A plea: please stop sending your sick kids to school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish they would stop, but the pandemic exposed how many parents can't stand to be around their children. They are so used to spending less than 5 hours a day with them that they loose it if the kids are home. It's the oddest thing to me because I love being around my kids and know how to parent without outsourcing to teachers and coaches.

They will continue to send sick kids to school. All you can do is make sure your children are eating well, getting enough sleep, being active spending time in the sun and fresh air, and keeping their hands clean.

Unfortunate this is very true.

It's not true at all. Parents, especially those with young kids, simply don't have the ability to stay home with kids for long periods or every time a kid gets a sniffle. The old rules, plus COVID-specific guidelines, still apply. Yes, those rules aren't going to exclude children from school for every symptom, but they are a compromise to promote health without unnecessarily excluding fever-free kids who feel well enough to be at school.

Thank you. I adore my kids. I have fun with my kids. Most parents do.

AND ALSO my kids belong in school. They missed a crap ton of it thanks to the ignoramuses around here. They were in early elementary when COVID started, i.e., indefinite remote instruction is not developmentally appropriate for them. If they have fevers, are puking, and/or feel lousy, we keep them home, of course. But if they have a runny nose while bouncing off the walls, they’re going in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids from pk to early elem. I've accepted they will have one long cold this year. Between allergies and colds it's impossible to tell and I am not taking my kids to the pediatrician weekly. Pediatricians would tell you the same thing.

Be careful about this. Twice now I’ve been truly surprised that what I thought was just a cold turned out to be strep in one instance and flu in another. And that’s actually important because in both cases, the child felt better in 1-2 days with medication (antibiotic and tamiflu). It’s super hard to tell sometimes with vague symptoms that can overlap. But I’m so glad I went to the doctor in those cases and fought that urge to just assume its a cold, for my kids’ sake.

I am the PP you are responding to; and yes, true. I took my kid to an allergist for a routine appointment and discovered he had a bacterial infection requiring antibiotics- not contagious - but I guess the allergies morphed? Never would’ve guessed: I always take kids in if “regular” symptoms worsen or present differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish they would stop, but the pandemic exposed how many parents can't stand to be around their children. They are so used to spending less than 5 hours a day with them that they loose it if the kids are home. It's the oddest thing to me because I love being around my kids and know how to parent without outsourcing to teachers and coaches.

They will continue to send sick kids to school. All you can do is make sure your children are eating well, getting enough sleep, being active spending time in the sun and fresh air, and keeping their hands clean.

Unfortunate this is very true.

Or perhaps it exposed the lack of sufficient paid sick leave in our country … I mean, I think a lot of parents would take a paid day off to take care of their sick kid. But when your leave balance is depleted from COVID quarantines and your employer’s sympathy is running out, this is what happens. I work from home, so I can keep my kids home with me. But I feel for parents who need to go in person. This is why so many of us begged the past two years to end all the ultimately useless contact tracing so we could save our leave for when our kids were actually sick. I missed quite a few days myself with healthy kids who never ended up catching it from their close contacts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids from pk to early elem. I've accepted they will have one long cold this year. Between allergies and colds it's impossible to tell and I am not taking my kids to the pediatrician weekly. Pediatricians would tell you the same thing.

Be careful about this. Twice now I’ve been truly surprised that what I thought was just a cold turned out to be strep in one instance and flu in another. And that’s actually important because in both cases, the child felt better in 1-2 days with medication (antibiotic and tamiflu). It’s super hard to tell sometimes with vague symptoms that can overlap. But I’m so glad I went to the doctor in those cases and fought that urge to just assume its a cold, for my kids’ sake.

These are easy. Strep has a bad sore throat but no nasal/respiratory symptoms. Flu almost universally has a fever and colds rarely do. So colds can be told apart from these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish they would stop, but the pandemic exposed how many parents can't stand to be around their children. They are so used to spending less than 5 hours a day with them that they loose it if the kids are home. It's the oddest thing to me because I love being around my kids and know how to parent without outsourcing to teachers and coaches.

They will continue to send sick kids to school. All you can do is make sure your children are eating well, getting enough sleep, being active spending time in the sun and fresh air, and keeping their hands clean.

Unfortunate this is very true.

Or perhaps it exposed the lack of sufficient paid sick leave in our country … I mean, I think a lot of parents would take a paid day off to take care of their sick kid. But when your leave balance is depleted from COVID quarantines and your employer’s sympathy is running out, this is what happens. I work from home, so I can keep my kids home with me. But I feel for parents who need to go in person. This is why so many of us begged the past two years to end all the ultimately useless contact tracing so we could save our leave for when our kids were actually sick. I missed quite a few days myself with healthy kids who never ended up catching it from their close contacts.

This. It's bizarre to think that parents just don't like their kids, vs sick leave policies not giving them the flexibility to stay home as much as they would like.

[Anonymous]

The message we’ve gotten from the school is that for what seem like run of the mill colds, the kids should be at school. I just use my judgment based on how they feel and take into account the level of phlegm and coughing. I also know that when my kids come home sick from school, whatever it is has already been going around their classroom.

[Anonymous]

NP. I just got home from the ped because both children have been snotty and coughing for 3 weeks without any sign of letting up. Ears are clear, lungs are clear, no fevers. She told me to tell anyone who asked the pediatrician said they should keep living their lives and don't belong home. Nothing we can do but let it fizzle out and it'd be ridiculous to keep them home this entire time/for the foreseeable future until it clears up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look I get it, you need to work. So does everyone else. The system is strained with RSV, flu, strep, and covid. Schools have so many staff members and teachers out - they're not invincible. Your kid doesn't just have a little sniffles and it's not allergies - they're hacking their lungs out, have green snot falling from their nostrils, your write angry emails when we send them to the nurse, and your kids are suffering when you send them to school. They complain their throat hurts, ear hurts, and you keep sending them back when they're still sick (and contagious). You gotta let them heal completely.

You gotta break the cycle. We all have to do it. It sucks, but keep your sick kids home from school. Their chin strap of a mask doesn't do jack shit. You gotta keep them home. Please. I beg you.

Work on your own health you clown

+1000

If these b1tches be psychic and know who has asthma and who don't, why ain't they use their psychic abilities to win Powerball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids from pk to early elem. I've accepted they will have one long cold this year. Between allergies and colds it's impossible to tell and I am not taking my kids to the pediatrician weekly. Pediatricians would tell you the same thing.

Be careful about this. Twice now I’ve been truly surprised that what I thought was just a cold turned out to be strep in one instance and flu in another. And that’s actually important because in both cases, the child felt better in 1-2 days with medication (antibiotic and tamiflu). It’s super hard to tell sometimes with vague symptoms that can overlap. But I’m so glad I went to the doctor in those cases and fought that urge to just assume its a cold, for my kids’ sake.

These are easy. Strep has a bad sore throat but no nasal/respiratory symptoms. Flu almost universally has a fever and colds rarely do. So colds can be told apart from these.

With our case of flu, chills but no fever unless you count 99 as a fever, also some gastro symptoms. I’ve also had colds with fever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids from pk to early elem. I've accepted they will have one long cold this year. Between allergies and colds it's impossible to tell and I am not taking my kids to the pediatrician weekly. Pediatricians would tell you the same thing.

Be careful about this. Twice now I’ve been truly surprised that what I thought was just a cold turned out to be strep in one instance and flu in another. And that’s actually important because in both cases, the child felt better in 1-2 days with medication (antibiotic and tamiflu). It’s super hard to tell sometimes with vague symptoms that can overlap. But I’m so glad I went to the doctor in those cases and fought that urge to just assume its a cold, for my kids’ sake.

These are easy. Strep has a bad sore throat but no nasal/respiratory symptoms. Flu almost universally has a fever and colds rarely do. So colds can be told apart from these.

At what day should you get a sore throat checked out? Like obviously not running to the per immediately for a sore throat because most morph into colds. At what point do you think, hmmm maybe this is strep?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, please know that you are a teacher and not a doctor. YOU do not have the power to diagnose children. You also do not have the authority to write the procedures that are in place, set by the school system when it comes to “sick” children. Therefor, I say this nicely, from one teacher to another… stay in your lane or get a new profession.

NP here.

I don’t believe you are a K-12 teacher. We’re so regularly disrespected by others that we tend not to disrespect ourselves. Please “stay in your lane” as a teacher by being instructive and useful. Your post is neither.

Now back on track:

I get that students can’t stay out for long coughs, etc. However, students regularly sit in my class with fevers. I had two feverish students in one of my 10th grade classes recently. Guess how many absences I had the following week? 12. Does it surprise anyone that the symptoms and diagnoses were all the same? It shouldn’t. Your children share more than germs. They share information.

I’d be happy if we could keep the feverish students home. Some parents do, but many do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids from pk to early elem. I've accepted they will have one long cold this year. Between allergies and colds it's impossible to tell and I am not taking my kids to the pediatrician weekly. Pediatricians would tell you the same thing.

Be careful about this. Twice now I’ve been truly surprised that what I thought was just a cold turned out to be strep in one instance and flu in another. And that’s actually important because in both cases, the child felt better in 1-2 days with medication (antibiotic and tamiflu). It’s super hard to tell sometimes with vague symptoms that can overlap. But I’m so glad I went to the doctor in those cases and fought that urge to just assume its a cold, for my kids’ sake.

These are easy. Strep has a bad sore throat but no nasal/respiratory symptoms. Flu almost universally has a fever and colds rarely do. So colds can be told apart from these.

At what day should you get a sore throat checked out? Like obviously not running to the per immediately for a sore throat because most morph into colds. At what point do you think, hmmm maybe this is strep?

If 24 hours after onset of sore throat, other cold symptoms are not developing (congestion, sniffles, whatever) then I would see the ped. Or if the initial sore throat had a fever (but my kids never have fevers with strep or colds.)

[Anonymous]

My daughter (9) just tested positive for flu A on Sunday. She is going back to to school tomorrow.
She was 100% fine on Friday. Towards the end of the school day she started coughing hard. Came home at usual time and started having a fever and very sore throat. She had high fever Saturday and Sunday when we decided to take her to the doctor. He told us she was contagious two days before onset of symptoms (Wednesday- Friday) and 3 days after (Saturday-Monday). She has been fever free since Monday, but we kept her home today (Tuesday) just to be safe.
She is going back to school tomorrow. Still has a bad cough. If she gave the flu to her classmates it was before having any symptoms… not much we can do to prevent the transmission.
Kids need to get sick… that’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter (9) just tested positive for flu A on Sunday. She is going back to to school tomorrow.
She was 100% fine on Friday. Towards the end of the school day she started coughing hard. Came home at usual time and started having a fever and very sore throat. She had high fever Saturday and Sunday when we decided to take her to the doctor. He told us she was contagious two days before onset of symptoms (Wednesday- Friday) and 3 days after (Saturday-Monday). She has been fever free since Monday, but we kept her home today (Tuesday) just to be safe.
She is going back to school tomorrow. Still has a bad cough. If she gave the flu to her classmates it was before having any symptoms… not much we can do to prevent the transmission.
Kids need to get sick… that’s it.

I’m the teacher who posted above about the outbreak in my class. I wish all parents thought like you. No, you can’t control any spread prior to the development of symptoms. My concern is always for the students who come to school with symptoms: fevers, fatigue, etc. I’m comfortable estimating that I have at least 3 students (out of 120) each day who feverishly sleep at their desks. I send them to the nurse, but by then they have shared germs with the class around them. It’s exhausting and, frankly, very selfish.

[Anonymous]

Look, lady, I sent my kid to school in a mask when she was sick so she wouldn't pass her cold on to other kids. Nobody else did that, so we stopped. We've been sick nonstop since September. It's not going to stop. Feel free to keep your own snowflake home, but nobody else is. Deal.