Sick kids going to school - Parenting Issues Message Board

bruised · 02-25-2003, 03:42 PM

I just wanted to know what some of your opinions were on kids that are sick that go to school.My son is in preschool and 5 yrs old.I cannot believe the amount of parents who bring their kids that have a fever,or vomiting to school,just so the parents can have a couple hrs to themselves.Last week alone there were 3 parents that brought their kids to school sick.One had a fever which he then got chickenpox and the teacher informed us of it 3 days later.Another one vomited on the floor while having a bronchitis attack and vomited again during class,and the other one had a red face,nose running and clearly running a fever.The teacher does tell us parents if your child is sick,leave them at home.But i don't think these parents really care about how others may feel.I think they send their kids to school without thinking personally on all the others it will affect.It just ticks me off!

LookingForHealth · 02-26-2003, 02:54 AM

Nothing bugs me more than the parents who expose EVERYONE to their kid's contagious illness. This happens all the time at a drop off daycare that I work at and is the reason why I had a vomit/diarrhea stomach virus, strep throat, pertussis and diarrhea stomach viruses all in one year. Most of the time you can't even tell they had been sick, but people carry it for DAYS after they are better.
I've wondered if there is any way to teach preschool age not to put their fingers in their mouths and to wash them? I bet they are catching it mostly by that. I'd never become a preschool teacher, out of choice, because I know I'd be around 1 trillion germs and always be sick.

[This message has been edited by LookingForHealth (edited 02-26-2003).]

[This message has been edited by LookingForHealth (edited 02-26-2003).]

maisy · 02-26-2003, 06:18 AM

I agree 100%--this has been a real problem at my daughter's public elementary school. Last week the principal sent home a flyer listing all the symptoms of flu and telling people their child had to be fever-free for 24 hours or they couldn't return to school--and warning them if they brought a child to school with a fever they were just going to get called to come pick them up anyway! You would think this is common sense. I think parents who work don't want to use their sick/vacation days to stay home with a sick little one and so just figure "well, I'll take him to school anyway and see if he makes it."

BTW this was not a problem in her kindergarten where we lived last year. Her school then was private, though, and the difference was definitely due to the %age of stay at home moms.

mommyof5 · 02-26-2003, 11:20 AM

Personally, I send my kids to school/daycare with a cold and a cough if it's mild - I am guilty of that. If they have a fever or somthing super contagious (childhood diseases) then NO I don't send them. There are so many illnesses and contagious stuff running through schools/daycare that i would never be able to send them if I wanted to protect them! I have seen other parents drop off their kids at daycare who really look like they should be home resting, you know like lying on the couch watching comfy couch or sesame street and dozing off. There are some things that you can't control, you are just exposed to it before the child even becomes sick - they are the tough ones to avoid! I've sent my son to daycare with a cold and cough and they call me if it gets worse or to the point where he runs a temperature or vomits because his cough gets that bad. Then off to the clinic we go (at that point he probably needs antibiotics - he tends to get toncilitis-sp?). My older kids get sent to school just the same but they are able to tell me if they feel nauseous - in that case I keep them home for a while to see if it's real or if they're bluffing (you know how kids can be). If I catch them jumping and running around then it's off to school with them! My kids are always aware that I, daddy, Grandma or auntie will come get them if they are sick, really don't feel good, have a headache, vomit,etc. They probably call twice a year each kid (I have 4 in school)

I kept my kids home when they had chicken pox (caught at daycare 5 years ago) and when they had lice (again caught at daycare 4-5 years ago). That one really ****es me off - if your child has lice then treat them, do it properly and the house, sheets, mattresses, stuffies,etc. or else it just comes back.
I treated my 4 kids, myself and hubby, combed and picked through their hair, did all the washing, house, blah,blah,blah and was up till the wee hours of the morning (I started around 2:00pm) but I got rid of it. needless to say I was exhausted afterwords.

Anyway I'm rambling on now
mommyof5

mlgable · 02-27-2003, 07:36 AM

A fever is not a good reason to keep a child home. If they are genuinely ill yes they should be kept home but many kids have chronic things such as ear infections or sinus problems and can run a fever from these. While the kid may not feel the best during these times there is no reason to keep them home just because their temp is up a bit. Some people nomally run a slight temp at certain times of the day. Kids who are vomiting is another story though. As for a cold that too is not a good reason to keep a kid home unless it is really making him feel rotten. If you give your children a good multivitamin and an antioxidant supplement they won't be catching common things like colds and flu anyway. As for the mother who's kid came down with chicken pox there is no way to know that your child is coming down with those until the spots start appearing and in this day and age there is a vaccine to prevent them. My son obviously started getting them while he was at school and the teachers never even noticed. I saw it immediately when I picked him up after school that day. That was a few years before they came out with the vaccine.