Daycare and Flea Bites

Tell her the doctor says he is having a really bad reaction to the fleas and he can't be around animals anymore. If she just doesn't get it then you have to be blunt. I am a bit dense sometimes and need to have things pointed out in black and white...LOL, so maybe you could just tell her the doc said so and leave it at that. She shouldn't be mad at you that way.

She doesn't care enough about him to put flea medicine on her pets. I say give her notice that you are going to change him and she has...for example, 1 month to comply or you have to move him for health reasons.

You have put up with this for 3 years!!!!!! why!!! I do not understand why you would let him go for that length of time while he is getting bit. What the heck do you care if she gets her heart broken, she does not care about the children getting bit by fleas. Even after telling her to fix the problem.......I just do not get it at all!

Until the fleas have been bombed out of the house several times, your son will continue to get bitten. we had them in our house when I was a kid. Fleas tend to bite only select people (not everyone). I had hundreds of bites from mid shin and especially on my ankles. It is not worth the scarring etc and just gettting it under control on the animals is not enough. every time there was a new outbreak, I knew as I saw them on my ankles and then saw the bites that quickly followed. Mine were very itchy and red so I don't know if this a more normal reaction. Our home was cleaned out 2 or 3 times before the breakouts finally stopped.

I was in high school when this happened and it was tough to control the itching. I think you're friend will understand and if they care about your child won't be mad if you move him to somewhere flea free. It's a hard thing to get under control and if you let htem know you understand it's a battle etc.. they may not be as hurt by your comments.

I would state it the way you did in your post. Very honestly. It's not like she's unaware of the issue.

My daughter and I just walk outside and the fleas attack. We can be out for 5 minutes and end up with 5-10 bites. I started using lavender oil around our ankles, wrists, waists and necks. It helps tremendously. Just a little dab around these areas keeps the fleas from jumping on us and biting.

We don't have outdoor pets and I find that I am the one bringing them in on my socks, etc. I often transferred them to the bed when I would lay my son down for a nap. It has been a constant battle the past 3 years. We spray our yard every year, but it isn't quite enough to keep them at bay.

The lavender oil definitely helps to reduce/eliminate getting bit. Just a little goes a long way. I put it on similar to putting on perfume with my finger.
D.

I agree with Gamma G's response, one thing for sure is you have to make a change for your son, and if she can't accept you moving your son to another day care provider for his own safety, then she can't be that good of a friend to start with. Your first loyalty is to you children.

I can't imagine sending my children into such a house, let alone paying for the care. Remove the kids, now. (BTW, I have pets and no fleas.)

I have three dogs.....2 inside and 1 Lab/Retriever mix who only comes in to eat and sleep in bad whether..none of them have fleas because I use GARLIC in our food and thiers and fleas HATE it. I have done day care for 40 years and have never had a problem with fleas biting the kids or the dogs inside or in the yard...another thing I find helpful is sprinkeling salt on the porch and/or steps to the house and even in the yard. All critters seem to hate it except dogs ... they don't seem to mind it at all. Wet the area first and then just salt it!! Works for me...Good Luck...

Since this issue has been addressed in the past and it's been such a long-term problem, I would put him in the care of another provider right away and tell her you will consider returning if the fleas get resolved. Blame it on your doctor if you have to! Tell her this last time was a severe reaction and he can't be around fleas/animals anymore. This will push the point home and let her know it's serious. If she cares about him and wants to maintain your relationships, she will correct the issue. If she doesn't, she is either not capable of fixing it or doesn't care as much as you thought. Either way it's in your son's best interest to switch daycare providers immediately!

I hear ya on the flea bites...my son is also highly allergic to him. What's worse is my son also has eczema, which worsens when he has a flea bite issue. Things that have helped ease the flea bites a bit have been to lower the amount of potassium he gets during the summer days. Bugs LOOOOVE potassium...it's sweet to them. Another thing is to try and incorporate more garlic into his diet. It seems to be a good thing to get rid of bugs. If he's had a reaction to the flea bites, try giving him an oatmeal bath. I used either the packets you can get a the store or ground my own and then lotion up with oatmeal lotion. What we use when my son has a severe skin blowup has been Gold Bond Medicated Body Lotion in a green bottle. It's wonderful because it not only works like a lotion to soothe, but it also has an anti-itching agent in it. I asked my son if it burns his skin and he says no...feels cooling. So hopefully this will help alleviate some of the prob. The other is, if she's your friend, she'll listen. Just approach her and say that you need to talk with her concerning an issue with your son's flea bites. Let her know you aren't angry, but are concerning that it's becoming an issue and you don't want to pull him out of there. *FYI~If your son is playing outside, he can get flea bites too. My son is so allergic that he can play in the grass for a few min and come back in covered in bites...so sometimes it isn't even an animal that has them that can cause them. We don't have animals and in the summer we get them in the house too! What's crazy is I've got OCD...so my house is constantly spotless. ICK!* Hope this helps! Good luck! :D

You have to move him! We are in a similar situation with our 3 yr old twins, not the flea part but they have been with our daycare provider since they were 2 months old, they love her and are very comfortable with her but they are now bored and she does not provide enough activity, books, etc, or let them go outside unless it is "warm". She is a dear friend and neighbor but we had to do what's best for them. We gave her two weeks notice and are moving them to a day care with a preschool curriculum. It's hard but I feel so much better for them!!!