“Why Did We Ever Send Sick Kids to School?”

[Anonymous]

An overemphasis on attendance puts students’ health at risk and instills the value of working through illness. The pandemic has made it clear how dangerous that is.
The Atlantic
https://apple.news/AfkGdW9-7RoyFjlRj0Ks7Mg

This article corroborated what DH and I already noticed about asthmatic teen DD who started academics at age 3 in a preschool for advanced students: she hasn’t had so much as a cold this year. She has not needed medications we normally administer religiously so that she doesn’t get sick so that she doesn’t miss school —the place that makes her sick 🤯

[Anonymous]

Lack of affordable childcare.

[Anonymous]

Two earner households. Lack of workplace flexibility.

Plus, not to be heartless towards your child, but typical colds don’t typically affect other people in significant ways. I’m not staying home for a cold and neither will my kids. Fever - yes. Runny nose - no.

[Anonymous]

I can honestly say that in 31 years of parenting five children I have never knowingly sent a child to school sick. Parents who do this are just the worst.

[Anonymous]

With younger kids it’s lack of child care/lack of job flexibility. With older kids (8th grade and up I’d say) it’s the teachers. They are so inflexible with making up work or helping kids get caught up. Kids who are at all serious about academics, or in any advanced classes at all with higher workloads, feel the pressure to show up sick or fall behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two earner households. Lack of workplace flexibility.

Plus, not to be heartless towards your child, but typical colds don’t typically affect other people in significant ways. I’m not staying home for a cold and neither will my kids. Fever - yes. Runny nose - no.

NP here. You are being heartless. Stop sending you kids to school with a cold! Stop going to work with a cold!! I’m glad they don’t bother you, but I also get knocked out by colds, and people like you drive me nuts.

If you’re a waitress or something where you get no paid sick days and need to pay rent, okay. But if you get paid sick days, aren’t using all of them, and are coming in with a cold STOP. You are the problem this post is about!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can honestly say that in 31 years of parenting five children I have never knowingly sent a child to school sick. Parents who do this are just the worst.

That's because you've bragged you had a full time nanny and were a SAH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two earner households. Lack of workplace flexibility.

Plus, not to be heartless towards your child, but typical colds don’t typically affect other people in significant ways. I’m not staying home for a cold and neither will my kids. Fever - yes. Runny nose - no.

This. I have never once broken any rules about fever, vomiting/diarrhea, etc. I also keep my kids home if they truly don’t feel well, even if there is nothing discernibly wrong. But a runny nose, and kid feels fine? No way. To school they go.

[Anonymous]

Colds and runny nose can last for weeks in kids, so it’s hard to keep them out for that long.

[Anonymous]

A dad at the bus stop last year (obv before covid) announced that his kid had barfed that morning but didn’t have a fever so it must have been something he ate. The bus was rolling away as he said this. I was stunned!! He was seriously clueless and didn’t think there was any reason to keep him home.

OP, The year before covid my daughter had strep 4 times and 3 stomach viruses. It was awful. Since being home and masking, she has not been sick once since last March. Her doc has suspected either poor ventilation systems at school or the school water fountains as culprits. It will be interesting to see what happens as more kids go back in schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two earner households. Lack of workplace flexibility.

Plus, not to be heartless towards your child, but typical colds don’t typically affect other people in significant ways. I’m not staying home for a cold and neither will my kids. Fever - yes. Runny nose - no.

NP here. You are being heartless. Stop sending you kids to school with a cold! Stop going to work with a cold!! I’m glad they don’t bother you, but I also get knocked out by colds, and people like you drive me nuts.

If you’re a waitress or something where you get no paid sick days and need to pay rent, okay. But if you get paid sick days, aren’t using all of them, and are coming in with a cold STOP. You are the problem this post is about!!

Nope, not heartless, practical.

It’s called the ‘common cold’ for a reason. Sensible precautions- washing hands, etc., is perfectly acceptable for carrying on as normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With younger kids it’s lack of child care/lack of job flexibility. With older kids (8th grade and up I’d say) it’s the teachers. They are so inflexible with making up work or helping kids get caught up. Kids who are at all serious about academics, or in any advanced classes at all with higher workloads, feel the pressure to show up sick or fall behind.

This, have a 10th grader miss a week for a cold a couple of times in a semester and see what their grades look like

[Anonymous]

Because I’m not letting my kids miss 7 days of school for a low grade temperature.

If they continue to offer online classes I will keep them home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With younger kids it’s lack of child care/lack of job flexibility. With older kids (8th grade and up I’d say) it’s the teachers. They are so inflexible with making up work or helping kids get caught up. Kids who are at all serious about academics, or in any advanced classes at all with higher workloads, feel the pressure to show up sick or fall behind.

This, have a 10th grader miss a week for a cold a couple of times in a semester and see what their grades look like

+ they have a nervous breakdown making up all the work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two earner households. Lack of workplace flexibility.

Plus, not to be heartless towards your child, but typical colds don’t typically affect other people in significant ways. I’m not staying home for a cold and neither will my kids. Fever - yes. Runny nose - no.

NP here. You are being heartless. Stop sending you kids to school with a cold! Stop going to work with a cold!! I’m glad they don’t bother you, but I also get knocked out by colds, and people like you drive me nuts.

If you’re a waitress or something where you get no paid sick days and need to pay rent, okay. But if you get paid sick days, aren’t using all of them, and are coming in with a cold STOP. You are the problem this post is about!!

Most people don’t get unlimited sick leave. If I had stayed home every day that either my child or I had a cold/runny nose etc during her first year of daycare I would have probably worked six months out of the year, and been out of a job.