A Concerned Mom

My coworker, Linette, has a few concerns about her cutie pie. She's currently 8 months old, attends daycare, and seems to get really sick every two weeks. AND the illnesses are getting worse. The pediatrician apparently makes sure that "daycare kids" are marked as such on their charts.... She does not have anyone to babysit or be a nanny and can't afford that, anyway. I really think that she's thinking about leaving us to be a stay-at-home Mom.

=( Unfortunately, though, she's the backbone at work. We would fall apart without her!!! AND, she really wants to get her Master's degree - the whole purpose of having worked here is that she can go to school practically for free! Hmm. She wants to know:

1) When you have worked at/visited preschools, were the kiddos typically sick almost all of the time?

2) She would like to take her kiddo to the gym with her. What is a safe age for kiddos to play in the child care center at a typical gym (in this case, Bally's)?