When kids get sick, is it reasonable for parents to still send them to school or keep them home?

Question

Opinions welcomed.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/02/25/sick_kid_stay_home/

Answer 1

Welllllll.... Let me just say this much, I am a home day care provider and last week I had to close my day care for FIVE days because first my daughter caught the flu and then I caught the flu all because ONE parent decided to bring her influenza infected child into my home and did not tell me as such. It was lunch time when the Tylenol wore off and the child spiked a fever and when I called the mom to have her come pick up the child, "oh yeah she has the flu". Pretty soon, my daughter and I were heading to our doctor and in turn spent the next 5 days wiped out on the couch, suckin down orange juice to save our lives. It was a mere couple of days earlier when I read in my parenting magazine that 84% of teachers say moms send their kids to school even though they are sick. I laughed out loud at this knowing in reality the percentage is probably a little higher and the other 16% were probably first year teachers who were still a little naive and thought that no mother could ever do that to her child, yeah right, hahahahaa.

It irritates me to no end when parents send their children to school, play group, day care, church, dance class, soccer practice or whatever situation applies to them at the time when they know their child is sick. I understand the problem with not having enough sick days, I understand deadlines and the difficulty of missing a day of work but what parents don't seem to understand is that they infect everyone around them when they allow their sick child to interact with other people. So what was a small family issue now spirals out to all they have come in contact with. The day care has to close, the child's teacher has to find a sub, all the other kids in play group get sick and those parents have to take off work. Parents, please have a little consideration for those around you. Keep your kids home with you when they are sick. Do you want to be at work when you are feeling like dirt, why force your children to do something that you yourself would not want to do? Take the time to help them feel better and save another family from the same illness and stress. Have a little consideration for someone else. Whew, thank you for posting the question, I feel a little better. I'll take my soap box and go home now. :-)

Answer 2

Ask the policy of the school or day care provider. Each facility will have different rules, and you should be respectful of whatever those rules are.

Beyond that, let your child's physician be your guide. If their doctor says "yes, Jimmy will be contagious until thursday, then he'll be fine even though the symptoms will continue until tuesday", you can keep him home until thursday and repeat that information when the school calls to complain about you sending a sick kid.

It also depends on the age of your child; a child old enough to cover their face when coughing or sneezing and avoid other children when contagious will be tolerated much more than, say, a toddler who will hug anyone that moves even with infected snot running down their face.

Let the people who run the facilities be your guide, and be sure to ask BEFORE your kid(s) get sick, so that you're prepared.

Answer 3

I personally think its best to keep your child at home if they are sick as they tend to get better quicker if they are rested and cared for properly.
But its really hard as I got in trouble last year as I kept my daughter home when she was sick and apparently she was missing too many days. I think it was 14 days over the entire year. But I didnt want her gettign other kids sick and I wanted her to be able to recuperate. She got so many colds and flu's and ear infections as she had never really beedn exposed to them before and it was really hard on me emotionally to see my child suffering and then have to send her to school.
So now if she is slightly ill I will still send her but if she has a fever, vomited, lethargic or has a terrible cough I will keep her home. I'm sorry but her health is much more important then missing a day or two at school.
What really upsets is the other parents that send their kids to school sick which then in turn make my daughter and her little sister sick.
When she was at preschool I wouldnt send her if she had the beggining of the flu as I knew like me the other Mums had little bubs, and I didnt want all these toddlers passing it on to their little siblings, oldr siblings and parents. But they still sent their sick kids and thats how my daughter got sick

Answer 4

Funny I find this question today..Last Thursday my daughter got sent home from school with a fever. Of course I pick her up and I took her temp. and no fever but take her to the doctor just to be safe. She does have cough but no runny nose no stuffy nose nothing. Well the doctor tells me she just has a little cold nothing to worry about and to giver her cough syrup but no antibiotic will help. Well school policy say if you child gets sent home with a fever they can not return the next day. So day #2 of school is missed. Then she has the weekend to get even better. Well, today they call be and tell me to pick her up because he cough is disrupting to the class and it is bothering the teacher.Now I had sent her cough drops and she had cough syrup before school and the cough is not that bad to begin with. So tell them to keep her at school she is missing to much and they tell me they wont send her to her class but keep her in the nurses office all day soooooo I went and got her. Were do we get to draw the line as parents? She is now almost 4 days behind on a report that was told about on Friday and not mentioned in her make up work. I also stay at home so it is no hardship on me to keep her home.

Answer 5

keep them home. Because if you send a sick kid to school count on them getting sick again within a month. because the cycle wont stop. I think if the child is sick and hasnt had a flu shot yet then get that child a flu shot ASAP.

Answer 6

coming from a nurse not all diseases are spreadable and not only that they are kids they are going to spread germs no matter how bad you shelter them deal with it kids are kids they share germs its apart of life honestly it really depends what they are sick with if they have a fever above 100 then i would not send them actually 100 even isn't that bad anymore i've seen alot worse but if you keep your kid home everytime they cough or sneeze then you might as well just home school them

Answer 7

I read the link you posted..........I agree with it on most angles, I know parents who certaily would rather go to work than deal with their sick child, and parents who dont feel they can take off of work, and the mom who NEEDS to work out regardless of the fever that her daughter may have. Its hard for me to swollow the parenting ways of some people!!!!, However I consider myself VERY LUCKY to have a part time job that if fairly understanding of my children, as well as a family who will help out if I need them, and I WILL tell my boss that I cant be at work because my child is ill, and I dont get a dime of sick pay or personal days. I think most bosses are more understanding than we all think, and especially if you are confident about saying......"Hey My child is very ill and I cant be at work today because he/she needs to be cared for." I think sometimes the way we say things can be taken as negotiable, and with my children that is not the case. I also know that I am one of the lucky ones who have this luxury. but I believe if you are a confident parent and truely believe that what your doing is right, then let your boss know, unless you are constantly taking days off I dont know what can be done about it??!??!...............this is all my opinion of course maybe I live in a dream world, but If I do Im not moving out of it!!!!!

Answer 8

I firmly believe that poorly children should be kept at home. I don't want to think I am responsible for another family getting ill because I didn't keep my daughter away from play group for a day or two.

Answer 9

That all depends, is the child running a fever ? if so i`ll usually keep them home, or if they are throwing up i`ll keep them home, if they have homework they didn`t do and all of a sudden they have a stomach ache, and they say they are so sick they can`t go to school, if they`re not running a fever, or throwing up they go to school ! !.

Answer 10

Do you appreciate your child having to go to school with another child who is sick? It's your responsibility as a parent to keep that child at home and not expose everyone else to whatever they have.