Baby's First Year

ok I have been having a few issues with my sitter.  I know I just need to find a new sitter.  Of course I would hate to move my son to a new place since he does well there with all the other kids (he is about 10 and a half months old).  BUT, today my sitter called me to tell me that one of the older kids has had a rash on his face for about a week and last night the mom had to take him to the urgent care and they found out it was a contagious rash (impetigo I believe) and of course he was holding my son yesterday. 

Ok I have a few major issues with this... 1) why would she not have talked to the other parent sooner about getting the rash looked at since there were several other kids in her care? 2) why would the sitter let the older child hold the baby in the first place?  He is the youngest there and all the kids want to hold him but I don't really feel confortable with that especially since he is constantly getting sick (now i know why) and because I don't think other kids should hold him unless we give the sitter persmission that it's ok (which we haven't).  Lastly (the most important issue) WHY would she let him hold him if he had a rash that was over a week old and getting worse not better!!!!!!   I am sorry I feel that is very poor judgement.  I think my only saving grace here has been that my son has been on amoxocillin the last few days because he was fighting an ear infection.  Since Impetigo is a bacterial infection, sometimes amoxocillin is perscribed to help kill the bacteria.  Otherwise I KNOW my son would have gotten this (and he still might).

This is the fourth major issue we have had with her.  First was giving him foods he shouldn't have he has acid reflux and she was giving him food that are way too old for him.  His little body just couldn't handle it.  So we had to give her a set list of things he is and isn't allowed to eat.  We did that when he was first diagnosed with the acid reflux but had to do it again. Next was deciding he doesn't need a  morning nap anymore and didn't tell us she changed his schedule.  Next was deciding he didn't need to get a bottle anymore and started just giving him sippy cups all day.  Mind you these things are after he was sick for almost 2 months straight and the doctor saying he really didn't gain enough weight so she wanted us to bulk up the formula for the needed calories etc. and she made all of these decisions without even talking to me or my husband first to see what we thought.  Then she took him over an hour away from her house to drop her mom off and didn't tell us she left the house until I picked him up that evening, oh and did I mention he was only in his infant seat with a seat belt wrapped around it?  NOT in a base or a safety seat suitable for her car!!!!!!  Found out later she has taken him on several errands like that unbeknownst to me.

I have had it.  Completely had it...  the problem is I can't find other care right now.  I have been interviewing and either they sound like smoker women with too many pets or the good ones I do like dont have any openings.  The other option is an actual day care center which I can't afford...  What do I do??  She is not taking proper care of him for my "standards" and she is exercising poor judgement too many times.

What would you all do in this situation.  I have already laid down the law on all of these issues as best as I can.  I just find things out after the fact and I can't stand that.  I worry about his well being during the day and I shouldn't have to!  Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks all!  -V

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Is there anyone you know that can help you out until you find other care for him? Like a family member or friend, or both? That would be my first idea. If not, I would shop around for daycare centers and see what's available, though I'm sure you've done that already. I found a place that was a few hundred cheaper than others and was much nicer than others that we loved.

I would seriously not want my child in this woman's care. She obviously has no respect for you as the parent and does what she pleases with children that are not her own. That's ridiculous! She gave him food that he wasn't supposed to have? What if he would have been allergic to something? And there's no reason for her to be leaving the house with your child without your permission, unless it's to get emergency care for him for some reason.

This woman gives me a very bad feeling and I would try to do whatever it takes to get your little one out of there. I know it seems hard right now, but you will find someone.

OMG - I would be thinking about calling the police! She took your baby away in the car w/o your permission, drove an hour away, and didn't use a proper carseat?!? And she's making significant changes in his sleep schedule, and feeding him improperly despite TWO reminders about his reflux?! AND she lets older children, with or without rashes, hold him?!?!

I feel so sorry for you. I would check all the local childcare centers, even if they're a bit of a drive. We thought we couldn't afford a center at first, but as we looked we found more price variation that we'd expected.

In the interim, is there anyone in your family that you could pay to watch LO, even part-time? I'd want my baby out of that place ASAP, and I'd happily pay a family member the same rate as I'd paid the sitter to have LO in a better place.

Sorry to hear of your daycare isues.  It is so hard to find the care you need, regardless of price!

HAve you tried putting up flyers at church or near a locl Daycare center?  Sometimes if someone is thinking of quitting, you can hire them to work directly for you.

My sitters (mother daughter team) used to work for a local daycare.  They run their home business (3 kids plus one of their own) just like a daycare. 

Kimberly - Mom to Hunter and Max
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