, LETS GO!
So I help her get dressed and she is still crying she feels so bad, and her mother wont help her, just yelling at her.
I said to her you need to keep her home tomorrow and take her to the dr. and she again said lets see how she does at night, we have our meeting tonight..and the younger boy says, mom can we go to mcdonalds for dinner, and she says yes!
so she isnt even taking her home before the meeting.

I just wanted to take her back and put her to bed.

Honestly sometimes I dont think I am cut out for this anymore. its emotionally exhausting.
Now I am waiting for a phone call from the dad to reem me out for denying her tomorrow.

URG, and you know my kids will probably come down with this by thanksgiving.

mckayleesmom replied: These parents seem like boneheads. What kind of parents let their sick kid wait at school while they fight over who's turn it is to go get them? When your child is sick...you whoever can get there faster goes regardless.....How old are these people?

boyohboyohboy replied:
mid 30's...I posted recently about the chaos of these kids lives.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: It's good that you are looking out for the little girl, she needs it sooo much. Bottom line remains, though, she wants her parents.. and she is their responsibility. yes, it's tough.. and it IS emotionally exhausting. But, you have an employer/employee relationship.. and sometimes you just have to say no, like any other employee has the right to do, for a task that is not in their job description.

Hopefully things work out...