Knowing when to keep your sick
child at home and when to send him or her back to school
It is a school day and your
child appears to be ill. What should you, as responsible parents, do? How are
you as parents to know when to keep a sick child home from school? What about a
safe return to school? (Note that this is particularly important now, because
of the growing concerns about the spread of the H1N1 virus.)
Here are some valuable nurse
tips for parents:
Do not panic. You child may not
be ill, even though he or she acts like he or she is sick. You will need to use
your parental judgment and discernment skills, in order to validate your
child's health status. Remember that even parents can have days when they do
not want to go to work; children do that too.
Assess the situation carefully,
as you do not want to send a sick child to school. At the same time, you do not
want to keep a child who is well, home from school, as his or her education is
important. Carefully evaluate the symptoms that your child is claiming to have
or is manifesting. Remember to do so with love and compassion, because your
child may actually be ill.
Do the symptoms that your child
is complaining about appear to be legitimate? In other words, do they seem as
real to you, as they are to your child? Can you validate or substantiate them?
How long have the symptoms been present?
Is your child physically active
at this time or is he or she just lying in bed with evidence of lethargy?
Does he or she have a fever?
Take his or her temperature and record it. Normal body temperature is 37
degrees Celsius. Is he or she pale or flushed? Is he or she sweating or
perspiring heavily? Is he or she dizzy?
Is your child complaining about
having a sore throat or an earache? Is he or she coughing? What about other
symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea? Is he or she showing evidence of
abdominal pain or pain anywhere else? Does your child have a headache or a
toothache?
Is he or she able to eat or
drink fluids? Is your child stating that he or she is hungry or thirsty?
Does he or she have a rash that
might indicate measles or chicken pox? Has your child recently been in contact
with any other children who are ill with something like colds, flu or mumps? Is
he or she complaining of a stiff or sore neck?
It is often an inconvenience
for parents to keep a sick child at home, but at the same time, as responsible
parents or guardians, it is important that you always do what is in the child's
best interest, with respect to his or her health and well being.
Consider the following things,
as you try to decide whether or not to send your child to school.
Are you able to stay at home
and take care of your child or do you have someone else who is able to do so
for you? Is it possible to make arrangements? Do that as soon as possible, if
it is apparent that the child is ill.
Be aware that if you do send
your child to school and he or she is ill, you may have to leave your job or
wherever you are and whatever you are doing, to go to school and pick up your
child. Do you want to risk having to do that?
Do you want your child to
spread any infection that he or she may have contracted to other children? This
may happen if you send a child to school, when he or she is contagious. Do you
have other children at home who are ill? If you do, the likelihood is high that
this child is ill with the same kind of infection.
Does your child have some kind
of test or program at school, that he or she does not want to participate in,
because he or she is not able to cope? Is there something else happening at
home, that your child wants to be a part of, instead of having to go to school?
Is there any particular reason
why your child does not want to go to school?
Have other children been
harassing him or her? Does he or she dislike the teacher? Is he or she under a threat of
punishment for low marks or non-participation in activities? Is he or she
continually getting detentions for bad behavior in school? Is he or she being
beaten up by someone on the school bus?
Children fake being ill for
many different reasons, but children who are ill, are not likely to fake it.
They will be lethargic, tired, cranky and feverish. They will not want to get
out of bed, drink fluids or eat anything. They may be fretful and cry easily.
If your child has nausea,
vomiting or diarrhea, he or she will probably be gagging and running to the
washroom. If the child has abdominal pain, he or she will hold or point to the
area on his or her abdomen, where the pain is present. He or she may have
repeated abdominal cramps. You may want to rule out the possibility of
appendicitis with his or her doctor, if the child complains of pain in the
right, lower quadrant,
If your child's temperature is
over 39 degrees Celsius, he or she may be coming down with an infection of some
kind. If it is high, he or she may also complain of an earache or a stiff neck.
It is usually advisable to keep any child with a high temperature at home, until
it is effectively resolved. It may also be advisable to rule out meningitis.
Does your child seem confused or disoriented?
Assess your child's health
status and behavior carefully. If necessary, prepare to take him or her to the doctor or emergency.
Do not force your child to get
out of bed or to take either foods or fluids, at this time. Allow your child to
rest, if possible. He or she may begin to feel better later and ask for food
and fluids. Record the child's temperature every couple of hours. Offer food
and fluids regularly throughout the day.
You may need to give the child
medication for a fever, but make certain that you know what the problem is
before you do that, as you do not want to mask any of his or her symptoms.
Call the school and advise them
that your child is ill and that you will be keeping him or her at home, until
he or she is feeling better. Find out from his or her teacher, if there may be
reasons the child may not want to attend school that particular day. Ask about
any schoolwork that he or she might be able to do at home, while he or she is
recuperating. Find out if any other children are demonstrating the same kinds
of symptoms that your child has.
The onus is on you as a parent,
to exercise good judgment. A child will recuperate quickly and if he or she
does not, it is important to have your child's health status assessed by his or
her doctor, as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it can be a trying time for
both parents and other children. Taking appropriate precautions when your child
is ill is important. Always have a back up plan for emergency childcare, just
in case he or she does become ill and you cannot stay at home with him or her.
Allow your child to return to
school, only when you see that he or she is returning to normal with regard to
his or her appetite, fluid intake and behavior, and remains symptom free, for at
least several days. If necessary, obtain a doctor's note stating that you child
has been ill and has permission to return to school.
Being cautious with your
child's health is important to you, as well as him or her and others. It is
always better to be safe than sorry.
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