Oh why Oh why do parents do this??
By kimbers867
@kimbers867 (2539)
United States
February 26, 2008 1:00pm CST
Why do parents send their little ones to school if they are running a fever or have been throwing up? Our school's rule is that if you are running a fever or have thrown up you need 24 hours from the last fever or last round of hugging the toilet.
My youngests school reeks of Lysol because the stomach flu is going around big time. We got it early, and all of us had the same week but here is is a month later and the poor little darlings are still dropping likes flies with it.
Yesterday, I was in kindergarden and during Science we were talking about how germs spread and how not to spread them, etc. I had a little girl come up and hug and talk to me and she proceeded to tell me that she threw up the night before. I asked her why was she in school, she told me she felt better. UGH!!!
Now I feel something brewing in my chest, I have asthma so I have to pay more attention to my body then someone who is healthy. So I decided not to work today so I wouldn't infect any little ones.
I know as a working parent it is hard when a child is sick, arrange daycare, missing time off from work, but honestly sending a sick child to school doesn't not help anyone. Plus then you have to leave work if the nurse calls, etc. Last year, I saw one little boy leave because of the stomach flu at 1 p.m., he was back in at school the next day leaving at 10 a.m. Poor thing I felt so bad for him.
Both my girls carry hand sanitizer just to have something to keep their hands clean during the day. But the airborne germs are the tough ones to combat.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
26 Feb 08
If my daughters sick she stays home. Period...Why send her to school where it would likely get even worse & spread to other kids? The parents that do this kind of stuff are too wrapped up in their jobs/materialistic things to actually take care of their kids.
2 people like this
@kimbers867 (2539)
• United States
27 Feb 08
One thing that I didn't bring up is that some schools, ours included, puts a huge emphasis on Perfect Attendence. I know my first grader, at the beginning of the year, was upset when she had to stay home because she was sick.
I know the schools are trying to cut down on tardiness and leaving early but there has to be another way.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
2 Mar 08
Parents treat school as a babysitting service. Let the school take care of their colds, their temper, their whatever while they can go to work.
It is ridiculous that there are not sanitizing machines throughout schools and that those who are really sick are not quarantined... not only at school but at work as well.
Thanks for a great post
Zelo
1 person likes this
@kimbers867 (2539)
• United States
3 Mar 08
Oh I agree regarding the work place.
I know we just had a new procedure come down that the surfaces can only be cleaned with a certain type of cleaner now. Apparently some of the teachers throughout the county were using too strong of cleaners and some of the kids were having problems. So now it is some kind of pink cleaner, no more of the teachers bringing in their own cleaners.
Oh don't even get me going on their temperments, etc. I was in pre-K one day last year and there was this little boy that was going for testing down at Kennedy-Krieger so they took him off his meds, it was horrible. Mom just left him and said have a good day.
Then you have the parents whose kids are on meds, and believe me they need it, and the parents forget to give them their meds. You can tell that they didn't take it. Now it is not meds that makes them drowsy, etc. More that they can function without being a disruption. I have worked with one little girl who has CP, and she was just off for the day because mom forget to give her meds in the morning. It was constant disruption. She is such a sweet kid and she can't help it. It is so sad.
1 person likes this
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
3 Mar 08
It's great to wipe down all surfaces with an anti-bacterial cleaner... I'm all for that... but when was the last time the ducts were cleaned? Or when was the last time that kids were forced to wash their hands... the last time I personally can remember... and this is sad... is KINDERGARTEN!
There is a lot that can be done in the workforce and a lot that can be done in schools to make sure that #1 kids/workers don't get sick and #2 when they actually do they stay home.
There has been study after study that shows if people stay home when they are sick productivity is actually UP even though there is one less person!
I have seen some improvement we just need to keep pushing!
Thanks
Zelo
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
26 Feb 08
I know what you mean! lol
My daughter works at a day care and wants to know the same thing, she loves her job, but doesn't like the parents who would rather bring their kids in sick instead of keeping them home. I always made arrangements for when she was sick. I never sent her to school sick and try to keep her home even now when she is sick.
1 person likes this
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
27 Feb 08
Yep they sure do play dumb. lol
I really think these people think that because they are paying for the day care, it doesn't matter, but it does. One sick kid can make the whole day care sick including the people who watch the kids.
Now tell me you want someone as sick as my daughter was watching your kids. lol
Even the doctor said she didn't need to be at work with kids with being as sick as she was and told her the the kids should have not been brought to the day care sick in the first place.
1 person likes this
@kimbers867 (2539)
• United States
27 Feb 08
I know, I know. I have even heard from parents that say that in some daycare contracts they sign something basically saying that they will not drop their off if they have a fever. But I have heard that some parents do and play dumb.
@kimbers867 (2539)
• United States
26 Feb 08
The girls were complaining about sore throats but no temperature, I took it, LOL. So I sent them to school with throat/cough drops, we will see. You can't escape a cold just do your best to try and prevent it.
Now I had my BIL, stay at home dad, send my niece into school one day with pink eye. I happen to be in the next classroom over and her teacher told me. I just shook my head. This is child #2 so he knows better. Well he had to head back to school to get her.
@quiltedblessings (1066)
• United States
26 Feb 08
Yea, I try very hard to keep on top of my kids sicknesses. If they have a fever or are throwing up, they are home for at least 24 hours after it has passed. I see it alot at our school, parents sending sick kids to class. It drives me nuts.
1 person likes this
@Sillychick (3275)
• United States
26 Feb 08
It drives me nuts that parents do this. When I was teaching preschool, parents used to get upset when someone else sent their child in sick, then they would turn around and do the same thing! I was sick all the time. They complained and asked why we couldn't keep strep throat from spreading, and I'd tell them because people bring their children to school when they are sick, and we clean and clean, but it is an airborne illness, so we can't prevent the spread entirely.
I feel so strongly about this that I just wrote an article about it on Associated Content. The link is in my profile. Feel free to send the link to the entire directory of your child's school, to give them a not-so-subtle hint!!
1 person likes this
@kimbers867 (2539)
• United States
26 Feb 08
Well said Sillychick. You can always tell a new teacher also, because it seems like they get sick more their first year.
I honestly think some parents don't stop to think about the other children, only theirs.
I don't know how our school nurse is surviving this year.
