Mums Rant About Sending Sick Kids to Childcare Soon Back Fires

Mum shares her rant about parents sending sick kids to daycare and gets a surprising response.

“I am seriously so over daycare and the parents who send their kids to school stuffed to the brim with germs”, wrote one NSW mum!

“Colds, ear infections, gastro, sore throats and let’s don’t forget those everlasting coughs. Name it, my kids have picked it all up from childcare,” she ranted online.

“They just get over one thing and then BANG..there’s some other evil virus hanging around. And yes, I admit it, I’ve been guilty of sneaking in a dose of panadol minutes before taking my child into daycare, but in most cases, I keep my kids home when they’re unwell (for their sake as well as for the other kids).

“But this means that I feel like I’ve taken more time off from work than have actually been in the office! GRRR Is daycare really worth it? Is your childcare also a cesspool of germs? (And mums, if your kids are sick, please please please keep them at HOME!).”

Mums were soon quick to respond and some weren’t so kind

While many parents agreed and sympathised with the mum, many were not so polite.

Comments included:

– “Lmao….oh this is a good laugh…. thanks for the entertaining post…. you don’t like your kids bringing home germs or a cough from daycare, quit work.”

– “Hmm, a cesspool of germs, or somewhere that will help your child develop not only social skills, but a cast iron immunity, so that you, the parent, can go to work in order to be able to afford to live in this germ filled cesspool of a planet.”

– “You sound like a hypocrite. You addmitted you ALSO send your kids to daycare sick but your irritated other parents do it!!!
( btw ear infections are not contagious )”

– ““I’m guilty of sneaking in a dose of Panadol minutes before taking my child into daycare”… then you are part of the problem. Please do not EVER EVER EVER do this. It’s so dangerous. Panadol masks so many underlying issues, if they need to be medicated they NEED TO BE HOME.
Don’t send a dosed-up kid to care and then complain when other parents do the same.”

– “Go have a winge to centrelink who are putting the pressure on mum’s to be at work. I’m sure they would rather be at home looking after their sick babies but some of us don’t have the luxury of staying home. Maybe look at why your child is getting sick all the time.”

– “Haha! You have done it too then! Your kids infect others just the same. Have you tried working in a daycare and watching the poor kids with there Panadol wearing off and daycare is the last place they want to be! Your no better.”

– “Well the call of the almighty $$dollar$$ is so much more important than caring for your kids!?!? A lot of childcare centres don’t clean their toys regularly either. I’d rather live poor than use them and work!”

What the experts say

Sydney GP Dr Ginni Mansberg offers this assurance to parents: “It’s not unusual for little kids to have up to 12 infections with a fever a year.

“And while it’s horrible for children and parents to go through at the time, the bonus is that they’re building up a library of immunity which will hold them in good stead for the rest of their lives.”

A long-term study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal from 1998 to 2006 found that toddlers in group child care get sick more often than toddlers who stay at home, but found those same kids get sick less often than their peers during the elementary school years. In other words, your kids are going to get sick sooner or later.

Find some great tips on avoiding the daycare bugs HERE.

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47 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    12:09 pm
The post makes no sense when asking other parents not to send their sick kids but admitting that she has sent her kids sick and dosed with panadol.

I work with special needs children and I must admit that I am shocked with the parents that send their children to school sick. One of the boys was sent with covid, Influenza A and a gastro bug. Not all at the same time. I work closely with this child and caught each thing off him. I dont know how this child coped becasue the Influenza A darn near killed me….seriously

- - mom268263 said
  - 31 Oct 2020
    11:32 pm
Hard to draw the line regarding sniffles and sickness sometimes but understand both sides.

- - mom111059 said
  - 16 Jun 2019
    3:25 pm
You can get sick standing next to someone in the shopping centre. But agree if child if infectious, then it’s time to leave them at home. Trouble is taking time off is not always so easy.

- - serotonin said
  - 07 Jun 2019
    5:54 pm
It would be hard for mums who have to work, but I know some use childcare just to get a break. They shouldn’t be sending their sick kids just so they can have a nap or go out for lunch etc. Anywhere with people is a potential situation to pick up something. School, public transport, the supermarket. It’s unavoidable unless you live in a bubble. I’m assuming the older kids who get sick less often have built up their immune systems from getting sick more often when they were younger.

- - Jmac said
  - 31 May 2019
    3:58 pm
My kinder said they had a child who was going through chemo one year and the parents were really careful about taking a sick child into kinder. That was the year they had the highest attendance!

Having said that, i think it is good for their immunity…just it does suck that i seem to get sick along with them!

- - mom81879 said
  - 18 May 2019
    1:44 pm
I can understand the frustration felt, but some parents simply don’t have a choice. It’s the world we live in, two incomes are necessary

- - mom81879 said
  - 08 May 2019
    11:16 am
We all know the germs in these childcare centres. It’s impossible to avoid them and nearly as impossible to keep your kids home when they’ve caught something. In a perfect world maybe…….

- - Kate Sander said
  - 03 May 2019
    2:56 pm
I admit I also found this post amusing. Seems she is guilty of what she is ranting about. It was just the one time times however many kids are in daycare. Just as bad as the other parents you are having a go at. I do see the serious side to it though. Yes, it’s important to keep them home if they are sick.

- - mom350461 said
  - 24 Apr 2019
    9:31 pm
I understand where this mum is coming from. Unfortunately it seems she is in the predicament where she needs to be a hypocrite and send her sick kids to day care.

- - teegsmrstee said
  - 16 Apr 2019
    9:59 pm
I have to say my son never gets sick at school but he certainly got his fair share at daycare!!

- - Fiona M said
  - 31 Mar 2019
    10:42 pm
My son started childcare last week and caught a cold. I’m meant to be going back to work tomorrow. Thank goodness I have an understanding boss, so I’ll be taking my first day back as carer’s leave! I was thinking of sending him, but he’s too sick and needs a good amount of rest that he won’t get at childcare.

- - mom101628 said
  - 31 Mar 2019
    10:03 pm
One has to get immunity somehow – and the earlier the better.

- - ~Loui~ said
  - 30 Mar 2019
    9:46 pm
This does sound like a bit of a silly rant.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 30 Mar 2019
    12:46 am
I’ve felt this mum’s frustration but it is what it is – little kids get sick a lot because of their nature of putting things in their mouths or not washing their hands enough throughout the day or coughing all over others.

- - LuckyMum said
  - 29 Mar 2019
    3:11 pm
I think for the sake of the child and the other children at day care it’s good to keep them home… but that’s not always possible as busy mums know. I remember my girls having lots of colds as soon as they started kindy..

- - sunflower said
  - 29 Mar 2019
    2:33 pm
The no bugs in school once you’ve been through childcare was very true for us. It was hard at the time with small kids but they are super healthy now and its good that they haven’t missed any school.

- - curlytops said
  - 29 Mar 2019
    9:26 am
I agree if they are unwell do not send them. However It is hypocritical to complain about everyone then send your own kids off with Panadol. She should keep them at home too if they need Panadol.

- - rachel1970 said
  - 28 Mar 2019
    6:16 pm
If they are sick, leave them at home. Simple

- - Jujubear79 said
  - 28 Mar 2019
    8:16 am
I HATE when parents do this. It is unfair to the staff and other kids AND the sick child grrrrrrrr

- - mom140193 said
  - 27 Mar 2019
    9:57 pm
What an absolute contradiction this mum posted! Complaining about sickness, coughs, germs yet saying she’s sent her kid to daycare with Panadol before drop off! Wow. If your kid needs Panadol then it’s likely more than ‘sniffles and coughs’. And that kid can and probably will infect other kids with whatever they have. It’s accepted kids at daycare get sick. And not everyone has the luxury of ‘choosing’ to work & use daycare or stay home.