To think school sickness policy is a ludicrous?

[Pinkvoid]

The same school that have ‘attendance awards’, are always hammering hard to parents about attendance and leave a comment in every school report about your child’s attendance, despite the fact they were off for things that couldn’t be helped such as chicken pox .

I missed a days work yesterday because DS (7) had been sick once the evening before, most likely caused by overeating but I erred on the side of caution. Explained this to the school when I called. He was fine all day yesterday so I sent him in today because why wouldn’t I.

I was already half way to work when I got a phone call telling me to collect him because it was ‘school policy’ that it had to be 48 hours from the last time they vomited. I was pretty furious tbh. Explained that I was two miles away on my way to work which I was due to start in fifteen minutes, I didn’t have anyone else to collect him and that he was absolutely fine/it wasn’t a stomach bug because he’d only been sick once and wasn’t unwell after- it was clearly either overeating or he’d probably been jumping around too much after eating. They weren’t accepting it, insisted I had to collect him and that he couldn’t be in school. So I had to turn around, call in sick at work last minute which they obviously weren’t pleased about and take him home. DS was also upset because he actually loves school and would much prefer to be there than at home bored with me...

AIBU to think they’re being ludicrously over cautious there and common sense should surely prevail? He’s now missed two days of education and I’ve missed two days pay because he vomited once, two nights ago . Also worth noting, I had no idea the school even had a policy, this is the first I’ve heard of it.

[Sirzy]

Given how quickly sickness bugs spread, how prevelant they are at this time of year and the fact you don’t know it wasn’t a bug i am with School. Better safe than sorry!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

They are sticking to nhs guidelines though.

People like you ignoring them is how bugs spread so fast

[BatteredBreadedOrSouthernFried]

Ok, so they change policy and now let children attend whenever parents say it’s fine. How much work do you think you will miss when he is sick every fart’s end from all the other children still being contagious?

[chickenowner]

They are sticking to nhs guidelines though.

This.

Please don't blame schools for this!

[Pinkvoid]

No, I just think common sense should prevail since it’s absolutely obvious he didn’t have a stomach bug. I obviously know the difference between somebody that’s actually ill and somebody that’s just eaten too much or jumped around too much after eating and vomited once... I kept him off yesterday purely out of precaution but he’s fine! It wasn’t a bug.

[Pickleypickles]

Hmm i see both sides tbh. Yes common sense would say he neither has a bug or is contagious but a policy is a policy and if they make exceptions for one it basically becomes the parents decision if they are well or not which the reason the policies were brought in to begin with because parents either judged wrongly or lied and sent ill children to school.

[Psychobabble123]

My DDs school have a 24hr rule for sickness, only r8 if diarrhoea

[Psychobabble123]

48 not r8

[insancerre]

You are being ridiculous
You can have a tummy bug even if you only vomit once
You can still be contagious even when you have stopped vomiting
You can be a carrier and have no symptoms
Its standard policy to have a 48 hour exclusion

[ScipioAfricanus]

I don’t know how they can have it both ways, though - insist on attendance all the time but also demand 48 hour rule always be imposed. I wish they would protest the obsession with attendance that the government has forced upon us, instead of complying with it and trying to meet it by having ridiculous awards for not being ill.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Exactly what everyone else says.

I knew my dd was sick once as she overheated.

But without the ability to be 100 percent sure I used my brain and kept her off.

Your inconvenience is no more special than anyone else's who ends up taking time off when the bug spreads

[Newinthegame16]

Environmental health ask schools to implement this. Schools would much rather not adhere so not to lower their attendance figures

[Pinkvoid]

Well if you can be a carrier without symptoms surely any of us could meaning I should also have kept my DD’s home in case they’re carrying his ‘bug’ unknowingly?

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

I don’t know how they can have it both ways, though - insist on attendance all the time but also demand 48 hour rule always be imposed

Exactly. People are missing the point and YANBU.

[BatteredBreadedOrSouthernFried]

I obviously know the difference between somebody that’s actually ill and somebody that’s just eaten too much or jumped around too much after eating and vomited once.

You might, but other parents mightn’t. And some will lie.

[Pinkvoid]

I’m just waiting for the lecture in his end of year report about his attendance, that’s all. He had a week off last year for chicken pox and I had a lecture that he ‘could do better with improved attendance’ , rock and hard place much...

[aintnothinbutagstring]

Our family had noro a few years back, was super contagious as we all caught it within a few hours of each other. My dc were sick multiple times but myself and dh were only sick once though I did feel rotten afterwards with a fever.

[insancerre]

Pink void
You can carry salmonella bacteria for up to 12 weeks after getting it
You have no way of knowing if its a bug when a child vomits, unless you test it
That's why you have to exclude

[WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup]

I understand it's annoying for you but it's a sensible rule. Schools near us have had to shut because people just wont follow the 48 hour rule.

[HousefulOfBoysAndMe]

You have absolutely no idea whether it was a bug or not.

A few years back we had a sickness bug. I came down with it first and spent a day throwing up. Then dh and ds1 started with it at the same time. Ds1 threw up once and was otherwise fine. Dh spent a weekend in bed unable to keep water down. Highly likely it was the same bug.

Had dh and I not been ill, all we would have had was a child who'd vomited once.

The school enforcing this rule is probably the reason they have good overall attendance levels. Yabu.

[steamboatwilly123]

There are two schools in my area that have had to be closed today and Monday as sickness bugs have spread so rapidly that they have been ordered by Public Health to isolate and deep clean the entire school. I'm in no doubt this is because many people don't stick to the 48 hour rule, however I can see why some people don't (or can't) and there needs to be an end to all the silly 100% attendance awards and pressure on parents in general. If your child is ill and needs to be off until 48 hours after symptims stops, then they need to be off and parents need to be confident there will be no consequences to this. They can't have it both ways.

[changednn26]

There's a school near me that's had to close this week as the majority of staff and pupils have norovirus. That's why these rules exist, if they don't it spreads like that and potentially hits those with compromised immunity (elderly, wee babies, those already unwell or on certain medications). I'm sure your son is fine but they have to have the same rule for everyone.

[Pinkvoid]

I always feel like I’m going to be lectured for keeping them off school so genuinely do have to weigh up whether it’s worth it or not quite often. Obviously chicken pox was a no brainer and my DD had a chest infection once, another no brainer.

I was just using what I figured was common sense here, that he’d been sick once and it was shortly after eating his dinner and then proceeding to bounce around a bit too much... when they’ve had actual sickness bugs they’re wiped out and definitely vomit more than once.

[MaisyPops]

I don’t know how they can have it both ways, though - insist on attendance all the time but also demand 48 hour rule always be imposed
Common sense isn't it?
It's not having it both ways to say 'attending school is important but if your child is poorly please follow nhs guidelines'

The reason for attendance guidelines is because some parents keep kids off school for the tiniest sniffle (think of the duvet days with mummy thread where loads of people said it was fine to keep a child off for time with mum)

The reason for nhs sickness guidelines is because some parents send poorly children to school.

If people use common sense they may get a letter if their child is ill in the autumn term but that is it. No action no nothing because as soon as they are better they'll not be missing school.

[TheFairyCaravan]

I’m on the side of the school. Sending a child back too soon puts everyone else at risk and some children (like mine) will end up in hospital with it.

All schools want children to attend as much as possible but no school wants them there vomiting, or too soon after D& V, spreading their bugs around and I don’t blame them.