Low Fever Do you keep them home?

[NOLA_Tink]

I would never, ever send a sick child to school with a fever. A fever means something's wrong, something that could infect others. Even if it's not infectious, a fever can make a child miserable. How effective is school going to be for a child that's sick and miserable? No, I'd never do it.

I completely agree! Plus, if they infect the other kids, then it could become a vicous bug that continually gets passed around the class. I know it's a PITA to make arrangements for kids to stay home, but it's unfair to the child, teachers, & other students to send a sick child to school.

 

[daisyduck123]

Pretty much depneds how they r acting...

if they feel and look fine i might give them tylenol in the morning and send them

Now why would any parent EVER give their child Tylenol & then send the kid off to school?? If you are giving a kid Tylenol then it's because there IS SOMETHING WRONG....please keep that kid home. By lunchtime, that dose of Tylenol is going to wear off anyway.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

As a former SAHM, currently a working mom...

I would only know if my childs temp is 99.6 if I suspect illness, so I would keep her home from school even though it does get me "in trouble" at work. It is a tough spot to be in, but I think the body is saying you need some rest. I also think if everyone kept their sick kids home, I wouldn't have to be in that position so often! (Wishful thinking)

What irritates me the most is the school letting a child who was sent home with a fever or who vomited in class come back to school the next day. It is against the 24 hour policy, yet they don't enforce it. Makes me so mad! I know there can be exceptions. My DD would vomit when she had an ear infection. Obviously, that's not contagious, but I'd often keep her home the next day for her own comfort anyway.

 

[Leajess99]

18 hours later he had a fever of 101, but was acting fine. I called the ER because even though he was happy and playful, I didn't think he should have a fever again when he was still on all kinds of meds. They said bring him in and they would check him. I took him to the ER and he was toddling around the waiting room, playing, flirting with other people who were waiting. He was acting totally normal and I felt like we were completely wasting our time.

They checked his blood and his white counts were off the charts, worse than when he was first admitted with pnuemonia. They readmitted him and we ended up spending 18 more days in the hospital with a nasty blood infection. (He didn't start "acting sick" until later that evening.)

Oh wow, I know that can be some scary stuff. I am so glad you called to check. My cousin ended up with a blood infection when he was a baby and it freaked me out because all of a sudden he started seriously throwing up while I was babysitting him. He was only a month or so old and his mom was at my sister's graduation (no cell phones for us back then). His mom took him straight to the ER when she got back to my house and it was a good thing. Today he is a healthy and quite active 26 year old.

 

[Leajess99]

My niece has had strep countless times and her only symptom EVER is a headache. Her mom now knows if she's complaining of a nasty headache. She better have her tested. She's 14 and has never said her throat hurts when she has strep. No fever either.

It is really weird how strep can show itself.

 

[torinsmom]

I cannot believe any parent would be so selfish and irresponsible to ask if their child could just lay down in class!!!! That is unbelieveable. My son is in preschool and I wouldn't ever send him to school with a fever, low or not. It's my responsibility to care for him when he's sick, not his teacher. If a child has a fever, they are sick. Why risk making your child sicker or send them to school when they don't feel good in the first place? Not to mention, why would any parent so carelessly risk getting someone else's child sick? Especially preschool kids. They'll just keep passing it around.

Our son is just getting over a virus. He had a fever early Sunday morning. He felt better Sunday, but I kept him home from school yesterday (he goes to preschool Mon., Wed. and Fri.). 24 hours without a fever is my rule. He'll go back to school on Wednesday. And to all the preschool teachers on this board, thank you for all you do (and put up with).

They are the same parents who would throw a fit if SOMEONE ELSE did that! We also have parents who will not answer the phone if it is the school. We have to call the emergency contact and then that person will call the parent. Usually, the parent will then call us back. I guess they don't want to look bad in front of their friend. Still, many will get a half day of work out of giving their kids medicine. By the time it wears off, it is lunchtime and then it takes them 30-45 minutes to come when we call.

Thank you to all the parents who are extra careful when their child appears to be ill, fever or not. I teach PreK and K and it is really sad to see the kids who are obviously feeling bad. They need to be home, resting and snuggling with a parent. If they don't have a fever of over 100, parents don't HAVE to come get them. I do call and let them know they have a stomach ache or their throat is sore and let them make that call.

 

[Pembo]

Fever means you stay home, any age, even adult. That was my mom's rule and I know at our school a student with a temp, even 99.6, warrants a call home.

That said I have a hs with a very sore throat and cough, no fever. He tested neg for strep. on Monday. This was a tough call on whether to keep him home or not. We compromised with go to school, call if you feel worse. Yesterday he stayed all day however he was cranky!

 

[ccgirl]

If it was 99 degrees and I had taken her to the dr. and nothing was found I would probably send her in. Both my DH and myself work full time. We only get 18 days total off a year. So, we can't keep our DD home for everything. However, if she feels sick we do keep her home. Fevers are not great indicators for my children so I would not keep them home unless they were over 101 (school rules). I would not give my child Tylenol to decrease said fever of 101 then send them to school. Once it hit 101 I would keep them home for 24 hours. However, I will say that I hardly ever take their temperature. I ask how she is feeling. Monday she said she had a sore throat so I kept her home (without taking her temp) and took her to the dr's. She had no fever at the dr's and the strep culture was negative. I kept her home for the rest of the day as well as her competitive swimming practice that evening. The rule in our house is that if you miss school you also miss after school activities. Her school is very good at enforcing rules. If a parent tried to send a child to school that had been sent home from school the day before they would immediately receive a call to have the child picked up and sent home. I try hard to not judge other parents. We don't know what their situation is. While I would not be happy if a parent sent and obiviously sick child to school what if they were a struggling single parent having difficulty putting food on the table and the time off would be unpaid? Just saying, not everything is alway so cut and dry or black and white.