To ask how you deal with sick time from school

[Moomoomango]

do you send them in if they magically get better after the phone call?

Do you allow them to play/watch tv or make things more boring - lie in bed read a book?

[kissmethere]

In primary school there was always the miraculous recovery around 10ish. I didn't send them in but I haves upped the level of sickness to warrant a day off. Now big school is here I'm tougher.

[dancemom]

If you are off school sick then you spend the day in bed, regardless of any recovery! Dd hasn't been off sick in several years though.

[AVY1]

Mine has to be in bed or tucked up on the sofa. If she is really poorly then that's never an issue. If she starts itching to get toys out etc then it's a no and back to school tomorrow. I'm also lucky in that my grandparents are quite young but retired so if i know she is ill (high temp, dodgy tummy etc) but itching to do something then great grandma comes over to snuggle on the sofa with a film.

It's the 48 hours after d&v that gets to me. If she recovers on the day then she still has to have two further days off (increasing the joy of an amber letter even though the school have dictated the absence) and I have to relent and let her do something. I try to do work books/'experiments' etc but I really struggle because really she's well enough, though contagious, to be at school.

[mishmash1979]

I have my 13 yr old home with sicky period cramps; I let her watch telly but have taken her phone off her. I actually think she could be well enough to b in but I remember my periods in the first few years of starting and they were hellish. Once u have made the decision to call in sick u shouldn't send them in.

[PipersPiping]

Both my girls are off today, little primary school one has diarrhoea and vomiting so I'll keep her off tomorrow aswell. Eldest has just started secondary, she was sick once last night and although shes a bit listless shes feeling ok so unless shes sick anymore she'll probably go back tomorrow. They're both laid under blankets on the sofa at the moment.

[WhooooAmI24601]

Mine are rarely unwell, DS2 has 100% attendance, DS1 is around 97% because he has migraines and is always sick with them, so school require us to enforce the 48 hour rule (which I find frustrating because he's under neurology with the migraines, so obviously isn't liable to infect others). Neither is a malingerer though, so if they're unwell they'll be in bed resting or at a push reading. No tv, no adventures, no fun!

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

Mine have only been off for demonstrably physical things (injury, vomiting etc) It's pretty clear they're not faking it, so I let them do whatever they feel up to, whether that's staying in bed or laying on the sofa playing games, or (when they were younger) playing with toys. Sick is bad enough, bored and sick is a nightmare

[SpookyMooky]

I wouldn't be averse to dropping them in for afternoon registration if they are suddenly in rude health.

I was brought up that unless you have a real fever or are being sick etc, you go to school. I've mellowed a lot from that - I think a day off when they are coming down with something can get them well much quicker, and they end up taking less time off overall. If they are just under the weather like that then they read on bed or sofa, and then can have tv after a late lunch.

I don't remember the last time they were properly ill but if they were, I'd let them have more TV.

[Happyhippy45]

When mine were younger they usually got the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes if they were probably well enough to go in I'd tell them straight that I didn't think they were that ill. They had a few "personal" days over the years. Though my son was a serial offender when it came to pretending to be ill.
I've taken him in twice when he said he was ill and obviously faking because he started jumping around the place as soon s said the school bus had left. I've also once sent him to school when I thought he was faking......he wasn't and I had to go pick him up.
If they are without a doubt ill they won't want to do much more than lie on the couch and watch tv.
The rule in our house was tv only. No video games etc.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

Oh and the 48 hour vomiting thing is annoying in its inflexibility. DS2 is asthmatic, not badly but he gets terrible coughs if he gets as much as a sniffle. The coughing is often hard enough to make him retch and throw up. He's not infectious or even ill, but they still insist on the time off even if his inhalers have got it back under control.

[Everhopeful]

YY to the ideas here, but what do you do with a child that can't sleep all day and then sleep all night? I think I'm very inconsistent. DD14 has bad period pains sometimes, but lately migraines are a huge problem and she's down to about 75% attendance this term (never been this bad before)

[insan1tyscartching]

If mine are poorly then I allow them to get comfortable where they are happiest and gorge on TV/ ipad/laptop. They aren't poorly on purpose so don't see the need to make being at home some sort of punishment.

[gabsdot]

If you are off school sick then you spend the day in bed

This is the rule in our house too, for the whole day. My kids hardly ever miss school for sickness.

[CheerfullyIndifferent]

If mine feels better, she goes in at lunchtime for the afternoon. She normally asks to go in herself.

This year, for the first time, she pretended to be ill - she had a sore throat but not bad enough for a day off - and it became obvious she wasn't that unwell I said she had to stay in bed and read.

[longdiling]

Same as insan1ty. Mine are very rarely off sick. They don't try and pull sickies either. I either believe they're ill enough to stay home - in which case why punish them with no screens etc?! Or I believe they're well enough for school.

[Notso]

I always think people sound so mean with the no TV etc. I let mine watch TV or do whatever they fancy (within reason) on a sick day. I've had DC be lethargic with a fever in the morning, singing and dancing at lunchtime then fast asleep with a fever again in the afternoon.
I don't however keep them off with no symptoms, so just saying they felt ill having wolfed their breakfast, with no temperature etc would mean I'd send them in with a "see how you feel at break time". I don't keep them off for colds unless they have a fever.

[CozyAutumn]

If I can see ds is unwell then I keep him off. If he then starts looking like he's getting better I don't send him in to school, I just keep him off for the rest of the day and see how he goes.
When he's off sick I do let him play quietly/watch a film/etc.. I don't expect him to be bed or couch bound the whole time.

On Tuesday this week he was really tired after going to the cinema on Monday night to watch a one off showing of this Batman film. He didn't go to bed until 10pm. Well we have learned our lesson from that one and won't be going out till late on a school night until he's older (he's 5). My fault for letting him. I kept him off Tuesday morning and put him back to bed for an extra hour or so and then took him in at lunch time. At least he was more refreshed for the afternoon.

[WAFFLEO]

I have one off this morning - sick at 6am and 7:30am so won't be going in tomorrow as there's the whole 48 hours thing. He's sort of watched a DVD, but when he has a vomiting bug he just lies on the sofa, all drowsy just like I do when I'm poorly.

I don't make them stay in bed, and I allow them to dabble about choosing a film or playing a bit if they feel up to it. Generally, if they're off school for illness they are at a point where they're feeling so grotty, they just lie down and doze all day.

If they said they felt ill (with a cold) and didn't have a fever I would send them dosed up and see how they got on but it's easy for me to pick them up. If they really perked up during the day I would just send them the next day.