Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Keep my kid off school so they don’t catch virus?

69 replies

fairylightyy · 27/03/2025 22:05

My DC touch wood isn’t feeling poorly but kids in his class are dropping like flys catching a flu like virus. Lots of school this week and getting sent home.
aibu to keep him off tomorrow? We have a fun weekend planned that they’re really excited about and would be such a shame to catch it and feel
ill?!

OP posts:
TeapotTitties · 28/03/2025 01:36

Muffinmam · 28/03/2025 01:26

The OP says they have weekend plans.

He can get sick on Monday when he goes back to school - after the weekend.

Show quote history

And every weekend they have something fun planned?

There’s never going to be a time during his school life where there isn’t some sort of bug going around.

TheCountofMountingCrispBags · 28/03/2025 01:30

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 27/03/2025 22:53

It’s just one day off school.

The real reason they push perfect attendance in schools is to socialise the young into British workaholic culture.

It’s totally up to you OP.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The most paranoid conspiracy theory i've heard in a long time.
Do you wfh?

Muffinmam · 28/03/2025 01:26

TeapotTitties · 27/03/2025 23:06

Because the environment will still be unhealthy on Monday.

Show quote history

The OP says they have weekend plans.

He can get sick on Monday when he goes back to school - after the weekend.

Muffinmam · 28/03/2025 01:25

Yes, I would keep him home.

It’s one day.

He can read books at home. He’s not going to miss anything.

Greenwoodplate · 27/03/2025 23:57

I honestly can't believe I'm reading this. Of course you send the kid in 🤨

TeapotTitties · 27/03/2025 23:50

fiveIsNewOne · 27/03/2025 23:33

Actually, if it is something with quite short incubation period, there is a good chance that whoever should get ill wiill fell over the weekend and Monday will be significantly better.

Show quote history

You're missing the point.

Schools in general are unhealthy environments.

There are always bugs and viruses doing the rounds. It's just something we have to live with and build up a tolerance of.

fiveIsNewOne · 27/03/2025 23:33

TeapotTitties · 27/03/2025 23:06

Because the environment will still be unhealthy on Monday.

Show quote history

Actually, if it is something with quite short incubation period, there is a good chance that whoever should get ill wiill fell over the weekend and Monday will be significantly better.

TeapotTitties · 27/03/2025 23:06

fiveIsNewOne · 27/03/2025 23:02

What's irrational about acknowledging that the environment is unhealthy at this moment and homeschooling for a day?

Show quote history

Because the environment will still be unhealthy on Monday.

Anonym00se · 27/03/2025 23:05

GruntingMcGrunt · 27/03/2025 22:11

YANBU I wouldn’t knowingly expose my child to a particularly nasty virus just before an important event. Keep them off. They’ll end up missing more than one day of school if they catch it.

OP said a ‘fun weekend’, not an important event.

Who’s not to say that the child won’t be exposed during the fun weekend, if there’s a lot of it about? Maybe they should stay home until May to be on the safe side.

fiveIsNewOne · 27/03/2025 23:02

HouseCaptain · 27/03/2025 23:00

You’re in danger of making your DC irrationally afraid of germs.

What's irrational about acknowledging that the environment is unhealthy at this moment and homeschooling for a day?

FrazzledHippy · 27/03/2025 23:02

Realistically, he could be incubating the virus already and has been exposed all week to it. One day probably won't affect if he's getting it or not. I empathise though, a vomiting bug is doing the rounds in DDs school again. DD just had it a couple of weeks ago. I'm on tenter hooks waiting to see what the weekend brings. Fingers crossed for us both!

Berlinlover · 27/03/2025 23:01

Of course you don’t, what absolute nonsense.

HouseCaptain · 27/03/2025 23:00

You’re in danger of making your DC irrationally afraid of germs.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 27/03/2025 22:58

Delphiniumandlupins · 27/03/2025 22:55

Keeping them off tomorrow is really only going to help if this virus has a one day incubation. If they've already been exposed you can't affect when they fall ill.

1 or 2 day incubation. Exposure doesn’t always mean catching it.

fiveIsNewOne · 27/03/2025 22:58

Just keep them at home, one day won't harm the education and while they were probably exposed, no need to take additional load.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 27/03/2025 22:57

keeping him home tomorrow isn’t going to make the slightest difference to your weekend plans. He already has it already and will be sick at the weekend anyway or doesn’t and will be fine/will get sick after the weekend if he’s incubating it.

Flu has a 1 to 4 day incubation period depending on the strain of virus. He could catch it tomorrow and be sick by Saturday morning. And just being around other kids who have fallen ill doesn’t mean he has already caught it, otherwise doctors would catch everything all the time.

Cynic17 · 27/03/2025 22:55

No! They are supposed to be in school, OP, so don't be so ridiculous.

Delphiniumandlupins · 27/03/2025 22:55

Keeping them off tomorrow is really only going to help if this virus has a one day incubation. If they've already been exposed you can't affect when they fall ill.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 27/03/2025 22:53

It’s just one day off school.

The real reason they push perfect attendance in schools is to socialise the young into British workaholic culture.

It’s totally up to you OP.

TeapotTitties · 27/03/2025 22:52

Fizbosshoes · 27/03/2025 22:48

What reason for absence would you give?
If they were vulnerable or immunocomproised I'd consider it but otherwise probably not. What if still doing the rounds ext week?

There'll be no fun weekend planned for next week so school will suddenly be important again...

elliesmummy19 · 27/03/2025 22:51

Iudncuewbccgrcb · 27/03/2025 22:34

Well this thread has been eye opening fpr some of the causes of the attendance issues in schools.

Of course you don't keep your perfectly well child off school for a day on the off chance your weekend might be spoiled if he catches something. Do people seriously think this way!?

My thought exactly!

Of course you can’t keep your child home. As others said, keeping him home tomorrow isn’t going to make the slightest difference to your weekend plans. He already has it already and will be sick at the weekend anyway or doesn’t and will be fine/will get sick after the weekend if he’s incubating it.

My daughter’s had coughs and colds all winter, we all have. She hasn’t missed a single day this school year. Obviously I’d keep her home if she was poorly but not for a cough or a cold. Certainly not to prevent her catching anything! You just have to crack on with it.

Please don’t keep them home from school for this!

Fizbosshoes · 27/03/2025 22:48

What reason for absence would you give?
If they were vulnerable or immunocomproised I'd consider it but otherwise probably not. What if still doing the rounds ext week?

TheCurious0range · 27/03/2025 22:43

Some of the responses here are insane. DS has had one day off since September because he vomited on a Thursday evening. I would get fined for taking him out to go on holiday but others just pull them out 'sick' willy nilly in case they get ill before a fun weekend. Christ.
As for catching chicken pox before a holiday, vaccinate then!

MamaAndTheSofa · 27/03/2025 22:40

No, unless the big weekend plans include a family wedding or something, I wouldn’t. Chances are if he’s exposed to something it’ll take a few days to manifest anyway, so if he catches something tomorrow he’ll still be fine for the weekend.

Daisyrainbows · 27/03/2025 22:35

yabu. Maybe before a holiday?! Like the day before a flight I wouldn’t want my kid getting chickenpox.

but a cold flu? No you can’t live your life like this