Kinda aggravated.....Rant

[turney31]

The back story is I babysit for one family. Dad is unemployed, sits at home. Supposedly starting a job soon. Mom works a good job, full time, 4 days on 4 days off. 12 hour shift. So I have the kids about 13 to 14 hours a day. One child is 4 years old, the other is 1 year old. Some times Dad will keep the 4 year old. And I will have the baby. Sometimes grandmother will keep them on her days off.

Now for why I am aggravated. Grandmom kept the kids 3 of the 4 days that I was supposed to have them and mom brought only the baby to me on the 4th day. They arrive here at 4:30am and she lays him down and then tells me he has been sick with a virus but has stopped vomiting but still has diarreha.

I catch it and am sick for 3 days. Same symptoms.

On her next day working she arrives at 4:30am with both kids and lays them down and then tells me they both have pinkeye. Informs me I will need to clean the 4 year olds eyes as they will be stuck together when he wakes up. Also with the baby's one eye.

I asked if they had been to the Dr. yet. Uh, no. She has great insurance and knows I would give her the co-pay if she needed it. My point is it is a bad case with both kids. Her mom is an RN. And I know how to care for it but they need a Dr. to minimize others catching it. Pink eye is very contagious.

That evening when she picked them up I let her know that I was't happy that she hadn't called to let me know they were sick. I told her I had caught the virus but didn't mention it. I told her the incubation period for pinkeye was 2 to 14 days. Which would knock me out of attending 3 special Christmas family functions. My kids and grandkids, DHs family, that has 2 school teachers, and my Daughters Birthday party. Well today, I get pinkeye in both eyes. Drs. appt tommorrow to try to catch it before it gets too bad.

She is mad at me for getting upset with her. Was I unreasonable? She is 27 years old and very intellegent, I don't know what she was thinking. Just wondering what you all think about it?

Micah

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

You are not being unreasonable. Unless you have an agreement that you will take her infectious children, then she or daddy should stay home with them on the days they are sick. Why would she think infecting others is okay?
Do you have to babysit for her?

 

[PineappleMama]

No more sitting for her, period.

Her husband, who helped make those babies and is sitting on his arse, can help. And if he ever gets a job then Grandma can help. Both of those failing they can hire someone else.

Her being willing to put your health at risk, REPEATEDLY means she doesn't give a fig about you. Letting those kids cases get that bad, with an RN in the family, makes me wonder if her, Dad, and Gran even care about the kids properly.

You have a perfectly valid reason for not taking them anymore... YOU have pink eye and refuse to spread it. I'd take full advantage of that and use this time to sever the sitting.

Boy that just chaps me no end. How do you think she'd like it if YOU were sick, didn't tell her, then got her kids sick (and her FTM)... oh some people are just SO...

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I think you mean, 27 years old & NOT very intelligent, if she shuns the care of her own children & the health of others.

 

[turney31]

No. I am really doing it more as a favor. She has lived with us in the past and I kept her 4 yr old son for over a year free of charge when he was a year old.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Do you have a written contract with her? If not, write up a set of your daycare policies, and be sure to include your policies on ill children. For contagious illnesses for which an antibiotic is appropriate, most schools require that a child be on the antibiotic for 24 hours before returning to class. Vomiting and diarrhea usually require that there be no episodes in the previous 24 hours. There ARE places that take ill children, and they usually charge quite a bit more for providing what amounts to nursing services.

At the very least you should require an advance phone call about a kid who has any illness more than a cold so that you have the option to say "no."

 

[turney31]

No contract more like friends.

 

[NoseyChickens]

Quote:
Exactly! I did licensesed in home childcare for over 10 years. Sick kids don't come to daycare, they stay home. The 24 hr rule needs to be applied here. There is NO way I would be watching kids that often and not have a contract and be getting paid. i mean seriously if you were sick and watched her kids and didn't let her know and THEY caught some thing from YOU, she'd probably be pretty miffed. She is taking advantage. In a big big way.

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

When my kids and my brothers kids were little, they would always bring them over to my house sick. Even though I asked them not too. I had five children of my own, a full time job and I attended college. Needless to say they didn't pay attention. Well being the "nice" person that I am, I didnt say a thing. BUT.....my kids all caught chicken pox and we went for a visit. You guessed it! Their house. 6 Weeks of chicken pox.

 

[chickeypoo]

i have to agree. when we had the little one in daycare, she'd have to stay home for 24 hours after the break in a fever. and same would also go for diarhea and vomiting. though, the other parents would still bring their kids back.. saying they hadn't thrown up at all at home and within an hour or so they would vomit.

anyway, my FIL watches my kids.. illness and in health LOL. but he doesn't mind as long as i inform him(even when it's when i drop them off) and i make sure he's got all the meds he needs for them. but i think you need to have a contract with that lady. and id also never send my kids to my FIL if they have pink eye and no meds. that's just WRONG!