When your child is sick.........

Erin - posted on 11/08/2012

my advice is if she feels better after 24 hoursand doesnt have a fever and isnt throwing up then go ahead and send them back in.

Christine - posted on 11/02/2012

At my job you can not call in for 6 months. Otherwise you may be fired. I have a sick child today and have to work 13 hours tonight on hardly any sleep. This is in healthcare too!

Erin - posted on 02/27/2011

I just had my 2yr old son rushed into hospital on Saturday night he was put up and into the childrens ward at 5am that night and by the time he woke up on the Sunday there was not problems andi knew the dr would send us straight home once he had come around to visit us, and again i was right we where sent straight home Last time my daughter was sick and was ment to be in care the next day i called up the carer and asked for her advice she said for me to make the judgement call to send her or not

Meghan - posted on 02/18/2011

My son is the only kid out of 7 in daycare that hasn't been pulled out for a flu or serious cold in the past 6 months. We had a few rough nites where I thought we were in for it, but J has a slightly more severe case of funnel chest than normal, so sometimes the slightest cough seems worse than it really is. I always worry about it, but if he is fine in the morning, no fever and in a good mood, I send him off, tell the daycare provider that we had some issues and keep my cell phone on me during class just in case.

Briana - posted on 02/18/2011

I feel that if the child is fine the morning of and didn't keep you up all night being sick then it should be fine. I took my son to daycare the day after he was sick and running a temperature. I had debated taking him but got up early to check on him. He had a slight fever (only about 101) and I knew he was also teething so I called the daycare. They said that unless the fever is over 102 he could still come to daycare. His fever has never been higher than about 101.5 and typically children can get fevers and act/feel perfectly fine. It is the way their immune system is handling whatever they are dealing with. I feel that if you know that your child is not suffering from some kind of highly contagious and dangerous bug and they are keeping food down, and do not have a high temp, then they should be fine going to daycare. Afterall, chances are they picked up the darn bug from the daycare in the first place!

Jenn - posted on 02/18/2011

One thing to keep in mind with a stomach bug (vomiting), is that the bug has likely already been in your system for a day or two before you had symptoms. So, any spreading of germs has already happened prior to your own barf-o-rama.

Sapphire - posted on 02/18/2011

That's a shame on being so strict with the make up work. I am really flexible with it-maybe pushover flexible. But I'll take work later than 48 hours after illness.

Sherri - posted on 02/18/2011

Our schools rule is 24hrs never heard of 48hrs.



Also we may be more likely to keep them home Sharon if they would give them a break on missing work. However, they are sticklers for only giving them 48hrs to complete all missing work and missing quizzes and tests or they are considered late and that isn't easy to do and still keep up with the currant work as well.

Teresa - posted on 02/18/2011

I'd probably let my kids stay home w/ a cough and snot more often, but we need a doctor's note to have an excused absence. You are only 'allowed' 7 unexcused absences per year before you start getting hassled and since I'm not about to take my kids to the doctor... wasting an hour and a half in the car, taxpayer's money (state insurance), etc.... for every case of the sniffles.... off to school they have to go. If they are actually miserable... yes, they stay home, but otherwise.. nope.

Sapphire - posted on 02/18/2011

Honestly, I wish sick kids would really stay home. Nothing is worse than trying to teach a lesson and continue to be interrupted by coughs, sneezes, and generally miserable kids. And this is high school! I need to remain healthy so I can work. Planning for a sub is so time consuming. The problem is that when kids miss too much work, it's even harder for them to get caught up. Yes, it is a catch-22, someone wins, and someone loses.

Teresa - posted on 02/18/2011

Ah yes, the cough too. I coughed day and night all day and night for 3.5 years straight. In fact, the only time I WASN'T coughing was when I WAS sick.... ;)

Erin - posted on 02/18/2011

There is a 48hr recommendation here in Aus too. It's based on the fact that a person is still contagious for 48hrs after the last vomit/diarrhoea. So while a child may be feeling well enough to attend school/daycare after 24hrs, the virus is still hanging around.

My daughter has only started daycare (one day a week) in the last month, so I haven't dealt with sickness yet. But I will certainly abide by the 48hr policy. Any signs of fever and she must stay home as she has had a febrile convulsion.

I agree with Toni and Teresa though on judging a 'sick' kid. My daughter gets a nasty asthmatic cough with any sort of cold. She had a cold two weeks ago, but the cough is still lingering. She is not sick, but may appear to be to someone who doesn't know her medical history. If someone told me to take her home, they would be told to jam it.

Brandi - posted on 02/18/2011

No, I don't abide by this rule. If my son is sick, I keep him out for the day. The next morning, I wake him up for school if he seems better, he goes, and I head to work.

Cathy - posted on 02/18/2011

48 hours is the UK school rule, only for vomiting or diarrhoea.

Teresa - posted on 02/18/2011

Thank you for being the one to mention that Toni. My girls had an almost constant runny nose and cough for a year and a half as toddlers. They weren't sick, but had an allergy that we had yet to identify. Sometimes the allergy meds helped, but more often than not.... they didn't. I remember overhearing some mom at the playground talking about 'keeping those snotty kids home' and it made me so upset.

I still have NEVER once heard of anyone mentioning a 48 hour rule (before this post, of course). Where is that exactly? Every school and doctor I've come in contact w/ so far has said 24 hours.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 02/18/2011

If my child is vomitting, high fever, diarrhea, or discolored boogers, he stays home period. It always seems like they feel better during the day, and fall sick again at night.

Toni - posted on 02/18/2011

Wow your child has a runny nose take it home now, nice. Did you ever consider that said child could have an allergy, I know that come summer time no matter what I do my nose streams continuosly, it doesn't make me contagious though it's my hayfever - an allergy! I can guarantee if anyone told me to take my kid elsewhere when we were somewhere I'd tell them where to go, I know my child and if he has a slight runny nose or cough I am not going to stop him going out and enjoying his life. However, with that said if my child is really sick then it is unfair to him to take him out if we can stay in (not always an option, but 99% of the time it is), I know personally when I'm ill I just want to snuggle up and rest so that is what I allow my child to do.

For sickness my son was a sickly child, up to a few months ago he was still regularly spitting up, I was told I just had to grin and bear it as he would grow out of it, luckily it seems he has now. I used to use his other symptoms as to whether he should socialise with others or not (did he have a temp or any other symptom to suggest he may be ill - no we took him out, yes we kept him home). I agree with the 48hr rule simply because sometimes although at home you may seem better when you try to do other things it takes it out of you, we need time to allow our body time to repair itself after being ill so having a day at home is quite beneficial.

Iridescent - posted on 02/17/2011

Here the rule is 24 hours from last vomiting or dose of fever medication to treat fever, plus must have been fever-free for that whole time. When work isn't understanding, you often lose your job or trade shifts to make it work.

Holly - posted on 02/17/2011

I let my children go back to their daycare/school after they've been well for 24 hours (and that' the school's policy as well). I've never heard of 48 hours - it sounds a bit extreme to me...

Deanna - posted on 02/17/2011

I personally HATE it when I go out with my girls and I see sick kids running around touching everything. I am blessed that I am both a working mom and a SAHM so I don't have to put my kids in school or daycare.
I don't think it is right to send your kids to school/daycare or anywhere out in public when they have been sick within 48 hours. They can still carry the virus and germs. Not only do they spread it to other people and children then those people have to deal with a sickness some parent caused by letting their sick child out of the house. Hell, if I am ever forced to go out for medicine when one of us is sick I am always very careful about what I touch. I take disinfectant wipes with me, wipe everything I touch down and even warn the cashier. They don't want it either.
I have also gotten to a point in my life where I refuse to sit back and allow healthy kids to play with sick ones in tunnels on the rare occasion that we get to go out. I have actually asked parents to take their kids to a park or home until they stop snotting everywhere, coughing, sneezing, whatever. Only one has refused. I went and got the manager and they made the parent remove their child from the tunnels. Suggesting it was not a good idea to allow them this behavior until their child was not sick or showing signs of being sick.

Teresa - posted on 02/17/2011

It's not 48 hours here. It's 24 and no, I don't. My girls are older now, so it's a bit different anyway. They are only supposed to stay home for fever and puking. If they are fine by noon I will send them the next day IF they feel up to it.

Becky - posted on 02/17/2011

Man, if I was working right now, I think I would've lost my job this winter, my kids have been sick so much! I'm very cautious about taking my kids out around other kids when they're sick, because I hate it when someone brings their sick kids out and my kids end up sick!

Melissa - posted on 02/17/2011

my daughters daycare worker is usally pretty leniant with that but I still send my daughter she used to throw up every now and again during the night from over eating she would just constantly do it all night, she doesnt know how much to eat to make her full and not overfull so now we have to be careful how much we allow her to eat if its something she likes. But IMO its fine if you know they dont have a bug or anything. My kids been off daycare for a week and a half now just going back tomorrow because of a cold its killed me cause Im sick too and tired and I cant sleep during the day but I wouldnt send her while shes got something.

Bonnie - posted on 02/17/2011

Ugh I am going through the same thing right now, not with work because I am a SAHM, but with my older son.

He just started school this past September and he loves it, always wants to go, but lately we just can't get the virus to go and not come back. Same thing with his younger brother (his is worse). The viruses this season are just so bad. He has missed a fair bit of school and i'm starting to worry. Although, JK is not mandatory so maybe it's not an issue to miss.

Usually if he just has a mild cold (no runny nose or constant sneezing) I will send him, but if he has a fever, I definitely keep him home, which is today once again. Usually if he has no fever one full day than the next day I will send him if he has school, but this time I think I am going to keep him home an extra day just to be sure. It can be frustrating.

I think too many kids are coming to school sick and just passing the germs back and forth and because their immune systems are so low, it takes longer for them to get fully better.

Sarah - posted on 02/17/2011

Well, I'm glad now that I didn't send her because although she's fine in herself, she has had 2 very dodgy bowel movements since this morning! (yuk! lol)

Luckily for me, my work is pretty good and I'm going in this evening instead (at my suggestion) to make up my hours and help them out too.

By "sick" I meant vomit. I don't think I've ever sent them in when they've vomited. Partly because if other kids got sick, I would feel REALLY guilty. Partly because they are both at the age now (nearly 3 and 6) that they would probably mention it to nursery staff or teachers!

As I've said, I'm quite lucky with my work, but it must be hard for parents who don't have such understanding work places. However, I do think parents should respect the 48hr rule, for the sake of other parents.

Katherine - posted on 02/17/2011

I was always told by my daughters school that it was 24 hours. 24 hours fever and vomit free.

Amanda - posted on 02/17/2011

the 48 hour rule is because even if your child is no longer showing signs of being sick, they may still be holding the virus in them and when they go to school they will pass it to other children. and when it gets passed to another child, they may do the same thing and go to school right away (wihout waiting the 48 hours) and possibly pass it back to your child. its just easier to keep them home, let them rest,and build back up their immune system.

Sara - posted on 02/17/2011

I do just because even if she's acting fine, I think she more than likely needs another day of rest and not being all hyped up around a bunch of other germ factories. Plus, I have ample sick time for my use at work, so I have no problems there. But, I also think that I wouldn't want another parent to send their sick kid to nursery/daycare to infect my kid, so why would I send my daughter if there's the possibility she could make other kids sick? To be frank, it kind of makes me angry when parents send their sick kids to school/daycare.

Jenn - posted on 02/17/2011

Well, I don't work, so this isn't an issue for me. Also, the school where my son goes doesn't have a 48 hour rule. If my son is no longer showing symptoms, or is known to no longer be contagious, then I would send him to school. So in your situation I would have sent him to school and gone to work.

JuLeah - posted on 02/17/2011

Depends on what 'sick' means .... fever and or vomit, wait. Slight cold, or just "Mommy I feel sick" send her.
What I saw as a teacher was kids who felt better the moring after a fever being send to school. By 10:00, they were down and feverish again and now, another kid was exposed

Louise - posted on 02/17/2011

My view on this is if your child is just sick once and has no other symptoms then I see no need to keep your child at home. Kids are sick for so many reasons over eatting, to much jumping about after food and of course illness. You are the best judge of how your child is, if they appear well and it was a one off then I would send my child to nursery. If I was in doubt I would keep her at home though as I would not forgive myself for making somebody elses child sick.

Cathy - posted on 02/17/2011

My son was sick, friday night/saturday morning. From Saturday afternoon he was fine, no issues Sunday so after 42 hours of no sickness he went back to school Monday morning. He was fine all day, his normal hyper self. Then somewhere between Monday night/ tuesday morning he was sick again ... well over the 48 hours suggested to make sure a bug had gone. He was fine again all tuesday, fine all wednesday (and annoying the hell out of me). Back to school today.

He's missing days off school lately that are all adding up on his attendance record. So many bugs, some kids haven't had a full week of school since they started back in January. They've already started sending out warnings for poor attendance!

And that's just the schools. Can't even imagine what a nightmare it is for the parents and work.