sick child at McDonalds playground

[smidgy]

took my grandson to Mcdonalds. noticed a man with 2 kids at a nearby table. blackberry... work papers. ok, all the kids are playing all over. well , his son, about age 3 has got MUCUS hanging from his nose, down to his mouth. coughing loudly. the older sister is sneezing and coughing a bit.
grandson and I play the foos ball table. they suddelnly are there, trying to play WITH us, grabbing all the handles . I try to shoo them off. they are touching all the handles my grandson has to cto play the game.
I finally, (since I can't "shoo them off", and dad isn't paying any attention) tell my grandson, "Ok let's let them have a turn" and we go to the bathroom so I can immediately wash his hands.

I realize you can't hide in your house the whole time your kids are sick (you might have to venture out to the store, etc,), but don't you think it's rude to take your sick kids to the play area of McDonalds (where all the kids touch everything) when they are obviously sick?
I almost said something (he obviously was using the play aas his "babysitter" while he did "work stuff"), but I didn't want to cause a scene.
I just made sure grandson washed his hands real well. now I think I should have said something.
would you have said something.. to the dad? to the employees? or just did what I did, and wash hands and leave?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It is a public place. No you should not have said anything. If you don't want your grandkids to get sick, do not play there.

One day I had to "rescue" my dd from the tubes. After that day I never allowed them to play at those kind of places. What I saw inside the tubes made me swoon. (insert puking smilie)

 

[hucifer]

That pretty much describes my son's daycare. It grosses me out to see snot hanging down another child's nose, but it's so common now I don't know what you can do about it.

I figure that by the time he's in school, his immune system will be rock solid.

 

[smidgy]

I know it's a public place, but if my grandson was sick, I wouldn't let him spread his germs all over. I mean, this kids was basically rubbing the snot off his lip and grabbing the handles on the game.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I know it's a public place, but if my grandson was sick, I wouldn't let him spread his germs all over. I mean, this kids was basically rubbing the snot off his lip and grabbing the handles on the game.

While you would not and me either tons of parents do. You cannot control that. The only thing you can do is not play there.

 

[dispor]

I know it's a public place, but if my grandson was sick, I wouldn't let him spread his germs all over. I mean, this kids was basically rubbing the snot off his lip and grabbing the handles on the game.

No one here is going to disagree that is is rude, gross and irresponsible of that parent. But you asked if you should have said something, and the answer is "no." It is not illegal to take your child out in public when they have a cold. And remember, a lot of diseases are contagious BEFORE the child even shows symptoms. So, if you think you're "safe" when you don't see anyone with symptoms, you are wrong. Maybe all the kids who were at the playland before your grandson that day had the same nasty noses.

I very, very rarely took my kids to those places. They are gross.

 

[Traveliz]

That pretty much describes my son's daycare. It grosses me out to see snot hanging down another child's nose, but it's so common now I don't know what you can do about it.

I figure that by the time he's in school, his immune system will be rock solid.

That is one adorable young man in the photo!

Liz

 

[Mkrop]

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do, except what you did clean his hands well after visiting such a place.

Germs are everywhere, whether you can see them or not. A kid with a upcoming stomach bug may have been playing on that same foosball table as you and your grandson 20 minutes before, you just never know.

Also the kids could be suffering from allergies and not be contagious, I will admit that seeing kids with mucus hanging from their noses grosses me out and if I could help it my kid would not look like that. But I know many times during allergy season, my kids look gross in the split second before I get the tissues/napkins to get them cleaned up.

 

[npmommie]

I agree that it is gross, and I wouldn't do it. But all I can say is just keep that little bottle of Purell in your handbag.

oh and maybe if I had tissues with me, I would have asked the dad if he needed one

 

[MushyMushy]

No you shouldn't have said anything. You'd just be singling out the one visible instance of a kid being sick (and you're sure it wasn't allergies? seems it's that time of year). You can't possibly know all the kids that are there who are harboring germs or all the ones who'd been there 5 minutes before you wiping snot on the seats, tables and play area.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Oh gross, I'd have left immediately (as soon as I spotted the sickie), screaming crying DD in tow. I probably would have had to bribe her with ice cream, lol.

I wouldn't have said anything, but I hate to say this I'd probably have been a little passive aggressive and explained loudly to DD that there are sick people here and we don't want to get sick from germs. Hopefully the man would have taken a hint even if it was just for future reference.

Sorry.. I know that's mean, but I'm just being honest!

 

[SaraJayne]

I am NOT a germaphobe at all, but I don't let my kids play at indoor playplaces. *shudder*

 

[sbell111]

I think that if I want to keep my kids away from cold germs and sick kids that I ought not take them to McDonald's Play Place.

 

[DawnCt1]

I have no doubt that the kid was sick and shouldn't have been there. The imagery of the 3 year old with a "raw oyster" hanging from his nose could have been DS#4 at that age. I went everywhere with kleenex. Until he had his cleft palate revision at the age of five, cold or no cold, there was always a running nose. When he had a cold, he had the same 'stuff' dripping out of his years.
When he woke up in the recovery room after the revision, the first thing that I noticed was that his nose wasn't running, and it never ran again after that.

I never took my kids to those places, especially in the winter. They are HUGE petri dishes.

 

[nebo]

thanks for the responses. It's probably a good idea I didn't say anything (although I did like mr.s charming's idea).

of course I know there are germs everywhereoutdoor playgrounds,etc. (esp at disney! all the hand rails we all touch). and, yeah, lots of kids are contagious before you know they are sick.
but this child was So obviously sick (like I said, not just the "snot" but the coughing, sneezing, both him and his sister.)
I just think dad had work to do and took them there to keep them occupied, even though he KNEW they were sick.

it was time to go anyway. we were only there cause it started raining at the park, and the noise was too loud for hubby (with his new hearing aids, didn't have the case with him)

(said hubby, whose name I am, once again , mistakenly posting under! sorry honey! about to go log out and back in under my name now.

like where I used to tend bar, and the night shift gal came in to relieve me, sniffing coughing sneezing "boy, do I feel terrible!" um.. you're going to be mixing people's drinks!

me "want me to work a double?" her: "nah, I'll be ok, I need the money, anyways".


also, I agree about immune systems. if you keep your kids from EVER encountering germs, they;'ll never develop the defenses. It was just so obvious(and gross) and the dad was oblivious.
yeah, maybe I should have nicely offered him some napkins, "for your son's nose, he looks like he isn't feeling well.."