As parents, we’ve all been there. Yesterday your child was down and out with a fever, this morning he’s done a complete 180 and is raring to go. So do you allow him to go to school or keep him home? It’s not always an easy decision, as there are many gray areas when it comes to minor childhood illnesses.
If your child has one of the following symptoms, it’s best for her to take a sick day:
Many schools have a rule that your child needs to be
fever free for 24-hours prior to returning to school – without the aid of fever-reducing medications. This measure helps to ensure that your child is feeling better and no longer contagious. Most schools define fever as anything higher than 100.4.
It would be difficult for your child to attend school if he is having to run to the bathroom multiple times per day or even per class.
Diarrhea can last up to a week or longer, so plan to keep him home until the stools are controllable and more formed. Keep in mind that diarrhea is highly contagious, and the best form of prevention is
hand washing.
This scenario is pretty straightforward. If your child is
vomiting, she should not go to school until she has been vomit free for 24 hours. Again, the viruses that cause vomiting are highly contagious, so hand washing is key to preventing the spread of the illness.
Minor coughing is usually not a problem. However, there are cases in which coughing and nasal congestion should warrant staying at home, such as:
- coughing/blowing nose so much that your child won’t be able to pay attention
- coughing/blowing nose so much that your child will disturb the class
- coughing and also feeling tired with a poor appetite
A sore throat can be a sign of a viral or bacterial infection. And if your child has a fever along with the sore throat, you should keep him home. It could be strep throat and he should be evaluated by a doctor. If he has a sore throat with cold symptoms, it is most likely a viral infection and can go back to school whenever he feels better.
