A Non-Contact Digital Forehead Thermometer Use in a Daycare – Tiara Jackson

I have a home day care, mostly for preschoolers. One of the worst problems is dealing with sick kids. I have a strict rule – if children are sick, they need to go somewhere else. They don’t belong in day care. For one thing, they spread germs so everyone else gets them. For another, they need more attention than I can give them.

Sometimes parents drop off a sick kid, even when they know he’s sick. They don’t know where else to go or they think it’s just a sniffle. This isn’t fair to the other kids, and it sure makes my job harder! I keep my house clean and wash my hands. I make sure the kids do, too. Still, all it takes are a few coughs, and soon, everyone’s got the sniffles.

When I was restocking my first aid kit, I had an idea. I decided to get a non-contact thermometer. It wouldn’t spread germs, and I wouldn’t need those throwaway plastic covers, either. I chose a Thermee non-contact digital thermometer for my first aid kit. It’s very handy, because there’s no preparation. I scan a child’s forehead and right away, there’s the answer.

The Thermee digital thermometer is made by Ginger Hill Creations. The Thermee is just the thing for a small day care. It’s fast and easy to use, and it doesn’t bug the kids like a regular thermometer. There’s no ‘open your mouth’, or ‘let me fit this in your ear’. In just a couple of seconds, I’ve got an accurate temperature reading. If there’s a fever, it tells you with a light and a beep. If there isn’t, it gives an all-clear.

Here’s the best thing! It can store the temperature readings in sets. So, if Sammy has a fever, I can save his records and show his parents. It’s also proof that he did have a temperature, which some parents don’t want to believe. It has 20 memory modes. I only have 5 to 7 children at a time, so each child has his own memory mode.

Of course, the Thermee doesn’t solve every problem. A lot of children have colds, and never have a fever at all. I still get sick kids in day care, sometimes. I just do the best I can and have a talk with the parents later. The other thing about fevers is that sometimes they aren’t fevers. A child’s temperature changes during the day. It can go up or down by a degree and still be normal. That’s especially true when children are tired, upset, or watching videos.

The Thermee’s a great gadget, but it’s not a fortune teller. I don’t use it all the time or even every day. But if a child acts different from usual, I pull out the Thermee. If a child has sniffles, even if it’s an allergy, I check for fever every once in a while. It’s better to be safe.

A few weeks ago, one of my day care children had strep throat. Poor kid, he was out for a week with his grandparents. While he was gone, I checked the other kids every day. When one boy’s temperature rose suddenly, I told his parents. Thy took him to the doctor the next day, and got him on antibiotics. He wasn’t nearly as sick as the first boy, because they caught it early. None of the other kids caught it. Having the Thermee gave us a heads-up before the germs spread again.

My first aid kit is really important. If something happens, –a splinter, a cut, or a bee sting—I want to be ready. I keep an inventory list and check it every month. I stock bandages and antibiotic cream. There are antiseptic wipes, scissors for cutting bandages, and tweezers in case there’s a splinter. I’ve got medical releases on the children, and I keep up with my First Aid card.

I used to keep a stick digital thermometer in my first aid kit. When it died, I couldn’t figure out how or where to get a new battery. Now, I’ve got a Thermee digital thermometer from Ginger Hill. I don’t have to mess with little plastic covers any more. And when the battery goes, I just grab a couple of AAA batteries, and I’m good to go!