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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think it’s so selfish to take sick kids out in public places

107 replies

picturethispatsy · 23/12/2024 21:48

Just this week alone I’ve had to sit with my immune-compromised child on a train and in a theatre near very obviously sick kids constantly coughing and visibly poorly with bright red cheeks/clearly running a fever.

Caveat: I know that there are occasions where you have to go out and run an errand or something similar & have no-one to leave said child with, but why would you take a very obviously poorly kid to the theatre (two adults and two children so one could’ve stayed at home), not least as it’s unfair to the child but also how selfish to knowingly spread a virus!? Especially in the run up to Xmas FFS.

I realise we can’t shield ourselves from every virus going and it’s part of being human to catch them but there is a difference between inadvertently spreading one and knowingly exposing others 😭

Do people genuinely not think or are they just that selfish?

OP posts:
worrisome34 · 23/12/2024 22:35

Let parents decide if and when their kids need to stay at home. We have had to cancel a few Christmas plans because one or both dc were 'too' ill to go. By that I mean sleepy, feverish or being sick. In those cases it wouldn't be fair on anyone to drag them out.

However if we stayed at home every time one of them had a cough or a sniffle we wouldn't have been out of the house since September. Clearly not practical.

Bugs are part of life. Especially in the winter. Agree with pp, wear a face mask if you are that worried. But overall I think it's par for the course at this time of year. Yabu.

Agix · 23/12/2024 22:35

LovefromIris · 23/12/2024 21:52

Do you remember that time when everyone owned a face mask and wore it out of the house… maybe start wearing it again if you don’t want to catch germs I public. Just a thought.

Thats not how it works. The person who is sick needs to wear the mask to prevent spread.

The mask can catch large droplets, like the ones that come directly from a sick person. If the sick person isnt wearing a mask, the large droplets become tiny droplets in the air. A mask cant stop this.

OP wearing a mask wont stop her catching things from others not wearing one. Just stop her spreading sickness if she was sick.

YANBU OP. Unfortunately, people dont seem to care about the wellbeing of anyone besides themselves and their own (and maybe not even that, if theyre dragging out their poor sick kids who need rest).

Original poster
picturethispatsy · 23/12/2024 22:34

LovefromIris · 23/12/2024 21:52

Do you remember that time when everyone owned a face mask and wore it out of the house… maybe start wearing it again if you don’t want to catch germs I public. Just a thought.

Thank you for the top tip 👍

OP posts:
MumChp · 23/12/2024 22:32

School blames you if you keep them home.
If you are accepted youcsan go to the theatre or what ever extra curriculum you are up to.

TurkeyDinosaurs2 · 23/12/2024 22:30

We took our daughter on a 'Santa train' this afternoon. On the way there she was fast asleep. Got there and once we got on the train it was clear she wasn't right. Bloodshot/sleepy eyes, slight fever, red cheeks. She enjoyed it but honestly I think she'd have preferred to be in bed.

It was an hour's drive, we couldn't get off the train and to be honest she wasn't dreadfully ill, or coughing or spluttering everywhere. Not to mention it cost us quite a bit too.

So yea, you are being a bit unreasonable.

44PumpLane · 23/12/2024 21:56

People spend a lot of money on Christmas events, and the average kid will be full of cold a good few times over winter, if you cancelled pre booked plans for every sniffle you'd cost yourself a (non refundable) fortune.

I totally get that it must be awful for those who are vulnerable, and perhaps when Ill everyone should be wearing a mask, but unfortunately I do think that for non refundable events a cold is just something you carry on with.

I do think that of its something like D&V you should stay home obbs- basically if you can go to school you can be out and about.

LovefromIris · 23/12/2024 21:52

Do you remember that time when everyone owned a face mask and wore it out of the house… maybe start wearing it again if you don’t want to catch germs I public. Just a thought.