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How do you negotiate illness thresholds?

3 replies

breakmeoffapieceofthat · 13/11/2023 08:46

Both my kids have nasty sounding coughs. I'd consider them at worst very mildly unwell. Still tonnes of energy, eating and sleeping normally etc. I'd assume there's a good chance the cough is infectious, but my kids are definitely well enough to do and enjoy their planned activities.

Can I ask how you approach social situations when your kids are at this level of ill, assuming you're not aware of any particular medical vulnerabilities in your friends or their kids? And also how you'd want others to act if it was their kids who were unwell?

Do you stay away? Just turn up? Send a message and check with other parents if they're still happy for you to come? Send a message saying you are coming but declaring the cough so they can decide to stay away if they want?! I suppose I'm thinking mainly informal social things - play dates, tea at each others' house etc.

I think my threshold for this stuff is fairly high - happy for my kids to be around mild bugs and illnesses in others and wouldn't want friends to stay away on my account. But I know others who are very cautious about illness.

What's your strategy for your family / social group?

OP posts:
Beginningless · 13/11/2023 08:51

It’s a hard one now post covid, innit. I suppose I have a sense among my friends who would rather we stayed away and who wouldn’t. I’m same as you, a cough with kids not being under weather in any other way, I think go ahead. Only reason I wouldn’t is for people I know who’d be more anxious about germ sharing - then I ask them and give them the choice.

DelurkingAJ · 13/11/2023 08:52

I’d mention it if the DC weren’t already at school together.

DustyLee123 · 13/11/2023 10:32

If your kids are well enough to go to school without painkillers, I’d just carry on.

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