grrrr vent about parents sending sick kids to school!

[Mermaid02]

I totally agree! People think my kids miss LOTS of school, what they don't realize is that if their kids stayed home when they were ill- my kids wouldn't miss so much school! I am not a fan of Perfect Attendance awards either. Penalize the kids whose parents are responsible enough to keep them home when they're ill.... great system. When my dd was in 3rd grade she had pneumonia and missed almost a week- I went in to get her "homework" and the teacher thanked me and said, "Maybe if she sees how much work she missed next time she will DRAG herself in to school." I was FLOORED! I turned to her and said, "Megan is 8 years old, she doesn't decide if she is staying home from school, her pediatrician and I do that." then I left the woman standing there with her mouth hanging open.

 

[Nancy]

Unfortunately you can't always keep your kids home for every little illness. If they have a cold...which in this area seems all the time...with no fever than most kids go to school. If there is a fever than they stay home. The school sends a note home at the start of school asking parents to use common sense.

Luckily my kids are old enough that if they are sick they can stay home and sleep, they don't need Mom with them. But at my job if I would call in every time my kids were sick I would be out of a job...and unfortunately I can't afford to not work.

When my kids were smaller I worked the overnight shift so I could be home with them during the day. But there were times when they went to school and then got sent home. Sometimes kids don't have a fever when they leave the house but a few hours later they do. Now in the case of the kid who had the 101 the day before and then was back the next day with a higher fever...Maybe Mom took the temp at home after doses of tylenol, tylenol wears off and fever is back!

When my kids were little they needed to have Mom with them when they were sick, even when I went to work and dad was with them they still wanted me!

 

[Nancy]

Oh one more thing....I don't do the handshake thing at church. Too many times the people around me are sneezing and coughing. I just stand there and look straight ahead. maybe I look rude, but I don't want to be touching their hand after that.

 

[rae519]

mskanga - Oh, I understood that you weren't approving of sending a sick child to school. Sorry I sounded that way to you.
I just felt bad for you to get sick after taking care of your child for so many days.

Nancy - My Mom holds the prayer book or hymnal with both hands and nods. I told her I sometimes will put my gloves back on - she nearly died laughing when I said that!! I meant it SERIOUSLY! I also hate it when people kiss each other instead of shaking hands in Church - even when my Dad kissed my Mom, I always wanted to say "NOT HERE! NOT NOW!" and it was just a peck on the cheek. My DH started that after seeing my parents, so now I just smile and keep my big mouth shut!! ; )

Did my volunteer stint at Michael's school today - PTO Fund Raising Chairman, etc, and the big announcement was that for the second time since December 1st - all 18 students were present! It's that fever, cough, sore throat recurrant theme - parents don't seem to catch it, just the kids.

I also had the opportunity to have school lunch - no offense, but it hasn't changed over the years when I begged my Mom to let me carry my own!!!

Happy and healthy days ahead for all of us!
Rae

 

[Sugarbaby]

Having been a school nurse for a time,I know that sometimes kids do get sick or spike a temp at school. But what used to really burn me up was when a parent would send a child to school knowing full well they were sick ("Yes,I threw up at home,but Mommy said I would be ok when I got to school")and then be unreachable the rest of the day. No answer at home or any other contact numbers. There were days that I had several kids there in the clinic all day,vomiting into wastebaskets. How selfish and uncaring!! The poor kids were miserable and embarrassed. All of you school nurses know just what I'm talking about!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

This really ticked me off yesterday, my DDs friend was out with the flu from school I had called the mother to see if they were going to story time at the library and she told me they were all home sick with the flu. Sure enough who shows up at the library with her dad..the sick child. The room in the library is really small and I just don't think it was right. The child was out sick from school again today. Keep sick kids home!

 

[rae519]

Welcome Sugarbaby - nice to have another nurse on the Boards!

Although I never was a school nurse, I have spent a lot of time with my 3 children at their schools and I agree 100%. It always breaks my heart to see a child sick, and crying because they want to go home to Mom/Dad/who ever and that person is not only unavailable but no one is! Just breaks my heart.

Today my son's class (18 students) celebrated the fact that today was only the second day since December that all students were present. This fever/cough/sore throat thing has really gotten out of hand and I won't fault the school for the teachers are doing their best to disinfect, and stress handwashing.

So were in Indiana are you? I'm in Miami County.

Rae

 

[Sugarbaby]

These are the reasons I didn't last long as a school nurse. It was too frustrating trying to deal with this kind of parent. Don't even get me started on the head lice epidemic! You wouldn't believe the names I was called because I sent kids home repeatedly because the parents didn't take proper care of the problem.I RAN back to the hospital. I have the utmost respect for school nurses. Hey,Rae! I now live in Wayne county,but am originally from Howard county- I even worked in Miami county at the hospital in Peru!! It really is a small world!!

 

[rae519]

My favorite Indiana place - Wayne County!~!!

Glad to have met you - Dukes has expanded incredibly, but still has the same lousy billing system! Maybe someday it will change!

I worked at Howard in the "round house"! Small world indeed.
Still "stoplight city" there. We attend Mass at St. Patricks, although we live in Peru!

Rae

 

[Pin Wizard]

Parents really send the kids to school when they're throwing up? That's horrible!