Childminder keeps sending my LO back home
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Have you ever tried to push back a little, like asking the childminder to give your daughter another hour and see whether she perks up because it’s really difficult for you to collect her at the moment? Sometimes I think they just try their luck to offload a child but won’t force the issue if you can’t collect. It would be worth having a look at the illness policy you agreed to when you signed up with her. If you think she’s taking the p*** then it would be worth an open discussion.
I think your childminder is overreacting… even our nursery takes my girl with colds, even bad coughs. They are ALL coughing in her group, so imagine if they’ve sent them all home… She’s only been sent home once, because she’s had a fever, and she had to stay away another time for 48 hrs due to suspected diarrhoea (she has loose stool on and off, so that was the nursery’s overreaction…).
@HL she is still going through separation anxiety so I thought maybe that’s manifesting more physically when she’s not home (tricks probably wasn’t the right wording here), but I’m thinking it’s the childminder overreacting or not being able to handle her tantrums along with the other kids.
Your daughter is too young to deliberately fake illness, but she’s also too young to distinguish between physically not feeling well and missing her mummy. So if she has a little cold, suddenly it’s a big cold because mummy isn’t there to make it better. Having taught young children, I think Sophie’s suggestion of asking the child minder to wait it out for a bit is sensible. Lots of kids start the day wanting to go home, but you wait it out and soon they forget they wanted to go home! You said you get photos showing that once she starts playing and gets distracted, she seems fine and happy. Push back gently with the child minder and see how it goes, good luck!
@Sophie honestly today she gave her a dose of calpol & gave her her lunch early & even said she’s doing better now but I’d still like you to pick her up,. sure enough, soon as we’re home I can’t notice any signs of illness, other than having a snotty nose. I’m a FTM & not really sure what to expect of childminders/nurseries in terms of sickness.Her sickness policy only states to not send kids with diarrhoea, fever or worse etc. she also has a Covid guideline for runny nose/coughs but that was from 2022 & none of these incidents was I ever remotely worried my daughter might have Covid.
I think I’d be having a conversation to clarify the illness policy and mention the fact that your little one always seems fine when she gets home. It might make her think twice about trying to pull this on you again. It might be time to start keeping an eye out for a new childminder though!
@Sophie I think I’m going to have to. We were thinking of sending her 2x a week in the new year but this has just got me doubting now. It’s such a shame as she enjoys being with the other kids there
It's interesting that your first thoughts are that it's something to do with you or your daughter, rather than it being something to do with the childminder! Your daughter is too young to be able to play tricks on you. Her brain isn't developed enough to do that. I would be inclined to believe it's a problem with the childminder x