Ok so I have 3 kids (4, almost 2 and 6 months). The 2 youngest go to the babysitters while the oldest goes to daycare 2 days per week. Altogether, they are at the sitters/daycare 4 days per week. My kids get constantly sick, which I assume is from daycare. Now I've heard mixed responses. My dr said it's wise to keep them in daycare b/c they build up their immune systems before school. Then I've heard this isn't the way to build up an immune system. I've tried all sorts of vitamins from Shaklee to regular store brands, but they are still getting sick. Every year we have the stomach flu at least 2 times and the respiratory 2 times. I do not believe in the flu shot b/c they have never made a difference. They've only made it worse.
I've been thinking about sending all 3 to my sitters. I'm worried though because she has learned so much there. Oh and I should mention that since January, we have had our kids at the doctor's office at least once a week to once every two weeks for illnesses. Sometimes it's allergy related and the other times it's been ear infections and bronchitis.
I work 20 hours/week and I go to school (nursing). My issue is that I really can't afford to lose my job but I have to be able to go to school without getting a call that my child is sick. So if anybody has any suggestions, please let me know. I'm at my wits end here.
Thanks!
Oh and my oldest has been in daycare for 2 years.
Its quite normal for them to get sick especially their first 6 months in a school whether preschool or kindergarden. All those new germs. Then you have those parents who feel there is nothing wrong with sending their preschooler to daycare with a 102 temp. It evens out as they get older thankfully
have them cared for at home
You have several sets of germs. You have your germs (from work, school or the hospital), you have the daycare and you have the sitter. Between them and things like going to the grocery store, you're going to have someone bringing home something. Has it been worse since you started school yourself? Could you be the vector, given your degree?
If your children are prone to certain infections, talk to the pediatrician about them. Do they need different antibiotics? Do they need tubes in their ears? Does everyone need to wash hands when you come home? My sister was always cold to BAM! - bronchitis. She just has a poor respiratory system or something.
For the record, my DD used to go to daycare and now she's home with me most of the time. She still gets colds from us or from her sister (whatever's at school) and returns from breaks seem to be worse - Johnny visits his cousins for Christmas and whee! new germs for the whole class! It's just the way it goes. My stepson seems allergic to February. Always has been. Always gets very sick in late Jan/Feb. No idea why, really, other than maybe he gets worn down. Make sure they get plenty of rest.
I think at the end of the day, you need to take classes and you need to work and you need childcare. You can put them all in the same germ factory, but I would expect these illnesses for a while.
My theory is that a kid is going to get sick a certain number of times when he starts spending his day in a public setting, whether that starts at a young age with a sitter or when he starts school. You've already endured it for two years, and with your oldest starting school soon, that'll be a whole new set of germs to contend with. I worked when my oldest was little and he had ear infections all the time, ended up with tubes, was sick a lot it seemed. With my next I was able to stay home with him and he was rarely sick. We started him in a preschool a couple days a week when he was two and I think he had some kind of illness at least once a week for his first few months. Bam, just like that.
Practice good hand-washing, we wash our hands as soon as we get home from anywhere (especially the store or someplace I've handled money, it's the first thing the boys do when they get home from school), and always before we eat. Vitamins are probably good, this does still seem like an excessive amount of being ill, perhaps your kiddos just have a lower immunity to begin with. I read a blog posted from pinterest that said regular, plain grape juice once a day keeps stomach bugs away. Sounds crazy, but may be worth a try! Google that for full details.
I'm a hand-washing freak and have instilled this in my kids. Especially at the doctor, we wash our hands as soon as we get in the examining room (from touching things in the lobby) and then again before we leave (after being in the exam room, and careful not to touch anything on the way out). Sounds a bit excessive maybe, but we generally do pretty good keeping illnesses away.
Things you're probably already doing, but just to put them out there: make sure the kids cover their mouths when they sneeze and cough, then wash their hands. No sharing of utensils or cups. Change their toothbrush after someone has been sick. New linens after an illness (for everyone).
Hang in there, mama. Being around other kids is good for them (and you!).
Mine gets sick at her home day care too, just as much as a corporate place, unless you are saying you could do it at home but then they miss out on being with other kids. What are the cleaning practices of the sitter?
In a month this season should be over and allergy season picking up. If they have allergies they'll be sick no matter where they are. I would not sacrifice her going to child care for health, they are still going to be sick sometimes. It may be that the kids from the baby sitter are making the child care kid sick too.
I would just continue to make sure the kids get enough vitamin C and other nutrients that sustain a good system and let them do this now instead of the Fall when the older girl starts Pre-K or Kindergarten, depending on when her birthday is. That is when it will hit full force, there is a whole school of kids carrying all kinds of germs. If the kids aren't immune to all the normal kid stuff then you will be losing days, weeks, etc....much more than a day or two here.
I guess my point is that with the ages of the kids that it is not going to get better, you can put it off a few months until the oldest one starts school but she will be bringing home a lot of illnesses and it will all start over.
We found a small at home daycare that still taught abc, shapes, colors, manner,social skills, health. It was great my kids rarely got sick perhaps once a year. My son got the stomach virus twice and my daughter got it once, she also got a hand and mouth virus. No big deal for the two yrs they went! I would switch daycares and see if that helps. I avoided large daycares with snot nose kids running around. Ask if you can go while kids are still there to observe. Then look at there noses. If a bunch of them have a snot mustache then keep searching. Thats two wammys not wiping your childs nose and sickys running around.
they are young so there are all sorts of different germs floating around out there. Heck, there are weird viruses floating around my company. It will even out over time. Even if you move them to a new day care, they will still pickup new germs. Then school starts and more new germs to get. You don't know if you are bringing them home, from the day care or from the sitters. Some germs are just so contagious that they run rampid through a house.
Hang in there. It does get better.
Make sure you all wash your hands after being out in public, after shaking someones hand after touching something you think might be a germ fest. Sneeze and cough in your elbows. keep your hands away from your nose and eyes. Wash hands before eating.
I don't know... sometimes I think it's the kids and their overall health that causes them to be sick more than other kids. There are plenty of children who go to daycare who aren't continually sick. And really - after a year or two of getting sick every so often, most kids have built up immunity and are more healthy going forward. So if you pull your daughter out now, you're just going to go through her being sick (and getting your other ones sick) when she's in kindergarten.
Besides, the germs may really be coming from the sitters house, you'll never know. Personally - I'd keep the kids where they are if you're happy with the care they're receiving. And I'd start giving them probiotics for their overall health.
