one thing i just cant stand!!
By mama4kids
@mama4kids (690)
United States
May 22, 2007 8:28pm CST
i hate when people send their kids to school when they are clearly sick or even if they just think that they are getting sick. i have a friend, who i really like, but she is like that with her kids. i asked her if she could watch my kids for an hour and she says no problem but then when i get there, she tells me that her kids have a cold. like really...hello....you couldnt tell me that on the phone so i couldve made other arrangements??? why do people think that it is ok for their sick and germy kids to be around my healthy kids?? if my kids are sick, or have symptoms of being sick, whether i feel it is allergies or not, i still keep my kids away from them. i also do not send my kids to school when they are sick and so many people do because of convenience issues. that is just wrong. why do my kids have to come home sick because you couldnt take the day off of work to stay home with your sick kid??
am i alone in this? am i just being overprotective??? i dont enjoy my kids being sick nor do i like being sick. and i have 4 kids so when one gets sick, at least 2 or more of them get it. then i sometimes get it and that is just so hard on all of us. if i am not feeling well, nothing gets done. i am the sole caregiver of my kids and house. my husband works 60 hours a week.
am i being crazy???
7 people like this
19 responses
@6in12years (305)
• United States
23 May 07
I don't send my kids to school with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chest congestion that doesn't clear with a cough (I have an asthmatic) or if I suspect a serious or contagious illness. If I kept my kids home every time they had cold symptoms, though, they'd miss a week every month or two. It's just not feasible-besides which most upper respiratory illnesses are passed along before symptoms develop.
For me, it's not about missing work or convenience, b/c I SAH. It's about wanting my child to attend school regularly enough to succeed. BUT, for working parents it's not necessarily a matter of convenience. Missing too much work can interfere with opportunities for advancement, or even cost them their jobs. Missing work for a child with a mild cold doesn't make sense.
1 person likes this
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
that is true that most illnesses are passed on even before symptoms but not every child came into contact with that sick child before hand,so why expose even more kids after you know they are truely sick? it isnt fair to the other kids and parents really.
@6in12years (305)
• United States
25 May 07
If kids get a cold per month-and most do in the early years IME-they will be missing too much school. Every child in the class has already been exposed by the time symptoms appear.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
24 May 07
My oldest brother is notorious for this. He will call up to see if my niece or nephew can stay the night, I'll say sure and they get here only to find out later that they have been sick for days. I can't count the number of times I've gotten sick from one of them. I should tell him no they cant stay the night but I love to have them around so I just double up on antibiotics and hope it passes quickly.
LIVE IN PEACE
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
23 May 07
To be honest it depends on how sick the kid is. Most head colds by the time you see symptoms they have already spread the germs around before hand. The problem also comes in most schools have a limit on how many days a kid can miss. If you have a kid that is prone to getting sick or have bad allergies where it can be hard to tell whehter it's a cold or allergies they could miss enough to be flunked out because of it. In my area it's 9 days a semester and that can go very quick. If they miss more then 9 days it doesn't matter how good their grades are they do not pass.
Also I know many parents who do have to work and they cannot just call in when they have a sick kid. Not a lot of jobs like to have someone call in for this reason. It's often very difficult to find someone that will watch a sick kid for you as well. You can't just leave the kid home alone now a days. It's not like when I was growing up and by third grade I'd stay home alone when I was sick. Now a days you do that and you have the state in on you. So for some parents it's not a choice they have to send the kid to school. Do I agree with it? No I don't but if it's a choice of the kid going to school or the parent possibly losing their job and thus not being able to feed the kid I think the kid should go to school.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
24 May 07
It's 9 days a semester or 18 days a year. It still can be rough especially in smaller kids.
It's nice to say just find another job but not everyone has that ability. Maybe there are plenty of jobs in your area that you can pick and choose from but not around here. It's not that simple and in a Work at Will state they don't need any reason to fire someone. True without cause they might have to pay unemployment but often times they get around it as well and it's not hard to find causes. I think most parents will agree it's better to send a kid sick to school then not be able to feed them or to not keep a roof over their head.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
9 days a year? that is insane. where the heck do you live???
i dont agree though. yes, many colds are spread before symptoms are seen but that doesnt mean that every kid in the school had contact with your soon to be sick child ahead of time.
if a job isnt flexible and you are a parent, then a flexible job should be found. good parents agree that you are a parent first and the job comes second. you can always get another job but you cant replace a child, if you know what i am saying.
1 person likes this
@mememama (3076)
• United States
23 May 07
I feel the same way, my son isn't in school yet but I hate it when I see sick kids playing on the playground (I've made that into a discussion here before). My hubby works far away from home, so it's just me that has to take care of this kid and I hate it when he gets sick. I know kids get sick all the time, but to expose other children on purpose is just plain ignorant.
@mememama (3076)
• United States
24 May 07
"Something else to consider is that quite frequently, kids with a runny nose are not sick-they have allergies. Not contagious and absolutely not a reason to stay home"
I know that (I have allergies and am buying stock in kleenex), I'm talking about kids that got green slime coming out their noses.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
i agree. just because your kid is sick, doesnt mean that mine wants to be too..lol. it is the same with me. my husband works a lot so it is me and the 4 kids alone a lot. it is rough to have 3 toddlers sick and a child sick plus me. i hate winter for that sole reason.
@6in12years (305)
• United States
23 May 07
Something else to consider is that quite frequently, kids with a runny nose are not sick-they have allergies. Not contagious and absolutely not a reason to stay home.
@thathalazarini (486)
• Brazil
23 May 07
If the kid is really sick I don't agree with making him/her going to school!
My mother used to do that with my brother, but I always tried to convince her to stop that
But sometimes some kids just fake it and that's why some parents don't believe them and not even try to check if it's true. And some other times it's not too serious.
If I had a kid, I'd at least check if it's true everytime and if it's true and serious, I wouldn't send him to school
1 person likes this
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
true..kids do fake it. but when you see that they are clearly sick, that is a whole other story.
@jeanena (2198)
• Bucklin, Kansas
23 May 07
No I dont think you are crazy at all. I have had my kids bring home some nasty crap because parents dont keep their sick kids home from school.My kids ride the bus and i keep them home from school when they are sick . It is a pain in the butt to go pick them up because of sending them to school sick in the frst place.Not to mention I wouldnt want other parents to have to go thro that just because I used the school for a baby sitter . I know some kids fake being sick but there are usually signs that they are truely sick . I have 3 left in school , but for awhile I had 5 going and when one of them brought something home , it would go through the house in a wave.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
i feel the same way totally. i hate when more than one kid is sick at the same time. especially if i am too. that makes for a very long, crappy week!!
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
24 May 07
Nope not crazy- My daughter comes home with the sniffles a lot from school- She goes in fine and comes home sick- She is 10. I went to school when I was sick as a child- Not a small child but as a preteen and teenager. I think at that age it’s ok- It’s really the kids choice- When you have a small child- and sharing is big still- pencils, playing games, etc. you should keep your kids home if they are sick. Not just for the sniffles—but for persistent coughing, fever, flu bug, etc. Germs are passed around so quickly and easily in schools and daycares.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
you are right. my post was mainly about toddlers and babies. i shouldve put that in there. you had good points!! thanks!!
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
23 May 07
It drives me nuts too. I dont want to get anything either. One of us get it and then we all do. When my kids are sick we keep them home and have movie times to calm everyone down. No friends allowed over until we are pretty sure we are no longer contageous. Then we clean all the door knobs and handles and things we touch a lot. I think I am the overprotective one.
@zuiyirenjian (231)
• China
23 May 07
Absolutely,I agree with you.When I met the thing ,i solved it just like you...So,I think you are very calm .
Great!and,i find you can't bear a sick child not being at home with mom or dady,but being sent to school...i can know about your feeling,but don't be impatient.
firstly,maybe child's sickness isn't serious,sending him to school will bring up his body and volition.Do you think so?
secondly,some housematers are very careless,they don't know how to take care of their children.And when the child is sick ,he knows nothing about it...what a shame...but it is true,i met such parents...
do what you can do ,and protect your kid from illness or meeting sick child...
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
thanks for understanding. glad to see i am not alone in this.
@ariesflame (188)
• United States
23 May 07
Nope, you are not crazy! I keep my kids home when they are sick too. The things that gets me is that the school is very strict about this, so not sure why it is they let people break that rule so often. Kids shouldn't be at school at all if they have a fever. In my son's case he is diabetic and it really hurts him to get sick. His blood sugars go way up and he has to contend with headaches and stuff on top of whatever bug he picked up. SO we are ultra careful to nip any bug before it gets out of hand. You aren't being over protective you are being smart. I understand not being able to always take a day off, but that is what emergency care providers are fore. There should always be someone you can call, friend, relative, local emergency sitter that can come in and handle things. It's not okay to expose other kids to the bugs that your kid gets. Not only do they bring it home from school but then they give it to everyone at home as well. I figure more people miss work because they let their kid go to school sick when they should have stayed home and the illness progresses into something worse than if they had just taken that one day off to begin with.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
that is so true. if a child has diabetes or any other immune altering issues, it is very important for them to try to not get sick. but a lot of parents just dont think about other peoples kids. i dont ever want anyone to get sick because of my kids or myself. that would make me feel bad even if i had no clue at the time. i always think of others but i am finding that there arent too many people like us out there.
@favefive (178)
• United States
23 May 07
You are not being overly protective at all. I do share the same sentiments, I hate it when people take their kids to school knowing that they can be contagious. I think they use the school to babysit and watch their kids and would not want to miss work. THe school officials should be able to send the kids back home when they are sick. If that is practiced, it can lessen the spread of diseases.
@LadyDulce (830)
• United States
24 May 07
A lot of times I think it just depends on the illness. If it's contagiuous and spread through casual contact, such as chicken pox or the common cold, then I don't really approve of general contact with other children. However, as the child gets older, I think it becomes acceptable to send him to school. At age 10 and higher, for example, but only for something relatively minor. And only if the child is responsible enough to know how to reduce the risk of contaminating his friends. Also, single parents often have no other choice, much as they hate it, and some kids just can't afford to miss yet another day of school. It just depends on the situation.
Blessed Be
@toe_ster (770)
• United States
23 May 07
No you are not being crazy. I am right up there with you with my 3 boys, and two of them are in school. For the first few months of school it seemed like one of them were always sick. I think the schools have double standard on this issue sometimes. We would get notes sent home that if our kids had certain signs of being sick or were outright sick to keep themhome. Then shortly after we would get notes home about our kids missing too much school and it was becoming an issue. I have one son that has mahor allergies to our area and constantly has a runny nose. Other than that he would be fine. Sometimes we would still send him to school and explain this with a note from his doctor and he would get sent home anyway. Some people have no common decency for other people, no matter how nice they are. And others just fall victim to circumstance. I wish there was more we could do on this issue with school maybe. Or something. But you are not alone out there on this issue.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
glad to see that i am not alone with this...thanks for your response!!
@Stephanie5 (2946)
• United States
23 May 07
No, your not crazy. I have 5 and completely understand! I also can understand that some parents might lose their job if they miss work, sick kid or not. It's a tough situation. But, if that person has ANYONE that can help out, there is no excuse for it!
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
yeah..it is hard when you work outside of the house. but your kids come first. why send a clearly sick child to school to feel even more miserable.
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
25 May 07
No you are not alone in this. A parent has no business sending their child to school when they are sick. The germs that get spread and also how can the child learn efficiently if they are not well. They can't. My son is married and has three children but when he was young and in school I never allowed him to go to school sick. No you are not being crazy. This is a health issue and obviously some parents don't pay attention to the fact that their child is carring and spreading germs not only to the other kids but also to anyone they come in contact at school.
@killahclaire (3665)
•
23 May 07
I can toatlly understand what you are saying but I jsut feel that if you don't put kids near germs then they really are never goingto build up a good immune system so you could be doing them a favour that while they themselves are in full health that they go near someone with a bit of a sniffle.
I know sickness can be a big inconvienence but I really think it is something that you can't avoid no matter how many unhealthey children you keep them away from.
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
i am not trying to shelter them totally but in the winter when there is a lot of stuff going around, it gets to be too much. example..this past feb, one child got a cold, then the next child did but that escalated into an ear infection and eye infection as well, then the third child got an ear inf and eye inf, then the fourth child got that too, then i got a sinus infection and eye infection. do you have any idea what it is like to have 4 sick kids plus being sick yourself? i will tell you ...it sucks. and it was my friend, the one i mentioned in the post, that brought over her runny nose, not acting themselves kids a few days earlier. so it could have been avoided but she didnt care to just not come over or give me a heads up that she thinks her kids were getting sick so i couldve just told her to stay home then.
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
23 May 07
No, you aren't being crazy. It is actually standard practice here. I took my son to the doctor for a suspected ear infection, which he had, and it was nasty. He was given antibiotics and the doctor said to send him right back to school as 'Irish children don't miss school unless they are vomiting'. I've seen kids coming in coughing up a lung and parents saying tey oduble dosed them with whatever medicine for their symptoms. There are also lots of 'so and so threw up in class today.'
I am with you. I don't want my kids exposed to it. I don't expose other people's kids to my sick kids. I think it is a matter of convenience, and it is bad enought to be a working parent, but when it is a SAHM (like me) doing it so she can go out for a coffee, I feel so sorry for the kids. How could you possibly manage at school on a double dose of cough syrup? It's crazy!
@mama4kids (690)
• United States
24 May 07
wow...some parents really just make me wonder. it is as if some parents feel that if my kid is sick, yours should be too.
