How do you handle this?

mcgee

You have two kids. Kid 1 really wants to go to a planned playdate or other scheduled activity. The day of said activity, Kid 2 is running a fever. He seems a bit out of sorts, but not miserably ill. Do you go? Stay home? How do you make up the missed activity for Kid 1?

This is the situation I'm finding myself in, and I feel really bad for Meredith. The playdate today was at a sprinkler park with a bunch of her classmates from preschool, and she was really looking forward to it. I recently had strep, and I suspect that Alex might be coming down with it now. His fever is just under 101. I don't think it's fair to the other kids and parents to expose my germy toddler to them, but at the same time, it's really hard for Meredith to understand why she has to stay home and miss out on something. Any suggestions for making the day special if we have to sit at home?

Jess.O

Do you know any of the other moms well enough to ask them to take Meredith?  Otherwise, maybe you could have a sprinkler day at home when LO is sleeping. 

Just throwing out ideas...

jml5q

i assume there will be lots of other parents there? can you call another mom and see if you can drop meredith off either at their house before so she can still go or see if she can just keep an eye on meredith at the playdate then pick her up after?

PrincessBrideSarah

Could you have an all-day pajama party? Everyone (mom, Alex, and Meredith) stays in their pjs all day.

You can bake cookies together. Sugar cookies that she can decorate with sprinkles/icing would be fun.

You could make popcorn and watch a movie together (works well with the pajama party).

Have a picnic on the floor of the living room. 

Let the kids put on their swim suits and go "swimming" in the biggest bathtub in the house. Add lots of bubbles if possible. 

I used to babysit a lot when I was younger.

Nessia

Is there any way to go and keep A away from most of the kids? Is there another parent you are good friends with that you would be willing to take M for you?

clynn58

Could you call a parent of another child to see if they could take her?

If not I would do something with water around the house. Maybe a special treat later for just her.

mcgee

Jess.O:

Do you know any of the other moms well enough to ask them to take Meredith?  Otherwise, maybe you could have a sprinkler day at home when LO is sleeping. 

Just throwing out ideas...

I don't really know the other moms well enough to feel comfortable doing this. I might if it they were in a contained area like an indoor bounce house place, but at a wide open area like a park, I'm not really comfortable asking someone I don't know well to be responsible for my child.

mcgee

I promised to let her help me bake a cake today, plus play outside with the water hose, and have a home "spa" treatment with some of my fancy cosmetic stuff. She's sold on that.

ali-1411

That sucks.  Can you dose him up with Motrin and try to keep him away from the other kids?

I doubt he has strept, I don't know why but babies and toddlers almost never get strept.  Jakob and I have had it multiple times but Layna never caught it.  So he just might have any random virus.  And he might be contagious but as long as nobody actually touches him....

kiarox2002

I would set up a sprinkler in the back yard.  It sucks, but I wouldn't take a kid with a fever around other kids.