When Your Child is too Sick to go to School

Death, taxes and sick children; the certainties in life. These things are inevitable so you need to have a game plan for all three contingencies. For example, when you have a sick child but can’t stay home with them, plan in advance who will take care of them when school or daycare is out of the question. Sending them to school sick doesn’t count as a game plan.

A child should not return to school until he/she has been fever-free and/or hasn’t vomited for 24 hours. Also, you should not send a child to school who has an uncontrolled cough, has green or yellow mucus, eye drainage, a sore throat, earache, explosive diarrhea, an undiagnosed rash, or is lethargic and mopey.

Sending a sick child to school isn’t fair to…

•  The teachers/staff
• The other students who are exposed to your child’s illness
• Most of all - your child! A sick child needs to know they can recuperate in comfort and in the amount of time needed. Otherwise you’ll only prolong the illness and cause them to do less than their best at school.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an understanding employer who allows for family sick days, count your blessings. But if you’re not, you need to implement a “sick day game plan” using one or more of the following ideas to assure you and your child are comfortable with how sick days are handled.

1. Whenever possible, let Dad take a turn staying home. Also, consider working in shifts. Perhaps Dad could go to work in the morning and then come home so that Mom can take the afternoon shift.

2. It would be great if you have the luxury of having grandparents or other relatives living close by. If so, make arrangements for one or two of them to be an alternate caregiver on days you can’t stay home. Older relatives are generally happy to accommodate and will provide plenty of TLC to make the day as pleasant as possible.

3. Offer to pay a trusted friend or neighbor such as a stay-at-home mom whose children are in school all day. Ask her to come to your home to avoid spreading germs to her household. If she won’t accept the pay, flowers or a gift card are definitely in order.

4. Find out if there someone in your church who might consider helping out on occasion. Naturally, you should offer compensation as added incentive.

The key to a successful sick day game plan is to have everything worked out in advance, and perhaps even a second back-up plan in case your first one doesn’t work out. Of course, you may not know you need to put the plan into play until waking your child for school, so your caregiver needs to understand she may have very short notice. In other words, whoever you plan to ask should have agreed prior to being needed.

Naturally, there’s no one like mom when a little one is sick, so whenever possible give them that special attention. But when life gets in the way make it easier for everyone by having a prearranged game plan worked out. Your family will be most appreciative!