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| Too sick for school? | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 11 2007, 04:45 PM (483 Views) | |
| Post #1 Nov 11 2007, 04:45 PM |
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What criteria do you follow to determine whether or not to send your child to school? Is it OK to send your kind with a simple cold? Fever? Do you think parents do a good job keeping their kids home when they are sick? How sick do you have to be before you stay home from work? |
Civilian
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| Post #2 Nov 11 2007, 05:18 PM |
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We have a student at my school who is now 6 months from graduating. She hasn't missed a single day since K-3. That'll be 15 straight years without one day missed! She is also an honors student in my calculus and physics classes. I don't think that is a coincidence. I think there is a strong relationship between thinking school is important enough to avoid missing at almost any cost and the effort actually put forth in learning. It took a lot for my kids to convince me that they should stay home. A fever or a cold wouldn't have cut it. They probably averaged missing less than one day per year. If you can function with a simple cold or a low-grade fever (or both), then I wouldn't let the possibility of giving it to someone else become an excuse. They should be able to function, also--unless they choose to allow a modest amount of suffering sideline them. Unfortunately, most school policies require students to be kept home with a fever (because of the irrational fear of transmitting a common cold and the litigation and parent over-reaction that was discussed in another thread.) Personally, it's been years since I missed a day due to illness or injury. In the past 6 months, a couple of cracked ribs and, more recently, a hairline fracture of the shin bone haven't caused me to miss a day. I always tell my student that if they want to be effective, they need to do what effective students do. Effective students rarely--very rarely--miss school. The same thing applies to being effective on the job. |
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| Post #3 Nov 11 2007, 09:30 PM |
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| It's funny but that is the same life lesson I learned from my parents! Though my parents weren't perfect, this is definitely one lesson that they really were succesful in drilling into me. I have passed it on to my kids, too. Though on a few occasions a school nurse has given me an earful, my children went to school and work and other commitments unless they had a significant fever or major illness. Eye patches, ear infections, sprained ankles - they went. Mono was worth a day or two off and then just skip gym, but go to school. You can sit in math class as easily as in front of a TV. And as Eye pointed out, ultimately they all did quite well in school, work and activities. |
Civil Servant
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| Post #4 Nov 12 2007, 01:32 AM |
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Unfortunately, my son has asked on more than one occasion so far this year to stay home, and the answer is usually no. I will only allow him to if he is vomiting (which, when this illness overtakes his body, he vomits consistently at half hour intervals for 6-8 hours.) or if he has a fever (because in either of these instances I know he is really sick.) Usually when he is allowed to stay home, he mopes and sleeps. So it isn't like playing hooky to stay home and have fun. Last year he only missed 2 days. OTOH, he has friends whose parents will allow their children to stay home with the smallest sniffle, or even to go fishing with an uncle. So my son wishes I would be more like those parents. :rolleyes: |
Civilian
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| Post #5 Nov 12 2007, 06:56 AM |
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Does the age of the child matter in your mind? I think people of ALL ages should stay home more than they do when they're sick. There's been numerous times when a coworker of mine has been sick and I pick it up and bring their bung-bung home to my family. That said, I'm guilty of working while I'm sick too. I can't afford to lose time/momentun/progress on my projects (probably the same reason my coworkers work while they're sick). I've got deadlines that don't give a patootie whether or not I'm sick. For me, I go by how I feel and not really by the symptoms I exhibit. I'll still go to work if I'm constantly blowing my nose and have a hacking cough if I otherwise feel OK. I think younger kids (say, elementary) should stay home more frequently than older kids. We'll send Boo Jr to school with the sniffles but he definately stays home if he's got a fever or has been vomiting. He'll be missing school today because he's been running a fever the past few days and has a nagging cough. And where did he pick it up? At school, of course, from the neighbor kid who was sick with the same symptoms the tail end of last week. |
Civilian
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| Post #6 Nov 12 2007, 08:05 AM |
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My daughter never went to school with a fever, same as I never went to school with a fever. You risk spreading whatever the illness is and you also risk getting sicker by not letting the body rest and heal. When my daughter got a fever it was usually 103, so there was no way she was going to school. She could barely walk to the bathroom. And she didn't lie around watching TV. She slept - sometimes close to 24 hours straight. I never cared for parents that sent their kid to school sick - then the other kids or teachers get what they have, even a simple cold. And my daughter always stayed home another 24 hours after having a fever, just like I did. For myself, I can't function at work if I'm sick. And when I've gone back to work without waiting the 24 hours without a fever, I make mistakes. And in accounting, a mistake can be huge. |
Civil Servant
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| Post #7 Nov 13 2007, 12:22 AM |
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bung-bung! LOL That's funny! I'll have to remember that one!
This is what makes it so difficult to decide when to let kids stay home and when to make them go. Sometimes it's hard to tell how they are feeling. I think I can tell when my son is really sick. Most parents can tell when their kids are faking it and just don't want to go. Although one time I sent my son to school and got a call from the office a couple of hours later to come get him. Besides the stomach bugs that my son comes down with (consistent vomiting at half-hour intervals for 8-10 hours straight) the other ailment that I will allow him to stay home for is strep throat. He comes down with that at least once every school year and parents get a note home from the school whenever a case has been reported in that child's class. It is so contagious, and if not treated, can lead to scarlet fever. But as soon as he has been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours, he usually feels good enough to go back. Funny thing, after staying home from school and being miserably ill, he is usually more than ready to go back to school once he feels better. :lol: |
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| Post #8 Nov 23 2007, 05:37 PM | hamsters |
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My son would never ask me to stay home...he knows better! I am so on top of every sneeze that he develops that it is up to me to decide if he stays home from school. He had a couple of years where he only missed 1-day or so based on truly being sick (can't function, vomiting, etc.) or contagious. He has only missed since then for dental surgeries or such (broken leg). I know it sounds extreme, but he doesn't get to miss school for any reason so that's why when I initiate the absence due to illness, he knows there is a good reason. Wednesday there was a 1/2 day at High School and I had to drop off some stuff at one of his friends for his band practice and I was stunned to see his friend was at home, missed school because it was such a short meaningless day. Even those days I insist my son attends just for the point that you don't miss school for any reason. Kids who ask to miss know there is a possibility that they will get what they want. That's why my kid doesn't ask. On to another part of your questions (sorry I tagged on so late but I've been busy and not following the subjects): I worked in a major hospital for over 15 years as a therapist (in patient) so I learned very quickly to wash, wash, wash as a means to stay healthy and in fact, my family does stay very healthy. But, it used to drive me crazy to see the union staff (nurses, clerks, etc.) not missing any of their days due to illness. They would come to the hospital and work sick! It had to do with their benefits and getting paid extra at the end of the year for the sick days they didn't take. What do you make of that! |
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| Post #9 Nov 24 2007, 02:50 PM |
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This is what is so puzzling about my son. I have never been a parent who gives in to temper tantrums or begging. When I say it, I mean it. I never waiver. Yet he still asks. He is so stubborn. He still has hopes that after the third time asking the same thing, the answer just might be different than the first two. I have always told him that he will most certainly go to school, even on half days, unless he is really as sick as I mentioned above. Yet he still asks. :rolleyes: |
Civilian
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