Low Fever Do you keep them home?

[mommy2emily]

Just curious as my dd has a 99.6 fever so I will keep her home from pre-school tomorrow (I had her at the doctor since she said her ear hurt) no infections just fluid in the ear due to post nasal drip.

When your child has a low grade fever do you keep them home? I know many times I see kids in dd's class that are pale and just look sick and am curious as to why they didn't stay home?

 

[Ali]

As a pre-k teacher I bow down and offer my endless gratitude. Most parents are unable to keep their kids home because they have to work so I get kids who are incredibly I'll in my room every day. Mist times they are visibly sick but their temp is under 100 so we cant send them home. Around 11:30 or 12:00 the meds start to wear off, fever spikes, and we call home. By that time parents say that the day is almost over, can't they just lie down in the class? So thank you for doing what you do. It helps

 

[scootch]

I always did especially in preschool. As they get in older grades, and with your situation, she was at the doctor and the doctor did not find anything significant, then if they seemed to feel ok, I would let them go. My kids never want to miss, they truly love school, so I had to use my gut instinct most of the time once they got into grade school, especially middle school years.

 

[EMAW]

I keep mine home. I figure it doesn't do them or their friends any good to send them when they don't feel well. Many times a low grade fever leads to a higher temp at some point, and in any case it's the body's way of trying to tell you something.

It irks me when people send their kids when they are sick. I understand work issues, but we all have to deal with that as part of being a responsible parent IMO.

Get well soon!

 

[cdrn1]

As a nurse I don't know that I necessarily call 99.6 a fever. But if a kid doesn't feel well or acts sick he or she should stay home if possible even if afebrile. If 99.6 and acts fine and is up and playing (without fever reducer) then I think they are okay to go, esp after being seen by a doctor who diagnoses something non-infectious.

 

[ugadog99]

Our county policy is 24 hours with no fever and NO fever reducing medication. I know it can be difficult to arrange childcare when they are sick, but if more parents would actually follow our policy, we wouldn't have soooooo many sick kids at school.

 

[Sadie22]

That would have been a fever for one of my DS who regularly had a temp of 97.6 in the morning. Temps tend to rise during the day a little bit. So if that is abnormal for your DD and she acts or feels sick then she needs to be at home rather than catch something at preschool. Maybe she is coming down with something that the doctor cannot yet detect.

 

[msmama]

I probably wouldn't know if my son had a fever of 99.6, honestly.

I tend to go by how he's acting. If he's acting fine I send him. If he's acting ill, even if he doesn't have a fever, I don't send him.

 

[Ctsplaysinrain]

Since you took her to the doctor, I'm assuming that she is acting ill.. So, on that account, I would say "let her stay home." My husband is a family doctor and he has always said " you need to base it on how they are acting." He has seen some really ill kids with very low temps and he has seen some that are hardly ill with 104 temps... We use this as a basis at home as well. Our youngest is now an 8t grader- the other day he said he "just didnt feel well".. He had no fever or other symptoms but when I said OK -no computer-" his addiction" and he said fine- I knew he was sick.. Never progressed and he was fine the next day- but I do know he was sick that day ( 1st day all year.)

 

[sam_gordon]

I side with the "how are they acting folks". In your case, if you had the child at the doctor on Monday (for example) and they couldn't find anything, I'd drop the child off at school if they were acting ok. Tuesday would be the same. Acting fine, off to school. Acting "puny", sorry, boss, I got a sick kid.

 

[crisi]

Nope. I had a son who "runs hot" - for him 99 was normal as a kid.

 

[mhsjax]

For me and my kids. Anything above normal, we are deathly ill. Running a fever isn't something we do. And when I get even up to 99.0 I am so sick I can't even stand up hardly, but I rarely run a fever. Last time I did, I had the flu, before that I had mono. My DD with her last case of strep that took 2 different antibiotics to cure never ran anything above 99.0

My dad, as soon as he didn't feel the slightest bit well, he ran a fever.

So yes I would keep them home.

 

[Carlyzmom]

For me and my kids. Anything above normal, we are deathly ill. Running a fever isn't something we do. And when I get even up to 99.0 I am so sick I can't even stand up hardly, but I rarely run a fever. Last time I did, I had the flu, before that I had mono. My DD with her last case of strep that took 2 different antibiotics to cure never ran anything above 99.0

My dad, as soon as he didn't feel the slightest bit well, he ran a fever.

So yes I would keep them home.

I was going to say the same thing. Me and both my kids can be deathly ill and run NO fever. So, it really depends on the kid. If one of mine has 99.6, they are SICK! I guess we are all different!

 

[mward73]

I wish my kids would get a 99 degree fever instead of the 105-106 they alway spike! lol I'd keep them home, even with a low fever (unless it's due to an ear infection or something and they're on meds w/a dr note). Our daycare won't keep them if their fever is over 101 - they call and you have 1 hr to get there - if you don't show up, they call the authorities. Luckily I'm 5 mins away and get him quickly so he doesn't pass his germs along any more than he already did. Our daycare will also isolate the kid immediately and start cleaning the room. We've been lucky that the only they the entire class passed around was pink eye - they usually don't catch whatever other crud the other kids have.

 

[kfeuer]

I keep mine home. I figure it doesn't do them or their friends any good to send them when they don't feel well. Many times a low grade fever leads to a higher temp at some point, and in any case it's the body's way of trying to tell you something.

It irks me when people send their kids when they are sick. I understand work issues, but we all have to deal with that as part of being a responsible parent IMO.

I also consider part of being a responsible parent keeping a job to provide for my kids. Unless my kids are really sick, I don't have of luxury of calling out of work. I don't send my kids to school with a fever, but if it's just a minor case of not feeling well they go (and 9 times out of 10 when I get home they've forgotten all about feeling unwell). It's easy to judge working parents, but having a sick child when you really need to be at work is a tough spot to be in.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Yes, when my kids ran fevers, they didn't go to school.

 

[dzorn]

I would not consider that a fever, but I would not send my child if they did not feel well.

Denise in MI

 

[3pletprincesses]

I wish my kids would get a 99 degree fever instead of the 105-106 they alway spike! lol I'd keep them home, even with a low fever (unless it's due to an ear infection or something and they're on meds w/a dr note). .

My girls are like that too. It's a pain to go from having a perfectly healthy kid to a kid that you can barely control the fever. Any sign of fever and they stay because I know it will only get worse as the day goes by

 

[disney11fan]

having a stay at home wife, when our son was sick he stayed home. when there is two working parents and day care ... i guess i'm glad i wasen't it that situation. i have no idea what i would have done. what's sick enough for a kid to saty home when as parents you both work has to be hard.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Preschooler stays home even if he is feeling a little off...fever for sure stay home.

High school senior....goes unless he is REALLY sick. With honors and AP classes and a strict attendance policy there is just not a slack for sick time. He went today with a bad cold. Did not check his temp but do not think there was any.