Childcare - Parents Precinct

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Childcare, as if crying and separation anxiety is not enough, having a child in care can mean being sick in a way you may never have imagined possible.

I was pleased with Samantha on her first day several weeks ago. She wondered off and played, hardly noticed when I said goodbye, and settled quite well.

That was Monday. I don’t work on Tuesday and we had a fun day shopping, with Samantha happily smiling at all the shop keepers. She went to bed that evening feeling well and happy, but by the early hours of Wednesday morning she was miserable and very sick.

After visiting the doctor, I was told she had Rotavirus, which is very common for all children when they first start childcare, and it is very contagious. He was not kidding, within 2 days I could not get out of bed, my husband had to stay at home and look after everyone, but by the middle of the afternoon, he too had been wiped out.

Symptoms

The onset of this virus can appear sudden. However, the virus incubates for two days, which explains why Samantha came home from day care happy on Monday and showed no symptoms until Tuesday night.

Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhoea (which may last between 2-5 days). There may also be a mild fever. Sometimes diarrhoea may last longer because the infection in the gut can lead to an intolerance to sugars in some foods (usually lactose which is milk sugar).

What to do

It can be scary when your child is so sick; and it is always best to seek medical advice.
Give them lots of fluids, so they don’t become dehydrated, which may require hospitalisation.
If you are also infected with Rotavirus you can take Gastrostop or Imodium from your chemist. It is also important take ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) to replace lost potassium and salts. Babies cannot take Imodium or Gastrostop but they can take ORS (double check with your pharmacist as to what form it can be taken in).

How do you protect your child?

It is hard to protect your child from rotavirus especially when they go to day care, as it is very contagious. Hygiene is important - all nappy changing areas need to be constantly cleaned and sterilised, as do all communal areas. Hands need to be washed after changing nappies and before food is handled.

Nowadays babies in Australia are immunised against the virus at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. It doesn’t stop children contracting the disease but the symptoms are less severe, which may explain why my husband and I suffered a lot worse than Samantha did.

For more information about the disease and immunisation in Australia, see the government information for Parents and Guardians.

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Posted By: Sara Dobson - Category: Childcare, Baby, Toddler

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Seperation Anxiety

August 20th 2008 01:22

I have just taken my first step in returning to the workforce. I got some temporary work this week, just a few days to ease me back into work, while I continue to look for a part time job.

Anyway, work was fine the worst part was dropping my daughter off at day care. I knew it was not going to be easy. I went to the childcare centre a few days before hand to let her play and see how she liked it.

At first I thought it would be a breeze. I put her on the floor and she crawled off to play. Sweet I thought and went off into the office to do the paperwork. Within five minutes, I could hear her screaming one of the carers decided to include her in the game. She was inconsolable, and I was also fighting back tears.

They gave her to me to calm down (because I was so distressed), but they pointed out to me that kids do cry when they first come into care sometimes for 10 or 20 minutes and the staff are trained to deal with that.

Truth is the first time your baby is separated from his or her carers is going to be tough all round. Separation anxiety is common for babies and small children it starts from around 6-8 months of age and lasts until around 3 years.

What is Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety occurs when a child is old enough to realise there are people that provide them with all their needs in terms of love comfort and nourishment, and they know the difference between family and strangers. The child becomes anxious when their carer is not there and cries to bring them back.

What can you do about it?

There are a ways you can make separation easier for your child.

• Spend some time with your child at childcare providers to get them used to it.
• Say goodbye to your child. It is tempting to sneak away while your child is distracted, but don’t, this will just make them distrust you. Try not to show any anxiety as you say goodbye as your child will notice it.
• Arrive 15 minutes ahead of time to help your child settle in before you leave them.
• Make sure they have a comforter such as a dummy or wrap from home.
• Accept that it is going to be hard and it takes time for a child to settle into care.
• Try and keep care arrangements as consistent as possible, a child will find it hard to settle if care options are always changing.
• Watch your child for ongoing signs of distress. If they have not settled in within a few weeks, it may be that the arrangement is not the best option for your child, and you may need to review the situation.

I did all the above, but she still cried when I left, I was also fighting back tears. You need to do it though, because she did not cry all day and apparently, she loved the singing and the music activities, so she had a good time in the end. And I got to see photos of what she was up to during the day.

I am thinking to myself, next step is school then she will be leaving home. I wish she would stay my little baby forever.

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Posted By: Sara Dobson - Category: Childcare

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Child care options

August 2nd 2008 23:56

As if finding work is not hard enough for mums, the other big issue facing them is finding good childcare and it is hard – so hard. The truth is, nobody is going to care for and love your darling as much as you do. I have spent the last week looking at childcare options and it can be very daunting. I always wonder about things like what are they going to do when Samantha is cranky all day, or does not want to eat because she is teething. Will they think she is just being naughty and put her in a cot for time out? The biggest worry at this age is that babies cannot talk and it seems that only mums can interpret their needs.

Maybe as mothers, we worry too much. Most childcare professionals are well trained, and understand parent’s needs and concerns. There are several different options for those looking for all day care. These are as follows:

Au Pair

The difference between a Nanny and Aupair is that an Au pair is from overseas, here on a short-term basis. They may stay with a family for a while and help with childcare and some domestic duties in exchange for pocket money. Childcare may not be their career goal, and they may have very little experience with children.

The advantages of having an Au pair is that your child is cared for in your own home, so you don’t have the hassle of getting to and from the child care centre, and they are less likely to be exposed to germs. Your child also gets one on one care from an Au pair. On the other hand, you are responsible for getting replacement care for your child if they are sick, on holiday or if they leave. There may be problems in terms of a language barrier and continuity of care, as they are here only for a few months or a year.

Nanny

Can be live in or live out. A nanny only carries out childcare duties and domestic duties related to childcare. Childcare is their chosen profession and they usually have a lot of experience regardless of whether they formal qualifications or not. Nannies can be expensive for just one child; however, some mothers often have a nanny share situation. As with an Au pair one of the advantages of a nanny is that you do not need to travel to and from childcare and your child is less likely to be exposed to illnesses. The downside is that you need to arrange alternate cover if your nanny is sick or on holiday.

If you employ a nanny or Au pair directly, you may avoid the agency fees however, you are responsible for paying all the wages, tax, and superannuation.

Childcare centres

These are great if you are working fulltime, however most will charge for the whole day regardless of what time you drop your kids off or pick them up. I was thinking I would like a job from 10am – 4.30pm (maybe I am a dreamer) but have realised that it is better to do three full days than 5 half days. The waiting lists can be long so you need to put your name down at a few.

It is the centres responsibility to replace staff that are sick or on holiday. A lot of them have structured learning activities for children of all ages. They provide all meals and nappies so you do not need to worry about packing a lunch for your child. Some of them take digital pictures, and load them onto a computer so that you can see what your child has been up to while you work.

The downside of this option is that children do not get the one on one attention that they would get if they were being cared for in the home. They are also exposed to a lot more illnesses.

Childcare centres I have looked at on Sydney’s North Shore vary in cost from $90 - $100 per day, which I thought was very expensive. I emailed my mother’s group asking if this seemed normal and I was told that it is. In fact, some of them say they are paying $110 for childcare in the CBD. The up side of this is that you get around half of this cost back from the government up to a maximum of $7000 per year, and they pay it quarterly. For more information go to the Australian Government Family Assistance website.

Family Daycares
I know several mothers who have chosen this option. Their child is cared for in someone’s private home. Carers are organised through the councils and need to be registered. Homes are inspected and modified if required. This option can be a lot cheaper than a day care centre however; you are responsible for providing all your baby’s food and nappies. There are structured activities for children, and the child to adult ratio is smaller than in a day care centre. The main disadvantage of this option is that you need to find alternate day care if the carer is sick.

To search for childcare vacancies by area go to Care for Kids – www.careforkids.com.au. For information on National Childcare Accreditation www.ncac.gov.au.

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