Deciding Whether to Send My Child to School with a Cold: Swine Flu Scare

[ChefBeckyD]

Yesterday, DS woke up with a fever, and lots of head congestion, sore throat, etc....he had a fever most of the day, but was alot better when I put him to bed last night. He is still sleeping right now, but I have to get him up in about 15 minutes to get ready for school.

There are at least 5 area schools closed for the week because of the Swine Flu scare...his isn't one of them, but I'm concerned that if I send him, the mob mentality will take over, and I'll have a bunch of panicked parents coming after me for sending him to school with what is probably just a cold....

So, I have a short window of time to decide if I should send him to school....

 

[pampchefsarah]

Keep him home. It won't hurt him to miss one day of school. He's probably not completely over what he had, yesterday, as well. Plus, if he's showing any of these symptoms at school, you'll probably be getting a call, anyway.

 

[MORFIA]

keep him home-

 

[AnnieBee]

I'd say keep him home too. He'll get better faster, and if he goes and the fever comes back, I think you're right, everyone will panic.

Without the fever, I'd say it's just a cold, send him, but I think you have to play it safe...

I hope he feels better soon!

 

[babywings76]

I'd just let him sleep and see how he is when he wakes up on his own. His little body might still be fighting something and need rest. I would probably end up keeping him home, though, since it sounds like he was pretty sick yesterday.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I'd just let him sleep and see how he is when he wakes up on his own. His little body might still be fighting something and need rest. I would probably end up keeping him home, though, since it sounds like he was pretty sick yesterday.

Yeah - I just went in and peeked at him, and he is sleeping heavily - not restless or moving like he's close to waking up, so I'm just going to let him sleep. I was leaning towards keeping him home...DH thinks he should go to school.


Oh - and it's 4 schools now that are closed, the other one is opening back up today.

 

[Jules711]

Good call. Besides, you can always take him in late if he's super better, but it's unusual to feel that much better the next day. Many places say they have to be w/o fever for 24 hours too. Not our school, but I think other schools around here.

 

[missyciccolella]

The rule with our school is fever free for 24 hours before returning to school and they consider 100 a fever. Keep him home...you would hate for him to pass illness on to others.

 

[ButterflyVioletta]

The rule with our school is fever free for 24 hours before returning to school and they consider 100 a fever. Keep him home...you would hate for him to pass illness on to others.

Our schools have the same rule.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I'm glad you decided to keep him home, he needs the extra rest. Missing a few days in preschool won't scar him for life

 

[pcchefjane]

Fever-free for 24 hours makes them not contagious... You never know if what he has is simply a cold (which isn't contagious) or something else...

 

[Ann F]

I always used the 24 hr rule, too. That's what my childhood dr told Mother to do. Unfortunately, our schools didn't have any "rules", so my kiddos rarely got the perfect attendance awards, while the ones who spread the germs did!

 

[pamperedlinda]

We now have a confirmed case of Swine Flu in my county. At a private school that's not too far away from me and one that some of my neighbors and friends kids attend - it's also a church where many of my friends attend. I haven't really paid much attention to this whole swine flu thing, but now that it's so close to home, I'm much more cautious and attentive....and nervous.

 

[robbiesmom123]

I've been keeping my 5 yr. old home today and will again tomorrow. He's had fever and sore throat all weekend. Gonna take him to docs tomorrow. I'm also afraid to send him to school and then them just send him home. That and we only have 1 car tomorrow, so I wouldn't be able to get him. No piggy flu confirmed here yet, but I don't wanna be the 1st. We just have MRCA confirmed in our school.