Sick care providers?

[agm04]

To those who have in home care for your LO(s):  how do you decide whether or not to go with plan B if your provider is a bit under the weather?  I guess in most situations it's up to the provider?  We have a WONDERFUL au pair (live in) who just returned from vacation and has a sore throat today.  No fever, slight headache (maybe from lack of sleep last night).  The weather just changed significantly here too, so that could be contributing.  She was totally willing to work and said she was fine, and I really couldn't miss work today, so I left DD with her.  She will keep away from DD's face as much as possible, wash her hands a lot, etc.  I'm caught between trying to chill because we won't avoid all germs, and worrying that DD will get the flu (I hate you, flu season).  Anyway, it got me thinking about how to handle days like this in general.  Thoughts?

Side note - I can now access TCF at work!  So I'll probably be a lot more active now.  

[kaydee0402]

As long as the care provider doesn't have a fever, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's good for babies to come in contact with germs (as my pedi constantly reminds me!), which is hard to hear as a mom because a sick baby is a major DNW. As for when she gets a fever and you can't miss work, do you have a friend or family member that you can use as an emergency back up?

And yay for being able to access TCF!

[agm04]

Oct 27, 2015 9:57:11 GMT -5 kaydee0402 said:

As long as the care provider doesn't have a fever, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's good for babies to come in contact with germs (as my pedi constantly reminds me!), which is hard to hear as a mom because a sick baby is a major DNW. As for when she gets a fever and you can't miss work, do you have a friend or family member that you can use as an emergency back up?

And yay for being able to access TCF!

Thank you - this is exactly what I've been telling myself.  Yes, we are super fortunate to have retired in laws about 20 minutes away, and I can usually take the day off or work from home if needed.  Although working from home without having someone else to watch DD is a joke these days.

[kaydee0402]

Oct 27, 2015 10:37:04 GMT -5 agm04 said:

Oct 27, 2015 9:57:11 GMT -5 kaydee0402 said:

As long as the care provider doesn't have a fever, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's good for babies to come in contact with germs (as my pedi constantly reminds me!), which is hard to hear as a mom because a sick baby is a major DNW. As for when she gets a fever and you can't miss work, do you have a friend or family member that you can use as an emergency back up?

And yay for being able to access TCF!

Thank you - this is exactly what I've been telling myself.  Yes, we are super fortunate to have retired in laws about 20 minutes away, and I can usually take the day off or work from home if needed.  Although working from home without having someone else to watch DD is a joke these days.

RIGHT?! Sometimes I miss the immobile days. I got so much more done!

[aggiebug]

Dude I would even go back to the slow mobile/ easily distracted days. Now I pick her up and set her down in a different room and she goes straight back to the dogs water bowl. lol


I hope everyone is feeling better today. I think fever is a good rule. As a sahm I would be watching kids and avoiding sharing germs with a mild head cold, so I think that is a reasonable expectation with in home care. Day cares and group settings worry a lot more about the spread between kids so they are more strict then I think you need to be.