What the hell are people thinking?!?

[farsk]

Hello Everyone!

I am MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, when I dropped Ellen off at school, one of the little girls was sick. I could tell she was sick, and I'm not even her mommy! So I'm getting Ellen settled in for breakfast and the little girl projectile vomits all over the teacher, the soft climbers, and the floor. Smelling foulness like you wouldn't believe! So the teacher was going to have to sit in vomit smelling clothing all day. I insisted that she go home and change and I would stay there with Ellen so that would not have "administrative trouble", and they called the little girl's mother to come pick her up. I asked the other teacher if this had come up all of a sudden, and she said that little girl's mom had said that she "spit up" on the way to school. I don't know what's what, but I didn't think that 15 month olds "spit-up" anymore. To me, that's vomiting.

Well, the teacher returned with fresh clothes, and the little girl's mother had still not come to pick her up. By this time, I was an hour late for work, so I left. I found out at lunch, that the little girl had vomited AGAIN and was DRY HEAVING, and that her mother took OVER AN HOUR to come and pick her up. Oh, I should mention that she can walk from where she works to the daycare.

So I was mad enough yesterday that she didn't take her home after the alleged "spit-up" incident and also that she took over an hour to get there...meanwhile, the little girl is so upset that it brought me to tears. Fast forward to today.......

THE MOTHER BROUGHT THE LITTLE GIRL BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY!!!!!!

She did not take her to the doctor to see what was wrong with her....she did not go to the doctor to set her mind at ease....she did not go to the doctor to insure that the little girl would not spread disease and pestilance to my child. I can't believe it! I'm not a complainer by nature, but I did have to call the director of the daycare to express my concern. She (defensively) said that it was their policy that if nothing had happened in 24 hours, they could return and said that the mother said that nothing had happened. My opinion...you can't trust the mom.

I am tearfully mad and am considering leaving work at lunch today to get Ellen.

What would you do?

Thanks!

[amp]

Arrrgggh! I used to be a lead teacher in a daycare/preschool and I can't tell you how rampant this is. Even when a parent finally respected the "don't bring them back until no fever for 48 hours" rule, I've had a parent come in EXACTLY 48 hrs later, even if it is 2pm and naptime, just to get their kids out of their house. Why did they bother having kids? I have so much sympathy for my little guy when he's sick and I just can't imagine not wanting him at home (no flames please..I konw lots of parents work and sometimes it's just not convenient to stay home, but come on!), let alone exposing other kids to it too! Sheesh!

I had a sick boy once who was burning up with a fever of 103+. Not emergency-ish, but the kid was miserable. Finally I had to just sit in the office holding him while he napped in my arms and someone else took my class, so I could wait 1.5 hrs for the mother, who upon arriving, remarked, "He doesn't feel that warm to me." I wanted to slap her! She brought him back after 48 hrs and remarked that he had been fine as soon as she left with him.

Nuff said, except, Shannon - I'm sorry you have to deal with this and I wish I had some advice. Hugs!

[slknight]

Ugh. I am so sorry that you have to deal with this. That totally sucks and the woman is a moron.

A similar thing happend at DS's daycare when hand/foot/mouth was going around. I picked up DS and over-heard the teachers talking to one of the other parents in his class. They said that the girl was refusing her bottles and wouldn't eat (probably due to sores in her mouth). Then they said she had spots on her feet. The mother's response, "Oh, I thought those were mosquito bites." DUH!

[Sarah1]

OMG. This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves (people who don't keep their sick kids AWAY from other kids!!!). I would've been so PISSED!

Audrey has had mild diarrhea for the last five days. She has no other symptoms and is otherwise cheery, but I've kept her away from any classes and haven't taken her to the daycare at my gym. I just treat others as I would want to be treated, KWIM??? Like, I wouldn't want Audrey to be playing with another kid who might be throwing up or having the big D. Maybe we're just more considerate than most people, Shannon!

I think, also, some people's kids get sick so much that they just don't think it's a big deal. Sounds like this mom at your daycare. Oooooooh, I would want to give her a good talking-to. She sounds like a really careless, inconsiderate person. Poo on her!

[C99]

I'd be pissed if someone brought a vomiting child to daycare or a class. And not picking up your child for 2 hours after called by the dcp? Patently unacceptable. And shame on your daycare provider for stating 24 hours and then not even following it!

That said, I wouldn't take my kid to the doctor just because he was throwing up. It's not that I don't care about him or making him better. It's that vomiting is a symptom, not a cause, and will often go away on its own. If he threw up for more than 2 days, I'd call the ped and probably ask for a sick appointment.

[lisams]

What is it about people bringing very sick children to school? It pissed me off when I was teaching because by the time the parents actually arrived (and the ones that usually send them sick are the ones that take forever picking them up) they have spread the germs to everyone in the class. There is no excuse. Would they go to work vomitting in the halls on the way to their office, and if they did, their co-workers would demand they leave for the health of everyone. That poor child, I know when I am sick the last thing I want to do is get up, get dressed and rushed out the door to go to school. I can only imagine how that poor little one is feeling. Parent's need to be parents, and part of that is taking care of your child when they are ill or having a back up plan. Ugh!

I hope Ellen does not catch this bug!

Lisa

[Kieransmom]

Uggh- This made me so angry! I can't believe how insensitive this poor girls mother is to not only you and your child (and the other kids and parents at daycare) but to her own child! I just don't understand why people think it's ok to expose their sick kids to everyone else's.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this! You did the right thing by going to the school's administration. I too hope Ellen doesn't end up sick!

Michelle
Mommy to Kieran, born 5/9/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030509/1/5/0/+10/.png[/img][/url]

[lrucci]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I hope Ellen doesn't get sick from her. I would be livid if she did.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves as a teacher. It amazes me how many parents will send their children to school right after they get sick or w/diarrhea. I feel so bad for the kids. A lot of parents won't pick up the phone when they see that it's the school calling.
They just can't be bothered. We had one mother tell our school nurse that her daughter would just have to wait (daughter had a fever of 102 and was throwing up) until she was done getting her manicure and pedicure.


Lisa
Mom to Kyleigh 7/19/03

[jk3]

That is sad + completely unaccetable. In my teaching days there were many, many children who were dropped at school who shouldn't be there. While I was pregnant, there was a repeat offender in my class. Every time he had OBVIOUS symptoms, I sent him down to the nurse. He would beg me not to send him saying his mom would be mad which made me irrate-at the mom! One time in particular he was hiding antibiotics in his backpack + I completely flipped out since parents know that all medicine needs to go via a parent to the nurse. When I called the mom + explained that this was a potentially dangerous situation because another child might have discovered the medicine and he was still contagious she simply said she could not miss work. Again he was sent to the nurse, she called the mom + he was picked up. I felt badly for this child but it is beyond inconsiderate to send a sick child to school.

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png