Is it okay to bring a kid with a horrible cough to an optional extra curricular?

[Anonymous]

I took my 6 year old to swim class last night. Parents are required to stay the entire time and there's a sitting area on the other side of the glass from the pool.

Behind me is a little girl, probably 6ish and a sibling to a swimmer. No adult was sitting with her, though they could've been on a call within view or something. That's not the issue.

This child nonstop coughed. I mean hacking and without three seconds between coughs. Didn't cover her mouth once.

I think that even if the child felt okay, it's inconsiderate to bring this kid into a crowded indoor space. The swimming school has an incredibly flexible makeup policy and it's not likely big sis was training for competitive swimming. So the class could easily have been made up. Or parent could have grabbed a chair and put the child in a less crowded corner, of which there were several.

I got up and moved, and noticed that I was the only one seated near the child. I suppose the child could have a lingering cough and not be contagious. But she was old enough to cover her mouth.

Am I wrong in thinking this wasn't okay?

[Anonymous]

No. The poor kid. I hope she doesn't have untreated asthma.

[Anonymous]

Just a cough? Sure. Many of us have coughs for months at a time this part of the year.

[Anonymous]

My niece has asthma, she's seeing a specialist, but she coughs a lot. The meds have been tough on her. She'll cough for weeks and weeks after getting sick. If they didn't take her anywhere when she was coughing, she'd just stay home constantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a cough? Sure. Many of us have coughs for months at a time this part of the year.

+1

A cough can linger after illness for weeks and weeks, after the contagious period is over.

[Anonymous]

Poor kid. Last thing she should have been doing was swimming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poor kid. Last thing she should have been doing was swimming.

She wasn't swimming, her sibling was.

Don't comment if you don't bother reading the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a cough? Sure. Many of us have coughs for months at a time this part of the year.

+1

A cough can linger after illness for weeks and weeks, after the contagious period is over.

I remember that senior year of high school I had not only a cough but was hoarse for months after a bad cold. The teasing was terrible, but I physically felt fine.

[Anonymous]

My kid has had a cough for a month now. Can't keep her home from everything for that long.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has mild asthma as well and anytime she gets a cold/respiratory infection she gets a cough that lingers for at least 6-8 weeks after all other symptoms are gone. (I will usually explain this to people in close proximity- especially if they seem concerned, but I know there are plenty of silent judgers like op which is frustrating as there’s not much we can do about it.)

[Anonymous]

Um . . . Shouldn't a six year old be covering her mouth? At least much of the time?

[Anonymous]

This is always why I bring a mask with me. You can move and put on a mask.

Kids get sick and coughs can take awhile to get over. Kids have asthma and there is walking pneumonia going around. When my kid was in K they had a cough for almost 6 weeks. Went to the doctor (3x) said they were fine it just had to go away. It was hard because my child had trouble sleeping. My SIL told me next time to ask for an inhaler, all her kids have them.

[Anonymous]

It’s disgusting OP. But the selfish parents on this forum will of course defend it. They can’t possibly be inconvenienced!

[Anonymous]

Ugh - the air quality in there probably wasn't great. Poor thing. I'd at least give her a mask to wear.

[Anonymous]

She shouldn’t be there, and if she is, she should wear a mask.