Okay this post is really just to vent...Why do parents with sick kids not keep their kids at home?! We all just got over really bad colds only a week earlier and now one of my kids is sick again! He has CF so its really important to keep him healthy and respiratory illnesses are not good. We went to a Christmas party for kids at DH work and this mom comes in with her 3 kids and sits across from us. Right away I notice that the 2 year old has snot everywhere and coughing up a storm. I try to get up with my 18 mo old and walk around, trying to avoid the germ shower from this other kid, but he keeps wanting to go back by his bro and sis. The mom then starts complaining to me that she didn't get much sleep the night before cause the kid has croup and was up all night coughing! I wanted to smack her right there! Why did she come in the first place? The 2 year old wouldn't have known any difference if he missed the party. I just think that is so rude, putting all the other peoples kids at risk, and especially at Chrismastime! I feel like we have to stay home even when our kids ae healthy because all these other poeple won't. How can people be so rude and inconsiderate to others? Do they just not think or don't they care? If one of my kids are sick I will stay home. Just so frustrating!!!!!

I know how you feel, I feel the same way about people coming into work sick!

Some people just don't have a clue or they think they're just too darned important. I've told DH that if we go to one more family event and someone shows up sick, we're leaving. We have to spell things out ahead of times. At thanksgiving my SIL and nephew were recovering from colds, but then DS walks up and grabs SIL's water glass and I say -- here drink out of mine. And dippy SIL, goes -- that's okay, and gives him a swig out of her glass!!! Drive me nuts!

My boss just sent one of my coworkers home. He had a nasty stomach bug, but thought he should come in anyway. Thank goodness they're finally taking things seriously. Last year my intern came in with influenza, lots of people show up with really bad colds and upper respiratory illness and cough and sneeze all over us.

I thought about leaving, but my other kids, who WERE NOT SICK, had been looking forward to this party for 2 weeks. It's not fair that they should have to leave. Next time I don't care, I'm just going to leave, and take them get a toy or something. And I will say something to the parents who show up with sick kids.

i Know what you mean. i took my kids to playgroup and one of the kids there had a cold and his mother (which was very rude to me i must say) wouldn't even blow his nose or tell him to cover his mouth when he coughed! It's not too bad for my kids because colds arnt too bad for them, but think of all the other kids around them .. they could get very sick. So i told her to take her child home and get him rest and she says to me (with some rude words in ) "Why are you telling me what to do? Your not my mother! My child has every right to stay here and play, go take your (rude word here) child and get out , who wants rude people here?!" my kids started crying they were scared, then she grabs her kids arm and hurts him because he sneezed. The poor boy! I never saw her there again, and i don't think i want to. But some people should think about other kids...

It annoys me also. We were at the mall yesterday and my son goes up to a toy that a girl is playing with. I go over and notice the girl has snot pouring out of her nose and it's all red and raw and inflamed. My son was touching the toy she was playing with!!! I cleaned him up with wipes right away but I am really afraid he is going to get sick now. Grrrr We are moving in two weeks I can't get sick or have a sick 2 year old.

I also remember being in the work place and co-workers coming in sick. I had a job that would give special awards to people who never missed any work. I know these people got sick, so they are basically being rewarded for coming into work sick and infecting others who may not be as tough (like me), I am a whimp when sick. ;)

I try to avoid fast food places with play rooms, the one time I did let DS use one, I wiped him down immediately with antibacterial wipes before we left and before he could touch his face. Wipe down grocery carts before I place them in one, same with tables at fast food restaurants. This is terrible, but I have yet to take DS to see Santa at the mall and I took him to Walmart ONCE to get his pictures taken and was so disgusted with how filthy the posing area was, that I left. I'm not a germaphobe -- ds goes to daycare, we have a dog, he goes to the playground.. there are just certain areas that make me edgy that I avoid.

At our office, when you've built up a certain number of days of sick leave, you can't earn anymore, so people were taking off a day and a half a month to get what they felt was their due. So they changed the policy and at the end of the year pay people for sick leave above and beyond the maximum, so now more people are coming to work sick. I figure this new perk will be short lived though 'cuz it'll cost the company too much money.

I am so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I am extremely emetophobic and germ-phobic, so I totally panic about germs, but I am glad to see "normal" people feel the same way. Some people are just disgusting...their kids probably get sick like 50 times a year. With all the info out there about washing your hands and keeping yourself healthy, I can't believe some people still do the stuff they do, but like I said before...some people are just disgusting! They probably ignore al basic hygiene and unfortunately pass those habits on to their kids.

We never go to the fast food place play areas, yucky! Since having my CF kid I don't take the kids grocery shopping with me anymore and I usually put him in my own stroller when we do have to go to the store. But I did buy something that covers the seat and handles of the cart completely and can be used on restauraunt high chairs as well. I worked in a restaurant and I know that those things very rarely get wiped down. I do the antibacterial wipes on tables and stuff too. Its so bad that we don't even take him to church anymore cause everyone there is coughing and sneezing all over the pews.

I totally agree with you guys..!! It is the same when your kids start school also.. Parents give their kids motrin when they are sick, and send them to school anyway. In regards to those play areas the fast food places.. I was at one a few years ago with my kids, and a child had diarrhea all over the place, and the parents just wiped it up with some paper napkins and didn't even take the child home nor did they notify any employees. Needless to say we left!! But only after telling the manager. Also, on another occasion, my friend's son was up in one of those tubes and came down with some "brown stuff' on his hands, and guess what it was? I refuse to go to those places..

This is one of the best threads!!! Thanks for giving us a chance to vent with you!!! I have a "FRIEND" that does these sort of things that you guys have listed she will take her children out sick all the time she would even stop by my home. My children and i were sick about a week ago with very bad colds i kept them home with me all week long the funny thing is that my "friend" didnt evern stop by my home or call me for that matter as soon as she knew we were sick Funny how she does not want to get here children sick but when her children are sick she does not care who gets it it makes me very angry :o

What the heck is wrong with people they just dont care!!! I was in staples this afternoon and this woman just sneezed clear across the aisle and didnt cover her mouth and had the nerve to give a dirty look.

Any one reading this that does this please remember that feeling when you are sick headache, chills fever, etc......Just imagine those little children that most likely feel ten times worst than you do and you are dragging them around Please we all ask if your child is sick let them rest at home and also dont put every one at risk.....

Thanks for letting me vent with you :)
Des

I get so annoyed with people coming to work sick, which is going on right now. Suppose they don't get any attention at home, or don't want to lose money 'cuz we get paid for our unused sick leave.

DH's cousin just had a baby a few weeks ago and my MIL said her niece was shocked that before MIL held the baby she ran and washed her hands. MIL said that in our house nobody could hold the baby until they washed their hands -- something they drilled into us at the NICU. THe new mom's nephews have been over constantly to see the new baby -- they're ages 2 & 4 and when asked why we haven't been by, we said we should wait - also have a two-year-old and I don't think that newborn should be exposed to so many people, so many germs when she's so teeny tiny. Toddlers are little germ factories, so better safe than sorry

I wrote Dr. Phil about this and begged him to do a show on this topic.
There needs to be a National Awareness day!!!
I have been dealing with this for ten years.
I've heard every excuse in the book.
1. He's teething
2. It's just Allergies
3. The cough is Asthma
the list goes on and on.

I have two kids, I also have a heart condition so when I get sick I can't take cough meds or anything to help me breath. Makes for a long miserable time.
Wake Up people... There are people with infants and elderly people in their homes. Think out side your self. We all want a break but please for the Love of Pete don't drag your sick child to play groups and school. Don't let them sit in shopping carts and smear snot and drool all over the handle that we all have to touch.
Another thing that drives me bonkers is when they bring them into your home.
They touch every service , every toy sneeze and cough and contaminate your entire house!!
Don't you just Love when they tell you "they're going to get sick anyway, it builds their immune System" :nono:

I have 4 kids, and they go to 3 different schools. If I had to keep them inside and at home every time they had a cold they would not go outside from September till May. I have taught them to wipe their faces, I have taught them to cough in their sleeves, they wash their hands tens of times a day when they have a cold and they blow their noses on time and when they are sick I keep them home.
But with just a common cold I do send them to school and we do go to parties and we do go to the mall.
So, even though I agree that green snot all over the place should absolutely not be allowed, you can not ask people to keep their kids inside just because they have a simple cold...
It must be absolutely terrible to have a condition (heart, lungs or anything else) that gets ten times worse by getting a cold or the flu from someone who does not care. But if you go to a mall (especially during the cold and cough season) there is always the change to get a cold from someone who doesn't even show any signs of having a cold yet.
Don't understand me wrong here, I am not saying you should be the one to stay home, absolutely not. And I am known to say "it builds their (my kids) immune system".

L

I have 4 kids, and they go to 3 different schools. If I had to keep them inside and at home every time they had a cold they would not go outside from September till May. I have taught them to wipe their faces, I have taught them to cough in their sleeves, they wash their hands tens of times a day when they have a cold and they blow their noses on time and when they are sick I keep them home.
But with just a common cold I do send them to school and we do go to parties and we do go to the mall.
So, even though I agree that green snot all over the place should absolutely not be allowed, you can not ask people to keep their kids inside just because they have a simple cold...
It must be absolutely terrible to have a condition (heart, lungs or anything else) that gets ten times worse by getting a cold or the flu from someone who does not care. But if you go to a mall (especially during the cold and cough season) there is always the change to get a cold from someone who doesn't even show any signs of having a cold yet.
Don't understand me wrong here, I am not saying you should be the one to stay home, absolutely not. And I am known to say "it builds their (my kids) immune system".

L

I wouldn't expect parents to keep kids home throughout the duration of every cold, especially since kids get a million colds a year...but if other parents taught their kids good hygiene like you do, maybe kids wouldn't get sick so often.

I think the issue is more about practing and teaching your kids good hygiene so they don't spread germs around, and if they are sufferng from more than a simple cough or runny nose they should not be out and about. This should go for adults too!!

It's also important to not that we are not just talking about colds .
I have flat out had parents almost brag about giving their kids Motrin to mask fevers becauses they couldn't stay home OR they couldn't deal with them being home. This is heart breaking.
Years ago when my son was in preschool a mother sent her kid with a terrible upper respitory infection, not a cold but a hacking croup type cough and green runny nose. One of the kids had a new born in the house that landed in the hospital over it :nono:
I teach good hygiene as well but we are far and few between. I greet my kids each day with Hand Gel and we come home and wash real well.
It is a never ending battle.

My problem is with people who KNOW their kids are sick with a fever, strep, cough, chicken pox and drag them all over the place. What annoys me are parents who take their kids to daycare or school knowing they're sick, because they can't take off work and think they should be able to stay. Last year there was a little girl at ds's daycare with a 103 temp and she was crying and miserable and her parents were unavailable. Poor girl had an ear infection, so not contagious, but still -- she needed to be at home resting.

I wipe off grocery carts with wipes, as well as tables at restaurants before I put DS in them. And I always wash my hands when I come home.

When my kids were younger, and I would have to bring them to the grocery store, I would bring hand sanitizer and pump it onto a wipey and rub down the cart. Sometimes, I would even bring a towel. Having three kids, if one of them catches something, it takes weeks for it to go through the entire house. Also, I agree with Bell99. I am not a worried about a slight cold. I know of parents sending their kids to school with strep throat. stomach bugs. . I even saw a child vomit outside of our elementary school and the parent still brought them in. I think schools really need to enforce their rules about sickness, and if someone is sent home from school with a fever, they should not be back in school the next day.. They should be fever free for 24 hours. I laughed when I read some of the other comments about excuses people give about their sick kids. Like they are "teething" or its just allergies. Hogwash!

There is a huge difference in bringing older kids somewhere when they are sick and babies/toddlers. Obviously we can teach older kids to have good hygiene but toddlers are not going to cover their nose/ mouth when the sneeze/cough. And yet these are the kids that touch everything.

One time I was talking to a lady from church and she said her 2 year old kid had strep. She says to me, "we'll try not to give you our germs". This when my youngest (with CF) was 3 mo old and had just gotten out of the hospital after 7 weeks. Needless to say I didn't go that Sunday.

I agree with the other poster who stated that if you don't feel well and don't want to be running around think of how your kids feel. Let them stay home and rest!

I was standing in the department store and was shocked to see how many adults were coughing and coughing WITHOUT covering their mouths. Just spraying their germs everywhere. I made a comment to my Mom about avoiding "those germy people" and I kept glaring at them. Mom said, they could be like DS and have cystic fibrosis. Sometimes DS gets coughing fits, but he's not contagious; however, that's no excuse for people NOT to cover their mouths.

One of my coworkers was complaining that whenever her daycare providers grandchildren are sick and can't go to school, they bring them to the day care. Hello?! Some people just don't get it.

Amen to that Sista:

This one lady told me if she stayed home everytime her kids were sick, they'd never go anywhere. Well! Lady....let me tell you. That your avoiding 3 day inconvenience stayinghome with your sick kid has just cost me 2 days in hospital with mine and loads of medication. Don't they see it? A common cold to their kid means pneumonia or croup to mine!!!!!!!!!!! My husband just fumes when he sees this. I had to opt out of helping out in nursery at our church because people kept putting their snotty nosed babies in their and I was putting my children at risk if I caught it. I was sick more when I worked the nursery. ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH