Why do people send their kids to school sick?

[mjkacmom]

Actually I don't leave my house when I'm contagious. It's common courtesy to my co-workers and their families. They don't wan't me there and my customers will just have to understand and reschedule. It's common sense. I don't think the OP was talking about trifling colds and such. We're talking about knowingly sending your child to school with a fever and sick as a dog. And no need to feel sorry for me, I'm doing just fine thank you.

Do we know what the OP was talking about when she said "sick?" I don't think she came back and clarified. A cold lasts 7 - 10 days. Yes, my kids go to school with colds. Technically, they are sick. I'm not having them miss a week of school for a cold. The OP never said fever, or sick as a dog.

 

[luvmy3]

See, that is putting spin on it. No one is talking about "sniffles". It's a question of would you knowingly send your child to school sick and still contagious? Of course sniffles or getting over a cold isn't what the OP meant.

Please post where the OP defined what she meant by "sick" because I must have missed it.
And BTW, I said "sniffles" because in my post that the pp quoted I said "cold", so therefore my use of "sniffles" was in reference to what I posted, not the OP.

This is what I said and what the pp was responding too. That poster had no problem thinking that the common cold was "illness" enough to respond the way they did.

Its not that people just don't care, some of them have no choice but to send their child to school when they have a simple cold. To be frank, if your (general you) child's health is so at risk from a common cold, then maybe it is you that should be thinking of other ways to educate your child rather than having them enrolled in a public or even private school.
And I say that as a mom of an asthmatic who is very much effected by illness.

 

[Gracie09]

Actually I don't leave my house when I'm contagious. It's common courtesy to my co-workers and their families. They don't wan't me there and my customers will just have to understand and reschedule. It's common sense. I don't think the OP was talking about trifling colds and such. We're talking about knowingly sending your child to school with a fever and sick as a dog. And no need to feel sorry for me, I'm doing just fine thank you.

wow so you miss 7-10 days of work for every cold you have.

 

[luvmy3]

Do we know what the OP was talking about when she said "sick?" I don't think she came back and clarified. A cold lasts 7 - 10 days. Yes, my kids go to school with colds. Technically, they are sick. I'm not having them miss a week of school for a cold. The OP never said fever, or sick as a dog.

Exactly, having a cold is being sick.

 

[MidwayState]

Do we know what the OP was talking about when she said "sick?" I don't think she came back and clarified. A cold lasts 7 - 10 days. Yes, my kids go to school with colds. Technically, they are sick. I'm not having them miss a week of school for a cold. The OP never said fever, or sick as a dog.

Oh sorry, I guess I was just using common sense.

 

[MidwayState]

wow so you miss 7-10 days of work for every cold you have.

Well there was one time when I only worked 5 days for the month of May because I couldn't clear up whatever was wrong with me. 4 trips to the doctor and $500 later I finally got to where I could get out of the bed, so yes, it's been known to happen. I keep a savings account for such occasions because I have no insurance and I have no other income. I HAVE to prepare to be able to take care of myself. I have no other choice. If I feel that I am contagious I don't go to work. Usually it's no more that 3 days at the most of where you're feeling your worst and running a fever which is the point when they say you are contagious. Not the entire 7 to 10 days. If I took it to work and gave it to someone else then we would spend more time passing it back and forth.

 

[MidwayState]

I think this person is. Also read past posts. This poster doesnt even have children.

Its easy to sit on your high horse judging others when you have no experience or a clue about the real situation.

wow and the same goes for you. I raised two step sons for 5 years that were 3 and 4 when I met them. Maybe YOU shouldn't speak about thinks YOU don't know about.

 

[spima3]

Parents will always find a way to justify selfish, inconsiderate behavior. And that is what it is, for whatever reason, that's what it is. Why not just own it. I've done it. A bad cold, and if they are feeling well, they are well rested, then they go. Fever, or strep, or flu, or they don't feel well enough to go, then they stay home.

DD had a sleepover party. One of the girls came sick, threw up all over my house, OMG! I tried calling the parents and no answer.

Finally got in touch w/ them, they had already ordered dinner but would come by as soon as they were done.

Father admitted kid was sick before she came over, but she didn't want to miss it, and they had planned a date night, so thought they would give it a shot.

 

[MidwayState]

Parents will always find a way to justify selfish, inconsiderate behavior. And that is what it is, for whatever reason, that's what it is. Why not just own it. I've done it. A bad cold, and if they are feeling well, they are well rested, then they go. Fever, or strep, or flu, or they don't feel well enough to go, then they stay home.

DD had a sleepover party. One of the girls came sick, threw up all over my house, OMG! I tried calling the parents and no answer.

Finally got in touch w/ them, they had already ordered dinner but would come by as soon as they were done.

Father admitted kid was sick before she came over, but she didn't want to miss it, and they had planned a date night, so thought they would give it a shot.

Thank you. That's what I say, just own it. I think the ones that are the most guilty are the ones that are getting the most upset. lol Reminds me of another thread.

 

[SEA333]

Actually I don't leave my house when I'm contagious. It's common courtesy to my co-workers and their families. They don't wan't me there and my customers will just have to understand and reschedule. It's common sense. I don't think the OP was talking about trifling colds and such. We're talking about knowingly sending your child to school with a fever and sick as a dog. And no need to feel sorry for me, I'm doing just fine thank you.

Haha...I work with people like you. Under the guise of them being "considerate of not wanting to get me sick", my workload increases. Please, to all of you "considerate" people out there....I'll take my chances with your germs - just come in and get your work done so I don't have to worry about it!

 

[crisi]

You must not realize that most illness are contagious at least 24 hours before symptoms. So your little Johnny or Mary will have been exposed before another student would even be showing symptoms.

This.

Frankly, unless she is so sick she can't pay attention to learn or she is vomiting or running a significant fever, she needs to be in school LEARNING. She misses a ton of school because she is frequently ill enough that she can't learn (she's prone to migraines). The damage was done when I sent her before the symptoms showed up - or before that when she got the illness from the kid who came before his symptoms showed up. She isn't staying home for a runny nose, an average headache, or a hacky cough - she'd never be in school.

Unless you want your taxes to go up to bring in a home teacher so my kid doesn't need to infect your kid, mine is likely in school. She is entitled to the education.

 

[MidwayState]

Haha...I work with people like you. Under the guise of them being "considerate of not wanting to get me sick", my workload increases. Please, to all of you "considerate" people out there....I'll take my chances with your germs - just come in and get your work done so I don't have to worry about it!

uh, I'm a self employed hairstylist. I don't think that applies. lol

 

[luvmy3]

Parents will always find a way to justify selfish, inconsiderate behavior. And that is what it is, for whatever reason, that's what it is. Why not just own it. I've done it. A bad cold, and if they are feeling well, they are well rested, then they go. Fever, or strep, or flu, or they don't feel well enough to go, then they stay home.

Personally I don't think there is any reason for justification when a parent decides "selfishly" to send their kid to school and not risk losing their job.
As for me, I'm a SAHM and I do send my kids in when they have a cold because they aren't sick enough to miss school. If the school had an issue with students being in school with a cold, half the kids would be out during cold season, they have guidelines to follow and sending a kid with a cold to school is perfectly within those guidelines. I don't need to justify anything to anyone when I do it.

 

[MidwayState]

I think one thing we can all agree on is that because of how the world works today and the fact that it takes two incomes in most cases to just pay the bills, there are some people that feel that they have no choices when it comes to keeping their children out of school. Is it inconsiderate IMO yes, is it that parents fault? not necessarily. It all can be traced back to a failing economy really. There was a time when things like this weren't an issue at all. If your child was sick it was a no brainer that you kept them home. I'm one of those people that long for days gone by because I certainly don't think progress has done us a whole lot of good from the family standpoint. That has created the whole "I gotta look out for number 1" attitude. We just don't have much of a choice anymore. That's my two cents.

 

[SEA333]

I think one thing we can all agree on is that because of how the world works today and the fact that it takes two incomes in most cases to just pay the bills, there are some people that feel that they have no choices when it comes to keeping their children out of school. Is it inconsiderate IMO yes, is it that parents fault? not necessarily. It all can be traced back to a failing economy really. There was a time when things like this weren't an issue at all. If your child was sick it was a no brainer that you kept them home. I'm one of those people that long for days gone by because I certainly don't think progress has done us a whole lot of good from the family standpoint. That has created the whole "I gotta look out for number 1" attitude. We just don't have much of a choice anymore. That's my two cents.

I have disagreed wtih many of your posts in this thread, but I am 100% with you on the above comments!

I loved the days I stayed home with my kids - it was what I had intended to do when I became a parent. Unfortunately, I lived in Michigan my whole life (now relocated to Illinois), and had my children between the years of 2000-2006. No one could have foreseen 9/11 hapening when my oldest was 1 years old, and things were still looking OK for us in 2004 when we chose to add to our family. I do have to admit that #3 was a bit of a surprise in 2006, but we were still OK as a family. Then 2008 hit, GM went bankrupt, and nearly everyone in my area lost their job, including my husband - 3 jobs in 2 years, through no fault of his own (company went bankrupt, company moved out of state, company closed and never paid their employees their last check). I am talking good companies who hire people with college degrees. Not fun times!

We finally moved to the Chicago area and I went to work for the first time since my kids were born - it was three years ago, and we are STILL digging out from under the mess from those "dark" years. Now, thank goodness, I work for an extrememly reputable, well-known company that is very good with working parents, and 2 of my kids are old enough to stay home alone when they are sick, or the babysitter takes DD (she's right at that age that I'm ALMOST comfortable with her being home alone when she is sick) and DS7 if they are not throwing up, but when I first went back to work, I would cry on the way to work from guilt even if they had a stuffy nose and I sent them to school. It's not an easy thing by any means. And most people who know me would say that I am the least selfish, least inconsiderate person they know.

 

[kimj88]

A. You MUST be a stay at home mother to even ask a thing like this, and to be to so judgemental.

B. I have been all - stay at home, work from home, and work out of the home, and let me tell you....when I stayed at home, it was an easy decision to make. It was also MUCH easier when it was only my oldest in school (he is 4 years older tha #2, and #3 is 19 months younger than #2)

C. When I was a stay at home mom: My kid had a cough that kept them up all night? They stayed home. My kid's eye was a little red? off to the Dr to rule out pinkeye. My kid threw up Sunday morning, but never had a fever and was fine the rest of the day? He stayed home Monday. You hurt your ankle at football practice last night? Why don't you stay home and put some ice on it.

D. Working outside of the home goes a little more like this: your eyes look a little pink. You were outside all day yesterday in the grass and you have allergies. your eye is not crusty or ozzing. You are going to school.

You threw up at 6am Sunday, but don't have a fever and ate dinner just fine last night? You are going to school.

Coughing? Runny nose? you are going to school.

You hurt your ankle at football? Let me call your friend's mom and see if she will drive you home after school today.

Fever? Sore thoat with white spots? No school for you - let's go to the Wellness Clinic at Target as soon as they open since the DR cannot get you in until tomorrow.

Throwing up on Tuesday morning? I'll call into work this time, DH, next time, it's your turn. Hopefully, this is only a 24-hour thing.

E. Times all of this by 3 for three kids. I am lucky that my employer gives us unlimited sick days, but I still try to NOT take advantage, and save them for when my kids really do need to stay home.

My youngest child (2nd grade) has asthma. He has been in the hospital a few times, once for three days. Each time, he caught the "virus" that caused his asthma to flare up from school because none of the rest of us were sick at all. Do I panic when I get the note home that the flu is going around my asthmatic child's classroom? Heck yeah!!! Does it make me want to post nasty things to parents on a discussion board?

Not really. I think we all need to settle down a little.

***Edited for a disclaimer: I'm not attacking stay at home parents or starting a SAHM vs. WOHM debate. All I am saying that, in my experience, it was a LOT easier to make a snap decision to keep my kid home when I was actually AT HOME. Working out of the home causes parents to really think about the options/benefits/drawbacks of every decision.

I second all of this above

 

[MidwayState]

I have disagreed wtih many of your posts in this thread, but I am 100% with you on the above comments!

I loved the days I stayed home with my kids - it was what I had intended to do when I became a parent. Unfortunately, I lived in Michigan my whole life (now relocated to Illinois), and had my children between the years of 2000-2006. No one could have foreseen 9/11 hapening when my oldest was 1 years old, and things were still looking OK for us in 2004 when we chose to add to our family. I do have to admit that #3 was a bit of a surprise in 2006, but we were still OK as a family. Then 2008 hit, GM went bankrupt, and nearly everyone in my area lost their job, including my husband - 3 jobs in 2 years, through no fault of his own (company went bankrupt, company moved out of state, company closed and never paid their employees their last check). I am talking good companies who hire people with college degrees. Not fun times!

We finally moved to the Chicago area and I went to work for the first time since my kids were born - it was three years ago, and we are STILL digging out from under the mess from those "dark" years. Now, thank goodness, I work for an extrememly reputable, well-known company that is very good with working parents, and 2 of my kids are old enough to stay home alone when they are sick, or the babysitter takes DD (she's right at that age that I'm ALMOST comfortable with her being home alone when she is sick) and DS7 if they are not throwing up, but when I first went back to work, I would cry on the way to work from guilt even if they had a stuffy nose and I sent them to school. It's not an easy thing by any means. And most people who know me would say that I am the least selfish, least inconsiderate person they know.

That really bites! Things like that are pretty much the whole reason I didn't have any faith in this country enough to even try to have children. I tend to fear the worst and at 42 watching and hearing all of my friends with families talk about how bad things are with school and money etc...I'm thankful that I chose the way I did. It sure is a lot of stress that no one deserves. Everyday we hear some new horror story and yet there are still people that think progress and technology are a good thing. We are self destructing sadly.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

wow and the same goes for you. I raised two step sons for 5 years that were 3 and 4 when I met them. Maybe YOU shouldn't speak about thinks YOU don't know about.

Forget it!

 

[plutoloversmom]

I don't know about the rest of you, but if I miss more than 2 days of work I need a doctors note before going back in. This would be extremely difficult to accomplish if I was home becAuse my child had a cold. Luckily my kids are old enough now that they can be home alone. However unless they are vomiting or have a fever they are in school. I wish we all had the Luxury to stay home with every cold. Did anyone thing that maybe the OP is a hypercondriac? Maybe she just likes to be sick so she can stay home or likes her kids to be sick so she can be with them. I just couldn't even fathom taking that much time off of work because I'm sneezing or have a slight cough.

 

[1000HappyWishes]

My parents could never take the time off to keep me home. Their jobs at the time during my elementary years were not stable. When I got to middle school, if I was sick I called myself in and stayed home by myself. Now that I'm in high school, a large amount of students are sick half the time because of our attendance policies. We can't miss more than five days per semester. Students are afraid to miss work, so they go to school even if they're sick. Because a sick day at home is hardly relaxation when you're stressing out about missing so much work. I'm at home sick today and I've already emailed all my teachers about my missing work and it's only been a day. I know I'm already missing two tests. Again, I had to call myself in and I'm home alone.

Many parents don't want to send their children into school sick. They just have no other choice.