Does a cheaper daycare = a more sick kid?

Last week a notice was posted in our daycare about a child having Strep throat.

Natali was acting a little funny over the weekend. She stayed home with my Monday and Tuesday. I noticed something was up right away.

She was much more lethargic than normal. Sleeping more often than normal. Not much of an appetite. Then I noticed the same in me....plus a sore throat Tuesday afternoon. It got worse Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning we both went to the doctor. I tested positive for strep. Natali was clear. It likely had it but was on the downside by Wednesday morning. We were both prescribed anti-biotics.

This got me thinking. Are more expensive daycare centers more free of sick kids. Follow me here.

In theory the higher priced daycare centers have families that make more money and there fore can likely take days off work to watch a sick kid. The inverse being true for lower priced daycare centers. If you are barely scraping by you might not be able to take a sick day each time your kid is sick.

Kelli burned through all her sick days early in the year due to Natali being sick so often.

I tossed the question to my facebook friends. Turns out I was wrong.

I have friends that work at expensive daycare centers. Here is a direct quote, " I work for a very nice upscale montessori school and we have the same issues. The parents are "too busy" and/or out of town and the nanny drops them off. Yep, even when they have Nannys they do it. They feel their health and time is more valuable than yours. Once one parent does it, the domino of sick children begins!!!"

When Natali is sick I can't justify taking her to daycare. She already feels crummy. Taking her to a school with a bunch of loud kids won't make her feel any better. I guess we are fortunate that I typically work weekends while Kelli has them off. We are much more flexible this way.

Thankfully Natali was back to her normal self Wednesday afternoon. This morning she was a little off by not wanting much to eat. She did take her medicine fine though (helps it was super sweet!).