Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Round up, wind down...

What a day today was....   13 kids at work.  Most were pretty cranky all day and we couldn't figure out why or how to make them stop.  The only solution when they are like this is to get them out of the room for awhile.  So 8 got to go on buggy rides, because we only had 3 workers in the room today.   

It worked out because, after naptime, we had one girl wake up with an ever-reddening eye and one boy with a fever, so they couldn't go anyway.  Yes, my friends, pink-eye has began yet again.  All while the diarrhea thing is still going strong and has even hit two workers.  

Why our manager does not insist these children not come back until a doctor has dsicovered the cause and okayed it, is beyond me.  Parents still have to pay for days their child misses for illness, so what's the big deal about making sure they are all healthy?   

The same boy is still going 4-5 times a day.  All very, very soft or just watery.  He has been this way for two months that we know of (he came to our room then).  Another has had it on and off.  Today, we had 5 kids with diarrhea.  You think anyone got sent home?  Nope.  But the fever and pink-eye did!  

Why is it that type of long lasting diarrhea is not considered highly contagious?  Asst #4 spent all of last weekend with it and had it yesterday, as well (she had to call into work).  She is an avid hand-washer and ultimate clean freak, so I know she was careful, but she still got it.   

The way I see it, if I catch something, that's okay... but if Iever bring this crap home to Grace, my job will hear about it!  It is a church daycare that is monitored by the state.  Don't think for a minute that I won't anonymously call the health department and tell them of the diarrhea crisis.  My kid's health comes before anything.  I think it is bad business on our director's part.  If only all the parents knew ;)  

The girl with pink eye came in at 9am with only a little green junk in the corner that looked like 'sleep' and her eye was not red at all.  After her nap, it was gunky, red, and swelling.  So, she basically went 7 hours with us before symptoms showed.  Joy~joy!  

Same as the boy with the fever.  101.1 ~ Higher than a teething temp.  Double whammy!  Nope, nope.... make that a triple.   Looks like I'm dosing up on Vitamin C and minerals now :)  Though, most of these things are viral, I'd like to believe this helps.  Mind over matter and all....  

So, the day actually went pretty fast despite the kids' temperaments and illnesses.  #4 and I rearranged more things!  That ought to tick off someone in the morning.  We had the Lead's permission... that should be the end of it.  But I doubt it.....  the person likes to drag things out.  She still makes remarks about the last time we cleaned things.  Now, it looks even better and she will be even madder  ;)  

Things on the homefront have been good.  Grace has not acted up in school or dance class in a long time <knocks on wood>  She still challenges us on a daily basis.  But I have learned that it is not her, it is us.  She has too many people telling her what to do and how to act, all the time.   

I started bringing her upstairs again, to work on writing the alphabet again.  She has a hard time tracing letters.  She still cannot cut shapes out.  She does not concentrate.  I think it is because the tv is on all day.  My dad does crosswords and reads books while it is on.  Mostly it is on Noggin or PBS Sprout, or Gene Autry... Grace loves Gene Autry because of Champion, the Wonder Horse ;)  

Gracie does better one-on-one.  She is more calm, more attentive.  Downstairs, if she doesn't want to work, she can run away and Poppy will 'save' her.  He says she is only 4.  I say that is not too young to learn.  She is doing it in school now, and she needs help.  She rushes her work so she can play.  Typical of kid, isn't it?   It has been working well so far <once again, knocking>  

Hopefully, she will learn to take her time.  Next year, she'll go to Pre-K four days a week.  I'm not sure for how long, but I'll guess for three hours.  Hard to believe my baby will be in first grade in two years.   

Well guys, that about does it.  I'm looking for some Halloween decor, if any of you great graphic-ists, <~new word... lol, would like to donate to my sidebar ;)   

Hope you all continue on your journeys.....  

Cat

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't get how parents can send their kids to school sick... I don't even send Rowan when she is coughing or had been running a temp the night before.  I know I don't like her coming home with the sickies... So I sure don't want her to get other kids sick.

I think I'd be making that call ;)

~Jenn

Anonymous said...

But I have learned that it is not her, it is us.  She has too many people telling her what to do and how to act, all the time.

Same thing with Ciara.  She has to go to school all day and be ordered around by various teachers, and then comes home to Bill and I, and my mother on top of that.  Ugh, poor kid of mine doesn't stand a chance.


I've had it with ignorant parenst thinking it's no big deal that their child has diarrhea or is hacking their brains out to the point of vomiting.  IT's not teething and it's not allergies people, when my children come down with it too.  MOTHER FUCKERS!...sorry.  All the daycare kids just finished up with their colds and coughs, and now my kiddos have it, just in time for Halloween.(Ciara has a stye and couldn't have her school pics taken)  I'm assuming they will also have it for Thanksgiving and Christmas, becasue the shit gets passed around here every four weeks.  Lucky me, I get screwed for all the holidays  MOTHER FUCKERS...sorry.


Anonymous said...

UGHHH...Pink eye sucks...
I've had it at least 4 times..
2 times it went into the other eye too
It's miserable having it in one...but two...Geeze!!
Good thing they sent the kid home...it's so contagious
Hope you don't get any of whats goin around....seems
to be alot of it.... Hugss..~Terri~

Anonymous said...

That's all just crazy! I hope your immune system holds up!

A town near me has some mysterious illness along the lines of what you described, and they've traced it to the water supply. Half the population of the town is afflicted. That's a miserable condition...


Jimmy

Anonymous said...

Yep, it's that time of year again.  I still don't understand, why when a child is sick, do you still send them to day care or school?  Especially with a fever...total contagious time!!  Makes me blame the parents...but then again, think how many jobs now won't allow you to call off anymore...or you only get three sick days for a whole year.  Either way, it just sucks.  Good luck and I hope you and Gracie don't get sick now.  

Ahhh...4-K.  I miss those days.  Where everything was fun....

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

ya know I don't know how parents can continue to send their child to school knowing they have diarhea and whatnot for so long =( That to me is just horrible and the schools should not allow them to come if it happens for more than say 3 days or something. I don't know, just my opinion. I give ya credit, my 3 children are hard enough, ok.. Jonny is like having 10 but I could never do what ya'll do everyday.. Ok.. and I am gonna work with Nae next year? This outta be fun, LOL... Massive headaches 24/7!!
Hope those illnesses get better around your way, and Hello to Gracie too =)

*Love*
Theresa

Anonymous said...

EWWW - yuckies on the daycare scene!!  I hate when school starts every year because of the nasties that go around!!  Keep up the good work and study habits with Grace!  It will pay off in the future.  My kids still get sidetracked and hurry so they can play.  Susie just got off being grounded from anything but schoolwork and reading after school.  Her grades fell really bad.  She was messing around outside and watching TV.  So she had to sit at the kitchen table until homework was done and then she could sit on the couch in the other room from the TV or in her room and read.  The grades came way up!!  So it is never too early to teach them good study habits.  A certain time and for a specified length of time with no TV or distraction will not hurt her one bit!
Colleen

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I could beat those parents with a flu infected stick.  Or better yet, toss dirty kleenex at them all day at work ;)~  GEEZ!  We've already had a stomach virus makes it's way around us, and a cold...and we're only 2 months into the school year.

Pey hates being told what to do, and all day long it seems like someone is doing just that.  I cut the TV off about 3 weeks ago for her and it seems to be helping her use her mind more.  Plus now it's a really big deal to watch one or two shows when she's allowed.  I noticed her getting a distorted sense of reality...thinking that how things worked on TV was real....and laughing at the parents cause they're a joke on most shows.  The best part is that after a week she doesn't really care about watching it anymore and is really getting into reading.

Grace is a smart cookie, and especially with going to pre-k she's gonna do just fine in school.  The benchmarks here for KG are...they have to be able to cut basic shapes, know the alphabet (helps to be able to recognize and write letters) and be able to count to 10 and recognize the numbers...oh and colors and shapes, they had to know those.  My best advice for prep is to get 'sight word' and basic addition flash cards.  The sight words are definitely best to start working on early :)

Hope you have a great week doll~
~*XOXOXO*~
~Bernie

Anonymous said...

hello to Gracie and you all stay healthy. judi

Anonymous said...

I know, all your frustrations and what it's like with sick children, the parents, etc. I worked in a childcare as both a teacher, and the director for years. Tough times, huge rewards and one thing I always said about my teachers. It takes a special person, and they have to have the "IT" to be able to do this line of work. So of my most precious friends I have to this day, are woman I met, at the childcare. Special people for a special job.
Rebecca

Anonymous said...

I haven't been here in a loooong time. But reading this just made me cringe. Sick kids and daycare don't sit well with me being a provider. And working in a center my experience was just like what you wrote in your post. There was a little girl who had a fever of 102.7, instead of calling the parent they gave her tylenol and said they would get around to it. I hounded them but to no avail...'oh, her mom will be here in a couple of hours to get her anyway, just let her lie down.' Maybe it's that I do daycare but to me, if my kid were running that kind of a fever, I would want to know and be there with her. Another infant was sick, 101 fever, and the girls procrastinated for about 45 minutes on whether or not to call the mom. 'I just hate to make them come and get their kid and have them miss work'. I had to quit because that logic to me was really messed up. Kids first, work second!

Also, I have asked about 3 doctors a very specific question because of parents who like to dump their kids off with fevers. TEETHING does NOT cause a fever, it is something else going on. Virus of some sort. I have a stipulation in my contract that states very clearly, no matter what the parent may feel or think about a fever, their child or children are not allowed in my daycare until that child has been at a normal temp for 24 hours. do they get mad and yell? Oh you bet but I have to stand my ground. With a family of six living in our home plus daycare children, I won't risk it. Doing daycare for almost 12 years has made me a very big beeeyatch with these parents...kids first is my philosophy, if they don't like it I tell them that they need to look elsewhere.
sorry for my rant but I feel your frustration.

Anonymous said...

Amazing how quickly time passes. Whenever, any of my children have started school it always came as a bit of a shock - it always felt like I had only given birth to them yesterday!

Tilly x
http://journals.aol.co.uk/tillysweetchops/Adventuresofadesperatelyfathouse/

Anonymous said...

Cat...whre are you?

Trick or treat!  :)

Dona

http://journals.aol.com/delela1/BlueSkiesandGentleBreezes

Anonymous said...

Happy Halloween. Trick or Treat!

Tilly
http://journals.aol.co.uk/tillysweetchops/Adventuresofadesperatelyfathouse/