PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ECEC EDUCATORS
MANAGING ILLNESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Picking up where first aid stops, this practical, evidence-informed illness management training is for all early childhood educators and directors.
THE GAP NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
You've got the first aid certificate. You've read the Staying Healthy Guidelines. You know the NQS and EYLF inside out.
And yet, when a child walks in looking off, or a parent rings to say their child vomited once but seems fine now, or a rash appears after lunch and you're not sure if it's concerning or not, you're still figuring it out as you go.
That's not a failure of effort. It's a gap in training.
First aid covers the big-maybe-moments. The accidents. The emergencies. The hope-it-never-happens events.
Everyday childhood illness is different. It's not a maybe. It's not an emergency. It's inevitable, and it happens in your service every single day, with or without a clear protocol to follow.
WHY THIS COURSE EXISTS
This course doesn't replace the Staying Healthy Guidelines. It bridges the gap between policy and practice, making your requirements achievable in the messy, grey, ever-changing reality of an early childhood service.
STAYING HEALTHY GUIDELINES
WHAT
The guidelines outline what your requirements are. They tell you the standard you need to meet.
NQS + EYLF
WHY
The NQS and the EYLF define why you need to meet them. They establish the purpose and the obligation.
SICK HAPPENS
HOW
Sick Happens shows you how to implement it, so that you're not just compliant. You're exceeding.
FROM THE FOUNDER
YOUR PAEDIATRIC NURSE NEXT DOOR
I'm a Masters-qualified Paediatric Nurse with 15+ years of clinical experience. I've sat with thousands of families in some of their most frightening moments, and I have two boys of my own who have certainly done their part in contributing to the daycare germ economy.
But here's what I kept noticing from the clinical side: educators were managing sick children every single day without any formal training to do it. Not because they didn't care. Because nobody had built the training that actually addressed it.
First aid covers emergencies and accidents. Allergy and asthma management has its own course. But everyday illness — the thing that walks through your door every morning — lives in a regulatory grey zone where every director writes their own policy and every educator figures it out as they go. The Staying Healthy Guidelines are incredible, yet Educators still feel confused everyday.
I built this course because educators deserve better than that. And so do the families who trust you with their most precious people.
BUILD KNOWLEDGE
DEEP DIVE LESSONS
The full Sick Happens curriculum covering everything you need to handle *quite literally* any illness. Penny translates clinical info so you not only understand, but can implement it into real-life.
▶︎ What to look for
▶︎ What it means
▶︎ What to do next
▶︎ When to seek help
▶︎ Real-world case studies
YOUR SICK DAY LIBRARY
TOOLKIT
All the resources and tools you wish you'd had last time.
▶︎ ILLNESS FACT SHEETS → what it is, what to do, when to get help
▶︎ CHECKLISTS → hospital bags, home sick-kit essentials & more
▶︎ FLOW CHARTS → simple visuals for confident decisions
▶︎ NURSE TIPS → the insider stuff. Medicine refusal, drinking fluids, soothing upset babies
▶︎ QUESTIONS for providers
FAST ANSWERS
VIDEO BITES
Short, searchable, practical videos for when you need an answer quickly and don't have the bandwidth for a full lesson. No scrolling through social media trying to find that post.
▶︎ Searchable by topic
▶︎ Short enough to watch now
▶︎ Practical, not theoretical
▶︎ Updated with real-world events
REDUCE MENTAL LOAD
MEDICINE TRACKER
Track medicines, doses, timing and symptoms in one place. Because you should not be trying to do medication maths in your head when you're sleep deprived and hanging on by a thread.
▶︎ Log medicine and dose
▶︎ Track timing automatically
▶︎ Avoid double-dosing mistakes
▶︎ Track multiple children at a time
REAL MOMENTS. REAL FAMILIES.
2.17AM
THE SUDDEN CROUP ATTACK
The barking cough. The noisy breathing. The gasping for air. You've never dealt with it this bad before and you don't know if you need an ambulance or can wait it out like all the other times.
DAY 3 OF FEVERS
IT'S STILL GOING
They seem okay-ish. But three days of high temps feels like a long time. You're not sure if this is normal or if you've waited a little too long.
JUST BEFORE DAYCARE
ONE VOMIT, BUT NOW TOTALLY FINE
Is that it? Or is it the start of gastro? Does your child need to stay home? Do you need to call work to say you'll be off work, again? Or can they go because it was only one?
DOCTOR CAN'T SEE THEM
NO APPOINTMENTS UNTIL NEXT WEEK
You need to know: is this something that can wait? Or do you need to get your child checked out? Should you go to Emergency?
FROM PENNY
I've spent 15+ years as a Paediatric Nurse and have two boys of my own. So it's safe to say I know exactly what the back-to-back sickness years feel like.
We've experienced pretty much every childhood virus, rash and gastro bug, and I've been vomited, peed and cough on more times than I care to remember. I didn't just build this as a nurse. I built it as a mum who's personally been through it all.
Sick hAPPens is your safe, reliable place to land when you're bouncing between "What if I'm overreacting?" and "What if I miss something serious?"
PENNY BLUNDEN
MUM OF TWO
MASTERS-QUALIFIED PAEDIATRIC NURSE
FOUNDER, SICK HAPPENS
WHAT REAL APP-USERS ARE SAYING
★★★★★
"It's a one stop shop for sickness information. Perfect for busy parents who need reassurance and quick info on red flags. My favourite is the medicine tracker- super convenient."
★★★★★
"I'm a paeds nurse but I still love the reassurance when I'm second-guessing myself at 3am, sleep deprived and living rural. I will be telling my patients about this resource."
★★★★★
"I got the app at 3am thanks to a kiddo with a fever. Love that 3am peace of mind knowing I've got Penny in my pocket!"
★★★★★
"The fact sheets are so easy to digest — how to treat at home, when to seek help. So much info but so easy to read. You are a godsend."
APP VS COURSE: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Most families start with the course as part of their antenatal prep. Then they get the app when they're navigating their baby's first illness and need quick answers and reassurance during those 2am doom-scrolling sessions.
THE APP: FOR RIGHT NOW
▶︎ Information at your fingertips during an active sick moment
▶︎ Quick answers when you can't think clearly
▶︎ Sick day library: toolkit, video bites, medicine tracker
▶︎ Full course videos + case studies available as (Deep Dives)
THE COURSE: FOR BEFORE IT HAPPENS
▶︎ Lessons to build your knowledge, layer by layer
▶︎ 25+ videos including real-world case studies
▶︎ Downloadable resources
▶︎ One-time, purchase, lifetime access
▶︎ Best done to prepare for when inevitable Sick Happens
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Trusted. Calm. Evidence-informed.
Download now for instant answers and reassurance, right at your fingertips.