The SCARIEST Daycare Moment!

[sahm2three]

Yesterday, one of the littles that has been sick for weeks, spiked a fever. We called mom and left a message. Within minutes, he started coughing and throwing up. I start cleaning him up and then he starts coughing again and stops breathing!!!! He started to turn blue, I was doing everything I could thing of to get him breathing again, and finally he started crying. I was seconds away from calling 911. My assistant called the mom again, this time at her work, not her cell and this was her reaction after being told what happened, "Well, I will call my husband to see if he can get off of work." My assistant said, "Your child stopped breathing! You need to come get him and take him to the doc or we will call 911!" She huffed and puffed and hung up. About 10 or 15 mins went by and we had not heard anything and so my assistant called back. All the while I am still helping him struggle through coughing. She doesn't answer her cell AGAIN. A couple mins later she texts my cell and says the dad is on his way. Can you believe that?! My reaction would have been, "I am on my way!" I would have shot out the door and not cared what anyone said or thought! My child is #1! NOT any job. I don't care what my job was. So, I am hearing now that she is bad mouthing me to anyone who will listen. I am doing this to safeguard all of the kids. I guess he went to the doc last night and something was wrong and he has to go back again today, but she won't say what is wrong. If there is something contagious, doesn't she need to tell me so that I can warn the other parents?! They are always bringing their kids sick. In the last few weeks I have sent the baby home sick at least once a week! He has been miserable and their #1 has been "we can't miss work". I understand that stress, but no matter what, nothing will EVER be more important than my kids!

[Breezy]

Omg!! If it had been my child I would have broken all the traffic laws to get there!!!!

[familyschoolcare]

Omg!! If it had been my child I would have broken all the traffic laws to get there!!!!

Please do not do that. I have paramedic friend that tells stories of people getting into acidents and seriously hurting themselves to get to a hurt child, so not worth it.

Now with that said if you where speaking figuratively and not literaly, then I fully understand and agree compleatly.

[Springdaze]

Scary! i would make her give you a drs note regardless of whether he is contagious or not. I would want to know why it happened.

[familyschoolcare]

Yesterday, one of the littles that has been sick for weeks, spiked a fever. We called mom and left a message. Within minutes, he started coughing and throwing up. I start cleaning him up and then he starts coughing again and stops breathing!!!! He started to turn blue, I was doing everything I could thing of to get him breathing again, and finally he started crying. I was seconds away from calling 911. My assistant called the mom again, this time at her work, not her cell and this was her reaction after being told what happened, "Well, I will call my husband to see if he can get off of work." My assistant said, "Your child stopped breathing! You need to come get him and take him to the doc or we will call 911!" She huffed and puffed and hung up. About 10 or 15 mins went by and we had not heard anything and so my assistant called back. All the while I am still helping him struggle through coughing. She doesn't answer her cell AGAIN. A couple mins later she texts my cell and says the dad is on his way. Can you believe that?! My reaction would have been, "I am on my way!" I would have shot out the door and not cared what anyone said or thought! My child is #1! NOT any job. I don't care what my job was. So, I am hearing now that she is bad mouthing me to anyone who will listen. I am doing this to safeguard all of the kids. I guess he went to the doc last night and something was wrong and he has to go back again today, but she won't say what is wrong. If there is something contagious, doesn't she need to tell me so that I can warn the other parents?! They are always bringing their kids sick. In the last few weeks I have sent the baby home sick at least once a week! He has been miserable and their #1 has been "we can't miss work". I understand that stress, but no matter what, nothing will EVER be more important than my kids!

As far as needing to know if you need to wrn other parents or be prepared for something. the solution is simple you need a doctors note saying what the child had/has and any treatment being given.

What this parent did is consider child neglect/endangerment. I think you should keep a log of it. Has the parent done anything the serious before. Is it a pattern, the start of a pattern?

[Solandia]

Yesterday, one of the littles that has been sick for weeks, spiked a fever. We called mom and left a message. Within minutes, he started coughing and throwing up. I start cleaning him up and then he starts coughing again and stops breathing!!!! He started to turn blue, I was doing everything I could thing of to get him breathing again, and finally he started crying. I was seconds away from calling 911. My assistant called the mom again, this time at her work, not her cell and this was her reaction after being told what happened, "Well, I will call my husband to see if he can get off of work." My assistant said, "Your child stopped breathing! You need to come get him and take him to the doc or we will call 911!" She huffed and puffed and hung up. About 10 or 15 mins went by and we had not heard anything and so my assistant called back. All the while I am still helping him struggle through coughing. She doesn't answer her cell AGAIN. A couple mins later she texts my cell and says the dad is on his way. Can you believe that?! My reaction would have been, "I am on my way!" I would have shot out the door and not cared what anyone said or thought! My child is #1! NOT any job. I don't care what my job was. So, I am hearing now that she is bad mouthing me to anyone who will listen. I am doing this to safeguard all of the kids. I guess he went to the doc last night and something was wrong and he has to go back again today, but she won't say what is wrong. If there is something contagious, doesn't she need to tell me so that I can warn the other parents?! They are always bringing their kids sick. In the last few weeks I have sent the baby home sick at least once a week! He has been miserable and their #1 has been "we can't miss work". I understand that stress, but no matter what, nothing will EVER be more important than my kids!

oooh, scary! I would be ticked off at mom, too. I am not 911 happy, but for baby going blue, I would have. Even if it was "just" choking on vomit. I have had kids choke before (and had to do the heimlich), but they never went blue. My neighbor's baby went blue due to an aspirated vomit episode, and she stayed in the hospital for a day and a half. It was a very rattling experience for my neighbor and her dh.

As far as mom/dad telling you if the child is contagious or not...NO, they do not need to, and it is their right to withhold medical info from anyone. Only in very limited situation, that the parents must tell you a medical issue about their child. However, it is also your right to not care for a child with medical needs that are unknown to you.

[Lilbutterflie]

Oh my goodness, how scary!! I am so sorry you have had such a scary experience, I can't even imagine.

This is no offense to you... and I do realize that in emergencies sometimes you do not always react how you should... but 911 should have been called immediately after the child stopped breathing. In my CPR class we learned that when a child stops breathing; and you have an assistant (as you stated); the very first thing you do is send them to call 911. Then, you start the steps of CPR. This would have avoided all the frustration with the mom; b/c she would have been called SECOND after 911; telling her an ambulence was on it's way to assist her child b/c he/she had stopped breathing.

About the mom, I just can't imagine being a parent told their child had stopped breathing; and saying "I'll call the father to see if he can leave work." Wow. Just unbelievable. I would keep following up with the parents to ask for his diagnosis. I would INSIST on a written diagnosis prior to him returning to your care. Do the research on that diagnosis to see if he is well enough and safe to return to daycare.

[Sunshine44]

Honestly, I'd term for that behavior.

[countrymom]

bad bad mommy.!

[Breezy]

Please do not do that. I have paramedic friend that tells stories of people getting into acidents and seriously hurting themselves to get to a hurt child, so not worth it.

Now with that said if you where speaking figuratively and not literaly, then I fully understand and agree compleatly.

Yes figuratively speaking! Very good reminder there about ppl getting hurt rushing. Thank yiu!

[Daycaremomof2]

Term term term!!!

What if that child is naping and stops breathing- if she is already bad mouthing you now, what do you think would happen if something hapened at naptime that you did not see?

This brought tears to my eyes- how horrible of the parents. I would have left work immediately, called my boss on the way out the door and told her I had an emergency.

And now they wont tell you what happened?

There is too much liability here- even if you need the money, sometimes it isn't worth it.

I am so sorry, that is so scary. I had a child choke yesterday at lunch time and had to do the finger sweep- thank God that worked, but i definitely is a heart stopping moment when you first realize they are not breathing.

OMG that poor child

[Breezy]

Oh my goodness, how scary!! I am so sorry you have had such a scary experience, I can't even imagine.

This is no offense to you... and I do realize that in emergencies sometimes you do not always react how you should... but 911 should have been called immediately after the child stopped breathing. In my CPR class we learned that when a child stops breathing; and you have an assistant (as you stated); the very first thing you do is send them to call 911. Then, you start the steps of CPR. This would have avoided all the frustration with the mom; b/c she would have been called SECOND after 911; telling her an ambulence was on it's way to assist her child b/c he/she had stopped breathing.

About the mom, I just can't imagine being a parent told their child had stopped breathing; and saying "I'll call the father to see if he can leave work." Wow. Just unbelievable. I would keep following up with the parents to ask for his diagnosis. I would INSIST on a written diagnosis prior to him returning to your care. Do the research on that diagnosis to see if he is well enough and safe to return to daycare.

When you wrote "telling her there was an ambulance on its way to assist her child because he stopped breating" i got chills and shudderd imagining if i was told something like that. How could this mom not react the same way!!

Thank goodness the child was not sleeping when this happened-it could have easily gone the other way. Good for you for acting so wonderfully under the pressure and helping him. How old is he?

[Cat Herder]

There is too much liability here- even if you need the money, sometimes it isn't worth it.

I agree.....

Not a good situation.

[littlemissmuffet]

Terminate. YESTERDAY!

[beachgrl]

No way, thats insane! I thinkni would have called 911 after she didnt answer her cell phone again and i would have let them deal with getting thenkidnfrom the paramedics or hospital. I would not let them back without a doc note clearing him back into group care. Most daycaresnhave a health policy stating that if its anything contagious they need to notify the provider so they can notify other parents so yes she should have to disclose whether she likes it or not!

Poor baby, omg..