Question to parents...

[clh2]

This whole mask thing has me perplexed. Masks to prevent the spread of H1N1 are in tight supply right now. So - I am wondering if those masks are even effective.

 

[minniebeth]

Well, in many schools, where there has to be a level playing field for everyone, for everything, I guess all the kids would be wearing the masks
Ok, that was a little sarcastic, but you know what I mean...aren't kids contagious actually even before and as they are showing symptoms?

My DD has a horrible cough, is sneezing and has a runny nose right now...I guess she'd be wearing a mask everyday even though it's very much attributed to Ragweed. Honestly, if it ever came to that, I think we'd be homeschooling for awhile...

 

[lemondog]

Why is a sick, coughing child with a runny nose at school?

If a parent sent their kid to school that way, I guess I can't really fault the teacher for trying to halt the spread of infection, especially if there is a flu risk.

Well, my 5yo currently has a cold with runny nose and slight cough. But she has no fever and is not acting sick at all. You better believe she is at school! Sick days are for when a child is truly sick -- fever, rash, vomiting/diarrhea, acting ill, etc.

Honestly, if it were my child I would go to the pedi, get a swine flu test, and if it's negative bring back a letter to prove it's safe to go without a mask.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

My kid is one that had allergies and asthma, and I'm waiting for his first cough to cause waves of hysteria at the school.

Exact same situation here. We've gotten DD's meds tweaked so she doesn't cough nearly as much as she used to, but when she gets a cold (ordinary one that would be "nothing" to most kids), she coughs alot.

To OP- to me, that should be a call the school nurse, not the teacher, makes. I also agree many of the sick call policies are going to need to be reevaluated.

 

[crazee4mickey]

No, I do not want my kids wearing masks at school. If you are that concerned about their health then call me at home and I will come get them. I would be very angry.

It's a tough call especially with all the H1N1 flu hype.....

Many parents send sick children because they don't want to or can't take time off work--we have kids actually falling asleep in their desks and when we have tried to notify parents of a sick child-they have call display and won't answer so we have no choice but to keep them at school

In one instance parents would be angry the child had to wear a mask, on the other they may be angry that a child exhibiting such symptoms was even at school.......err on the side of caution.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I suspect school nurses will be very busy this year. I might also say parents can submit proof of flu shots and swine flu shots when available. If your child is not vaccinated and they exhibit any symptoms they will be sent to the nurse, then home and not allowed back until well.

 

[disneychrista]

That is the best why to prevent the spread of whatever (cold, flu, etc).

 

[java]

Hmm I don't know if I would mind or not? I don't think the masks do much to protect you anyway. It's mostly hand to mouth kind of stuff- hence all the hand washing they are pushing. So really the mask is just a false sense of security. So I guess yes it would bother me?

 

[Becky2005]

My kid is one that had allergies and asthma, and I'm waiting for his first cough to cause waves of hysteria at the school.

That would be my DD. She would always get bronchial infections when little and even after they were all cleared up with antibotics, etc... she would still be coughing up a lung for a good couple weeks. She wasn't contagious just *sounded* awful when she would cough.

It's still kind of a work in progress to figure things out but once she gets a cough/cold type thing...it always sounds awful for a long time even though the doctor would listen to her lungs and say they don't sound wheezy, etc... basically just had to have the cough run it's course.

I'm pretty sure at some point people thought I was sending this horribly contagious kid to school but if she had stayed home for the cough at times it would have literally been 4 weeks or more.

I'm not really sure how I would feel but it would be kind of weird, then again, I suppose if the teacher just happened to have masks there and planned on handing them out to everyone for the rest of the school year when they came in with a runny nose AND the child didn't mind wearing it (I have one that has sensory issues and he would not tolerate wearing a mask so well).

 

[NHdisneylover]

I am another one with a kid with allergies. DD tend to spend about 8-10 weeks each fall coughing like crazy with occasional watery eyes and runny nose (on the higher count days) to boot. We have tried all sorts of meds adn hte only thing that quells the cough also makes her feel like a zombie and she cannot focus on anything--certainly not school work. So, we deal with the cough. She is already terrifically embarrassed by the cough (she knows it can be disruptive to others). Putting a mask on her would REALLY draw attention to her and she (very sensitive to what other are saying about her anyway) would just be miserable (more so than the allergies are allready making her). I am generally very in favour of teachers and think taht parents need to step back more often than not and let teachers do their job. But, in this case I would be really upset and on the phone with the school office and teacher in a heartbeat.

 

[Angelhalo]

It seems like if a child has allergies, it would be marked somewhere in his or her school information and probably would have been noticed by someone at some point in the past. If the teacher has no way to know for sure that the problem is allergies, and can't send the child home, then I see no issue with the mask. With the swine flu floating around, its not worth it to the other children to have a child spreading their germs all over the place just so they don't look a little silly with a mask on for one day. If it truly is allergies then after that one day, the parent can contact the school and give the child's Dr's information showing that the child has allergies. One day wearing a flippin paper mask will not scar the child for life. Without having any information on whether the child has allergies or not, he or she has no choice but to try to protect the rest of the class.

 

[minniebeth]

Ok, a realistic question here, and maybe some teachers can chime in here: as a teacher by trade, I'm familiar with a lot of child behaviors in the classroom...
how much work do you think will really get done with children wearing masks in the classroom? In the lower grades, I think it would be very distracting for both the children and the teachers.
It the H1N1 flu is going to spread as easily as they say it might, schools/parents will be encountering something they never have before. Both sides will need to take actions that they never have previously. Policies/procedures will have to change and both sides will need to be flexible.
Schools will have to find ways to help stop the spread of the virus and parents will have to be willing to keep sick children home.

I'm not anti-mask, just thinking it wouldn't be realistic for younger school children. Any parent who thinks it should be required might want to walk a mile in their child's or teacher's shoes for a school day...
Just looking at it from that perspective...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It seems like if a child has allergies, it would be marked somewhere in his or her school information and probably would have been noticed by someone at some point in the past. If the teacher has no way to know for sure that the problem is allergies, and can't send the child home, then I see no issue with the mask. With the swine flu floating around, its not worth it to the other children to have a child spreading their germs all over the place just so they don't look a little silly with a mask on for one day. If it truly is allergies then after that one day, the parent can contact the school and give the child's Dr's information showing that the child has allergies. One day wearing a flippin paper mask will not scar the child for life. Without having any information on whether the child has allergies or not, he or she has no choice but to try to protect the rest of the class.

Yes, it will give my child a panic attack and she would probably pass out in class.

So your assessment is not correct.

 

[Disney Doll]

Why is a sick, coughing child with a runny nose at school?

If a parent sent their kid to school that way, I guess I can't really fault the teacher for trying to halt the spread of infection, especially if there is a flu risk.

What she said.

 

[Disney Doll]

What she said.

That being said...frankly, I think the swine flu hysteria is ridiculous. Swine flu has been around for as long as the flu has been around...for God's sakes, I remember it back in the 70's when I was in school.

But, we live in a litiginous society....

So, what's the school to do? They already have to "parent" in so many ways (prior to schoool day care, after school care, summer programs, subsidized meals to name a few things that go on in my area) due to lack of parenting at home....

On the one side, you have the parents who would be incensed if their child were singled out. On the other side, you have the parents who would be incensed if their child caught Swine Flu, especially if they were to find out later that some little Swine Flu Suzy spent 2 days in class coughing and spewing all over everyone. So guess who gets caught in the middle and sued either way? That's right...the school.

Then we have the group of people whose kids have allergies that mimic Swine Flu. So many more people have allergies these days than ever did...I wonder why that is? Ragweed,pollen etc. have also been around for years, and save for a few kids I knew as a child, I don't recall anyone ever having allergies so bad that the symptoms mimicked Swine Flu.

My recommendation for those of you who have allergic children....provide a doctor's note to the school that your child is allergic and may exhibit sneezing, coughing, runny noses and other symptoms that may seem like cold or flu symptoms but are, in reality, allergy symptoms and NOT contagious.

My recommendation for those of you who have sick children...keep them home. Even if that is an inconvenience to you.

 

[jrmasm]

That being said...frankly, I think the swine flu hysteria is ridiculous. Swine flu has been around for as long as the flu has been around...for God's sakes, I remember it back in the 70's when I was in school.

But, we live in a litiginous society....

So, what's the school to do? They already have to "parent" in so many ways (prior to schoool day care, after school care, summer programs, subsidized meals to name a few things that go on in my area) due to lack of parenting at home....

On the one side, you have the parents who would be incensed if their child were singled out. On the other side, you have the parents who would be incensed if their child caught Swine Flu, especially if they were to find out later that some little Swine Flu Suzy spent 2 days in class coughing and spewing all over everyone. So guess who gets caught in the middle and sued either way? That's right...the school.

Then we have the group of people whose kids have allergies that mimic Swine Flu. So many more people have allergies these days than ever did...I wonder why that is? Ragweed,pollen etc. have also been around for years, and save for a few kids I knew as a child, I don't recall anyone ever having allergies so bad that the symptoms mimicked Swine Flu.

My recommendation for those of you who have allergic children....provide a doctor's note to the school that your child is allergic and may exhibit sneezing, coughing, runny noses and other symptoms that may seem like cold or flu symptoms but are, in reality, allergy symptoms and NOT contagious.

My recommendation for those of you who have sick children...keep them home. Even if that is an inconvenience to you.

I agree but do not think that a cold is a reason to keep a child home.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I agree but do not think that a cold is a reason to keep a child home.

I agree. That's where the rubber hits the road. If a parent kept a child home for every sniffle, the school board would take the parents to court for truancy.

 

[Becky2005]

I agree. That's where the rubber hits the road. If a parent kept a child home for every sniffle, the school board would take the parents to court for truancy.

Exactly! Living in a climate where cold & snow happens, you are bound to get at least 1 or 2 or 10 colds throughout the winter. Last year my DD was having surgery, going to be out for 7 weeks with homebound tutoring, etc...and I STILL got the nasty-gram letter that it was "excessive abscenses" I'm sure it was just computer generated but geesh! IF I kept the boys home for every sniffle, I'm sure I would be getting LOTS more of these saying "HEY your kids behind isn't in their seat at school so we are losing funding!" As long as there is no fever with it, etc... and they aren't "acting sick" then I send them.

 

[diznygirl]

Ok, a realistic question here, and maybe some teachers can chime in here: as a teacher by trade, I'm familiar with a lot of child behaviors in the classroom...
how much work do you think will really get done with children wearing masks in the classroom? In the lower grades, I think it would be very distracting for both the children and the teachers.
It the H1N1 flu is going to spread as easily as they say it might, schools/parents will be encountering something they never have before. Both sides will need to take actions that they never have previously. Policies/procedures will have to change and both sides will need to be flexible.
Schools will have to find ways to help stop the spread of the virus and parents will have to be willing to keep sick children home.

I'm not anti-mask, just thinking it wouldn't be realistic for younger school children. Any parent who thinks it should be required might want to walk a mile in their child's or teacher's shoes for a school day...
Just looking at it from that perspective...

Every year the schools have to deal with the flu - any flu - and just the common cold. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT! But the paranoia is going to kill us all before the flu does.

I agree. That's where the rubber hits the road. If a parent kept a child home for every sniffle, the school board would take the parents to court for truancy.

Excatly. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.

And don't forget the millions of trips to the doctor JUST to get a note for permission to keep them home.


COMMON SENSE FROM DR. SANJAY GUPTA


http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/01/parents.h1n1.flu.guide.gupta/index.html

 

[Disney Doll]

I agree but do not think that a cold is a reason to keep a child home.

Well, then send them to school with a note reading that it is a cold and not Swine Flu and you'd appreciate if it they didn't put a mask on your child.

Now, that begs the question of how a parent would be able to tell the difference between cold and Swine Flu symptoms, but I'll leave to greater minds than mine to figure out.