Are you ever unsure whether to send your kids to school? I mean I know when they have temperatures I never send them. Last night my 7 yr old threw up 2 times. We had gone to the movies and had some VERY greasy popcorn. It tasted so good, but we all regretted it. I know I did not feel good later on, even after taking a Pepcid AC and Mylanta.
This morning my daughter woke up and felt completely normal. She wanted to go school, but I said no.
So I dont know if it was the popcorn. She had been with a friend who had thrown up the day before.
So if your child woke up completely fine, would you still send them to school.
My daughter is feeling and acting fine, but I decided to keep her home.

By Tunnia on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 09:59 am:

I probably would have sent her to school, but I would not have felt 100% sure about it and I would have stuck close to the phone all day. It's hard to know sometimes and you just have to make the best decision you can and hope it was the right one.

By Tripletmom on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:34 am:

I'm never sure what to do either.We keep Katie home once a month for a family day.DH calls in sick too .If it's close to that day I keep her home.If we already did that day I'd probably send her,especially it there's no fever and she's asking to go.I'd just stay close to the phone too.

By Colette on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 10:59 am:

If my kids vomit, they stay home until they are 24 hours vomit free. Same with a fever or "the trots".

There is nothing worse for the child, the teacher or the janitor than having a kid throw up in school. One day won't make a difference.

By Vicki on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 12:15 pm:

I am with Colette, it would be 24 hours before I would feel comfortable sending my child to school. I actually think that it may even list that in the school handbook now that I think about it.... not that they would know, but if everyone did that, I think it would really help limit the spread of illness between these kids! I have a friend who will give her child Motrin if she has a small fever and send her to school!!

By Cocoabutter on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 01:39 pm:

If ds has a fever, has been throwing up all night, just couldn't get a good night's sleep for some reason (up 3-4 times), or is majorly congested and coughing and sneezing, I keep him home because he may just need the rest. If a kid has gone 12 hours without vomiting, chances are they are probably done. But, my ds would rather stay home from school some days, and I don't want him to get into the habit of telling me he doesn't feel good so that he can say home and play. I'm tough when it comes to this- school/education is most important. I definitely would have sent him if he told me he felt fine, and if he started to feel sick at school, I can always go pick him up.

Regarding not sending kids to school just to stop the spread of germs, that's unrealistic. Germs at school are inevitable, with kids borrowing pencils or crayons from one another, whispering in eachother's ear, or not washing their hands thoroughly, and there is always going to be that parent who sends a germ-ridden kid to school. Besides, you never know where the germs may come from- a sick brother or sister of a classmate, for instance. From my understanding, kids are mainly contagious when they have a fever or have been on antibiotics for less than 24 hours.

By Kaye on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 03:15 pm:

I try to keep them home until they are 24 hours passed throwing up. With your dd, if she was able to eat breakfast and feel fine then I might have sent her. But the reality is, they don't miss that much, it isn't that big of a deal to miss an occasional day. And if she did get sick and throw up at school how bad would you have felt when she told the nurse, yeah i threw up last night

If any doubt I keep them home, unless there is a huge project they are going to miss.

By Vicki on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 03:42 pm:

Regarding not sending kids to school just to stop the spread of germs, that's unrealistic.


I am not saying that kids with cold or a cough should be kept home. Yes, I agree that is unrealistic. I also know that germs are every where and can be picked up easily. I do however don't think it is unrealistic to think that a child with a active fever should be kept home.

By Cocoabutter on Monday, November 27, 2006 - 04:02 pm:

Cool, Vicki! Neither do I!