As a working parent, daycare can be a lifesaver. But the moment you enrol them, suddenly, your kids seem to be sick all the time! And you’re left having to take days off work to stay home with them leaving you feeling guilty for letting work down and terrible that your little one is feeling under and weather (yet again!)
Young children in daycare centres and preschools often experience daycare sickness, also known as daycare syndrome, particularly in their first year of attendance.
Daycare sickness is part of the package of parenting and it’s something pretty much every parent will get to know when their kids start childcare, whether this is at six months or 5 years. So how can we reduce the risk of daycare sickness and what can we do to cope as a working parents? Here are our top tips:
My child is coming home from daycare sick often – Is it normal?
Germs spread easily and quickly, especially among little ones in daycare. And how could it not?
They share toys, touch their faces then put their hands on everything within reach. They crawl all over, seldom wash their hands, and they don’t cover themselves when they cough or sneeze.
Add to that their developing immune system and you’ve got a tot that gets sick every few weeks.
Sometimes, infections will happen one right after the other, making it difficult for you to know when one ends and another begins.
But don’t distress, with time, your child’s immunity will become stronger and daycare illnesses will become less frequent.
NOT-SO-FUN-FACT: It is very common for toddlers and pre-school-aged children to have as many as 8 to 12 colds, respiratory infections and/or stomach bugs a year. Let’s say your little one takes an average of 5 days to get over each bug, you’re looking at around 40 to 60 days off daycare a year. WHOA!
Common Daycare Diseases
Most daycare illnesses involve respiratory infections, with stomach bugs being less common.
Here are some of the daycare diseases to look out for:
- Colds and upper respiratory infections
- Pink eye
- Stomach flu (gastroenteritis – can be viral or bacterial)
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease
When to Worry
While most daycare illnesses pass with time, there will be instances when you should take their symptoms more seriously.
If your tot is showing the following symptoms, you should take them to see their GP:
- Fever lasting longer than 24 hours
- Vomiting two or more times in 24 hours
- Frequent diarrhoea
- Severe abdominal pain
- Mouth sores with excessive drooling
- Severe lethargy
You know your child best. Little ones can get dehydrated quickly so if you are concerned, always call your GP to check.
Preventing Daycare Sickness
Getting sick is unavoidable as children grow and develop their immune systems.
However, there are things you can do to reduce the frequency and duration of your child’s illnesses.
- Feed them a healthy, nutritious diet that includes fruits and vegetables.
- Ensure your child gets enough sleep.
- Teach your little one proper hand-washing habits early on.
- Ensure they hydrate often.
- When old enough, teach them to properly cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough (with elbow).
- Find out your daycare’s cleaning and disinfecting policies.
- Ask your daycare provider to keep you up to date on illnesses as they occur.
NOT-SO-FUN-FACT: Children are excellent at passing their daycare sickness onto you and while our immune systems can often handle some germs, others can leave us down and out for days as well.
When dealing with a sick child at home, quarantine other children, set up a ‘sick area’ and disinfect the house. Wash your hands often, wash all towels and bedding, buy new toothbrushes and always wear a mask. Once your little one is feeling better, disinfect their ‘sick zone’.
Recently my youngest came home with terrible gastro and, by following these tips above, no one else in our house got sick.
Balancing sick kids as a working parentÂ
There were so many times when my little one would get sick on the day of an important meeting or presentation. It never seemed to fail. Ringing up to let them know you’re not coming in (again) is stressful for you as well as for your employer and, while you may be able to get some work done from home while your little one naps on the couch, it’s often not enough.
Take a look at these tips to help you when dealing with a sick tot as a working parent.
1. Know the Policies
Know your company’s time-off policies and procedures as well as your daycare’s sick child policies. You do not want to be scrambling at the last minute with a sick child.
2. Let your employer know your child is starting daycare
Give them the heads up that with daycare comes daycare sickness and there is the possibility of recurring sicknesses. Ask them about working from home or exploring potential solutions, especially if you cannot afford unpaid time off. And don’t forget to express your commitment to the organisation and why you love your job.
3. Take Turns
If both partners work, it is only fair to take turns. This may mean one of you staying home on Monday and Tuesday while the other stays home on Wednesday and Thursday. If you both still need to be in to work on a particular day, you could take half a day off and switch.
4. Find Suitable Daycare
Find the type of daycare that suits your needs, paying special attention to their sick child policies. A daycare centre may be the best choice for your family. However, don’t discount a family daycare which may mean less children and less sickness.
5. Have a Backup Plan
The last thing you want to do is go into panic mode when your daycare centre calls you to pick up your sick child. Avoid frantic decisions by having multiple plans in place for such a situation.
Coming up with a plan B, C, and D before your child ever gets sick will keep your stress and anxiety from rising.
This can be a trusted friend, family member, or neighbour who can either safely pick up your child or watch them while you’re at work until they’re better and able to go back to daycare. Having a backup babysitter doesn’t hurt either.
Yes, daycare sickness is a pain in the bum. Not only it is hard to watch your baby sick (again), but it’s stressful for us working parents. Just remember, daycare sicknesses will eventually slow down as their immune systems build up.
