Opinions please - daycare related

[L'sMommy]

DS (10 mos) has never been in daycare. We have a nanny for him, however, she cannot work tomorrow so DS is scheduled to be in backup day care. Here's the issue. He's been congested with a bit of a runny nose for the last 3 days. No fever, coughing, etc. Acts his normal self. He went through a bout a few weeks ago where he has a runny nose (clear) for 5 weeks straight with no fever or coughing. Pedi wasn't concerned. This time seems the same. My quesion - he is acting fine and no fever or coughing. Am I supposed to keep him home from day care?

I guess this may seem like a no brainer to keep him home but i'm just wondering if we had him in regular day care and he had a runny nose for 5 weeks, we would have been in trouble because theres no other family to take care of him. My job wouldn't give me 5 weeks off for a runny nose....

[KHF]

It's fine to send him. If we all kept our kids home every time they had a runny nose, we'd never be at work.

It's usually the fever that is the key. (Well, and obvious stuff like vomiting, etc.) I probably err more on the side of caution than most parents at our daycare, but I would definitely let your child go with a runny nose.

[wellyes]

Runny nose only is fine for daycare if not other symptoms and he's acting happy. The world of business would grind to a halt if all kids were kept out of daycare based soley on runny noses.

[nfowife]

If he has no other symptoms and his nose is running clear, I'd send him without any concern.

[Snow mom]

I think you'll be shocked you even considered keeping him home when you see all the other runny noses as you drop him off.

[kedss]

if we stayed home everytime we had runny noses, we'd never leave- its fine to send him, its when there's a fever/stomach bug or if he is acting lethargic and 'sick' that I would keep him home.

[daisyd]

Its ok to send your DC to daycare. At DS's daycare looks like every child including DS has a runny nose for several weeks at a time. Its only when they have a fever above 101 that they are sent home.

[HIU8]

DD has had a runny nose since late August. I only keep her home if a fever is involved or if she is not acting like herself (I have kept her home 2 days since September). All of her class has runny noses now. One child is out with a fever. I would send him.

[mominmarch]

I remember asking our ped about this last year (we also have a nanny, and were just starting preschool) when my daughter was 2, and he said that if everyone kept their kids home for runny noses and dry coughs even, no one would go to school until June. I think this year is a little different with H1N1 and some parents, at least at our school, are keeping their kids home a lot more. But that just wouldn't work with my job. Our rule is any fever or if she is really acting off (now that she is 2.5, it is easier to tell). Of course, surprise illnesses will get passed around (croup went around her whole class a few weeks ago) b/c you don't often know a child is sick/contagious until after they have exposed others, but it is a risk everyone takes, and frankly, it does build up their immunities.