I had a span of 3 weeks when I was wiping several noses about once a minute per child. They all had thick yellow or greenish snot. I am not being dramatic when I say once a minute. I went through so many tissues and wipes that we had to use toilet paper. We couldn’t have a normal daycare day (weeks!) because of the constant wiping. The kids were not feeling well but didn’t have a fever so the parents just brought them in. It was a nightmare of snot.

Guess who is sick now but still has to work?

Anonymous wrote:Wiping noses is pretty much a given from now until spring. A constant runny nose means they are forever tracking your kid to wipe their nose, dispose of tissue and then go wash their hands and hopefully not need to repeat within a few minutes. It impacts the entire group and greatly interrupts the flow of the day. Proper hand washing is more challenging during outdoor time.

As a preschool teacher constant clear running noses that are obviously not allergies are the worst. We can't send kids home if it is clear and parents act like its not contagious. A 2 or 3 year old can not wipe their nose properly and it means one of us has to constantly stand next to this child. Child also usually dislikes us wiping and just runs to wipe the snot everywhere in the room. I once lost count with one child after 50+ nose wipes in a day.

I always suspect if it wasn't their child with the runny nose that parent would be upset with another child spreading the germs around everywhere that could affect "their baby."

Color of snot is completely irrelevant fyi. It’s just the air reacting with the snot, it does not in any way indicate cold v bacteria.

Wiping noses is pretty much a given from now until spring. A constant runny nose means they are forever tracking your kid to wipe their nose, dispose of tissue and then go wash their hands and hopefully not need to repeat within a few minutes. It impacts the entire group and greatly interrupts the flow of the day. Proper hand washing is more challenging during outdoor time.

Anonymous wrote:I would watch my kid from the time they got out of bed until we were ready for school. If I had to wipe their nose once, maybe twice, due to a sneeze... send them. Especially if full energy, no other symptoms.

A continuous runny nose might be okay if it's mild enough. But watching them as they eat breakfast is key. A lot of times symptoms get considerably better between when they get up and finish eating. I don't pull the trigger either way until after breakfast.

If I'm having to wipe their nose every 10 minutes, if they are struggling to eat, if they seem lethargic, obviously if there's a fever, etc.... they stay home.

Haha, yes, learned this the hard way. Often after breakfast they are perfect, but in the early days we'd have already emailed that they'd be home. Not anymore! Now we watch and wait and make the call after breakfast. If they are sick they usually go lie down on the couch afterwards because they're tired. If they're full of pep, they're going to school. Assuming no fever obviously but my kids are almost never peppy with a fever.

Daycares don't close often. It's the centers that closes because of covid, sickness

I would watch my kid from the time they got out of bed until we were ready for school. If I had to wipe their nose once, maybe twice, due to a sneeze... send them. Especially if full energy, no other symptoms.

A continuous runny nose might be okay if it's mild enough. But watching them as they eat breakfast is key. A lot of times symptoms get considerably better between when they get up and finish eating. I don't pull the trigger either way until after breakfast.

If I'm having to wipe their nose every 10 minutes, if they are struggling to eat, if they seem lethargic, obviously if there's a fever, etc.... they stay home.

Kindergarten kids get sick too lol

Its called daycare nose and its persistent throughout those years. No you don't stay home for a runny nose.