Sick at Daycare

My son started daycare at 18 months we just "graduated" (going to K next week). To be perfectly honest, I hate to tell you this, but the first year is REALLY rough. My son caught EVERYTHING! He'd get over a viral infection and then get Pink Eye, and so on. BUT, after that, it was smooth sailing. I don't think I've had to keep him home for illness in over a year! Little ones put just about everything in their mouths and that's the easiest way to transfer the infections. Most daycares/home centers/etc. are really good about cleanliness, etc., but I'm sure they can't catch every germ before it spreads. Plus, huge bonus here, I've heard that once they build up that immune system, Elememtary School will be a breeze with little illnesses! Woo-Hoo! Finally! Good luck!

Hi S.,

Been there, done that! It seemed as though my child was constantly on antibiotics or visiting the doctor. One morning I came to daycare to drop her off (she just got off a round of antibiotics and was finally well for change)...there was a note on the door...

"Pink eye and stomach flu going around school"

I pulled her out and found an at home daycare where she stayed at for 3 years until she started kindergarten. She would catch something now and then, but nothing like at a daycare center!

Maybe you should check out that type of daycare...her provider provided a nursery school program and breakfast, lunch and a snack everyday. Her tuition was $165/week and the provider was signed up with the state (she's only allowed to have I think up to 6 children). She had to get child care credits at state provided classes and the state would stop by her daycare to check it out and make sure she was up to par...it was a win-win stituation! Sometimes I still drop my daughter off when I'm in a bind (schools closed, etc.)...

As I'm sure you've been told a billion times at this point, kids who go to daycare are more suseptable to getting sick because they are around other kids bringing in germs. You also have o take in to consideration that you little guy is at a stage where he's putting everything in his mouth, just like the other kids he's in daycare with, which puts him at higher risk of catching something. It will pass in time. Being exposed to these germs now will help bring up his immunity level and before too long your days of calling out of work will pass.

S., good luck to you!! My little girl went to a babysitter's house two days a week with only 3-4 other kids and she was sick (it seemed like constantly) all winter long. I have to admit that the illnesses were significantly less (almost non existant but still here and there) in the summer months. It was very difficult because I worked full time and I couldn't send her to the babysitters sick so I missed some days. Then it turned out that when I was sick, I had no sick days because I used them for when my daughter was sick. (She's worth it of course but it was still difficult).

The only good thing about it is that, according to my doctor, her immune system is built up very strong and when she goes to school this year, she will probably have less illnesses because of all the things she already had.

If possible, my advice would be to find someone who could watch your child in her home or in your home. If that's not possible, be strong. The time will go very fast and before you know it, the colds will start to diminish.

Good luck!

I would give it 4 months and see how it goes. When my daughter was 12 months we started her at day care and for the first 2-3 months, we were home with her once a week for something. After that, she made it through the next few years with very few problems. My son started at 8 weeks and I had expected it to go bad but he was a lot better and only had a few sick days. On the positive side, if he is getting a lot of colds and things now, he will probably have a much easier time when he starts school because he will have already been exposed to everything.

If you think the overall condition of the center is dirty, there is a good chance they are not cleaning as often as they should which could be part of the problem. I know at my last center, when pink eye or strep throat would go around, everything was disinfected and they even washed all the stuffed animals.

When my daughter was in daycare she was frequently sick and winter was the worst time. The good part is that your child will eventually build up immunities and will not get sick as often when he starts school.

I have found that my daughter is able to function much better sick than I can.

My sons, ages 2 and 4, started day care in May. And after just 4 days both came down with a stomach bug. It was very frustrating to have to miss work time at a brand new job and made me think "what was I thinking going back to work". The owner of the day care confirmed that indeed, kids do tend to pick up a cold or stomach thing or other virus when they start. Your son is younger and it sounds like this is his first time in a situation exposed to so many new people/germs. My boys had been in preschool programs prior to that a few mornings each week. So I think they had built up some immunity. They haven't been sick since May. I would suggest you hang tough. Hopefully this rapid-fire bout of illnesses will bring him some "immunity" to catching them again in the winter. I myself am dreading the winter and what the day care will bring. Good luck - it will all work out.

Hi S.!

I would really question the daycare center. My daughter started daycare at 8 weeks old and has been there for three months without any colds or rashes or anything!! She got her first cold at two weeks old, but luckily I was home with her to take care of her, and we were all sick at the time. Anyway, her daycare center is always very clean and they do a good job of contacting parents when a child gets sick. Maybe you should consider taking your son elsewhere.

Good luck!!
B.

You may want to look for another daycare my daughter was in daycare since she was 3 months old she is now 3.5 and today is her last day of daycare. Anyway she was hardly ever sick. One ear infection and a case od hand foot and mouth.....that's it!!! You may want to question the cleanliness and the procedures that they follow for disinfecting the center.

I went through the same thing. My daughter got sick a lot when she was youger. There are definately a lot of germs at daycare centers, but that is to be expected. Honestly, she is 3 now and gets sick less, but still does. It is kind of inevitable unless you keep your child in a bubble lol. Just hope for the best. Things will get better. Just think of it this way, even though the things that have happened to him so far have been unfortunate, maybe he won't get sick anymore. Hang in there ok.

Hi S.,

Unfortunately most daycare centers will accept a sick child as long as he/she does not have a fever. And what's worse is that a lot of parents will not advise the daycare center that their child is sick because they have to work. I can only suggest you look into daycare alternatives (in home care is not much more expensive), but be sure to ask what their "sick child" policy is. Good Luck to you.

Hi S. My son is 2 yrs old and he has been in daycare since he was 9 nmonths. He still is sick when i tell you he is sick every other week. You need to hang in there I t takes a while. every child is different. My friend kids took like 5 months but I have not had any luck. I would make sure that the daycare cleans very often. See if they sanitize there hands. They should change diapers with gloves, wash toys after they put them in there mouth. It is rough. Winter is worst than any other time. Your son probably needs to get thru a good winter and thean hopefully you will have more luck than i have had. My son has everything in the book if you have any question about illnesses just send a message i probably can help.

I understand this must be frustrating for you all. I would ask your provider what her cleaning routine is. I personally sanitize everything my day care kids play with every other day or so, or more often if a child is sick. I have to commend you on keeping your son home when he is sick. This doesn't happen too often in most day cares. Most of the illnesses that are passed on are from kids whose parents do not want to stay home from work, or feel their job is threatened if they do stay home with their sick child, so they bring them to day care sick anyway. A lot of parents mask viruses with tylenol or cold medicine, to make it seem their kids are ok. And obviously kids will have no symptoms yet and pass their illness around unbeknownst to all of us. Unfortunately when kids are put in a setting together it happens, but eventually their immune systems will mature over time, and if you keep giving your child vitamins every day, all you can do is hope for the best. Be assured knowing your getting his immune system ready for when he goes to school. Sheltering your child at home will do nothing to boost his immune system when he comes into contact with an illness anyway.

We have been through two rounds of daycare and one private sitter. My son was in daycare from 7 weeks old until he was 10 mo. old when I pulled him out. He was sick probably the first four weeks straight including two trips to the ER for fevers. It calmed down after the first few months, but he still got the occasional cold or stomach bug. How many kids are in the group with your son? Our old center had four infants in a room to one caregiver. We found out he was being juggled a lot between rooms (stuff like another room would have only one child a certain day due to the other three being sick, so they would stick that child in the room with our son for the day. Inevitably everyone in our son's room would get it.) I spoke with the director about it and they quit juggling the kids so much. He was sick a lot less.

When he started at the sitter's, he was 19 mo. old and got sick once every three weeks for the first two months and that was only being around her 2 kids and one other child.

Now that he is in another center, he was sick every other week for the first month and has been fine since. There are a total of 22 kids (2 year olds) in his class over the course of a week, plus he eats breakfast with the 3 and 4 year olds. He is probably exposed on some level to the germs of 80-90 kids a week.

I think that they eventually adjust. If your son doesn't and your ped. says he's fine, it might be the daycare. Good luck!
H.
mom of a 2 1/2 year old boy

Hi S.-
I had my son in daycare at 3 months old. While he was in daycare he had an ear infection, 3 bouts of gastroenteritis for which he was hospitalized for & a few colds until we took him out when he was almost a year. I am now a SAHM. What type of daycare is your son in? Mine was in a home daycare setting & it was obvious his caregiver was not sanitizing properly. Maybe it's time to look into different daycare settings. Children will get sick in daycare, but it seems to me that he is getting sick too often. Good luck!

Yes, my daughter also got sick in day care. It seemed that if one child got sick, it went around to all of them in a few days. It was awful and exausting for me. After a few months though, they will develop immunities to the colds and flus that are going around. I ended up taking my daughter out of group day care and sent her to a home day care with only one other child (not due to the illnesses) and she did not hget sick as much but still did catch some (I am a teacher and mu husband an MD though so I imagine we brought home soe nasty germs as well!). Good luck!

Hi! Sorry you have to go through the "sick time" with your child - it can get very frusterating! I own a small daycare - there are 12 children enrolled - and let me tell you, the children get sick all the time in the first year of daycare! When I fist opened my daycare, I was sick constantly for the first year. Now when new children start I tell the parents to be prepared for the illnesses to start! I had one little girl start 2 months ago and so far she has had the stomach flu, upper respitory infection, ear infection....she has been sick the majority of the time so far! And believe me I keep my daycare as clean as possible - clean the toys whenever they are mouthed, clean the floors weekly etc. So unfortunatly this is going to happen for the next few months but the good news is that after your child builds the immunity he will never get sick again!! hope this helps

Hi- my son, who is 7 now, started daycare at the age of 6 months old. He was with a private daycare provider until the age of 14 months, and then a licensed daycare. Within the 1st month, he seemed to come up with everything under the sun. It's normal- I also missed work many days. But after about 6 months, his immune system built up so strong that he fought off everything else. Now although he does get an occasional cold from time to time, his immune system is very strong. Hang in there, it will pass- give it about 6 months.

Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is normal. I have 2 boys, both in daycare. The first year in daycare they will be sick frequently. The illnesses will spread out as time goes by. Not much you can do...your child's immunity needs to build up. I would suggest washing their (and your) hands before you leave the daycare each day. Good luck!

S.,
It's expected that your son will get a bug from time to time, but this sounds pretty excessive. My son also got sick frequently while attending a daycare center. Once I moved him to a in home sitter, he hardly ever got sick. My suggestion is to find a someone who babysits in their home. Less kids, less germs, more love and attention.

Good luck!

For 15 years I had a Licensed Family Daycare in my home. I primarily took care of infants (beginning at 6 weeks old) and toddlers. I had two young school aged children of my own who were very capable of bringing home illness. I did manage to keep my own kids healthy by giving them daily vitamins, good diet, adequate sleep and taught them good handwashing, covering for sneezes etc. They interacted with the babies everyday. I personally made it a point to be diligent about my own handwashing, cleaning of toys, eating areas etc. "My babies" were rarely sick. It did happen occasionally of course. I guess what I am trying to say is please find out what type of policy your child's care taker(s) have for avoiding the spread of germs.
About me
I am a grandmother of 4 and was widowed at the age of 40 and never remarried.

Dear S.

My daughter has been in daycare for 2 years now. She unfortunately started when I had to go back to work at 6 weeks. I have very few brief breaks between colds and I have noticed that for the first time, while she stayed home this month with my mother, her nose has stopped running. My doctor told me to expect this constent state of condition from her while she was in daycare. She said that the first year is the worst, the second year is better and by the end of the third year they will not be sick as often because their little bodies have learned to fight the germs off better. I have found this to be true so far and I am blessed that when she is sick she is not very cranky. Best of luck.