Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

DD sick 2 days before half term - straight down a rabbit hole I go

28 replies

LuckyMum1989 · 15/02/2024 00:34

DD (5) has just been sick all over her bedroom floor about 11:30pm. DH clears it up while I wash a few affected strands of DD's hair and then snuggle her in our bed. She conks out more or less straight away.

Lying in bed stroking her tummy. Duvet day for us tomorrow then, haven't had one of those for a while! Feeling thankful that other than a rearrangeable appointment, there's nothing I can't just drop tomorrow.

Then suddenly the thought occurs to me:
It's two days before half term and I have to call her in sick (even if she's fine tomorrow- school rules) - it might look like I'm just tagging a couple of days onto our half-term break!
It doesn't matter - we know the truth. We're doing the right thing by DD. We're also following the school rules. She's not had any time off before. They have no reason to think I'm making it up. Just be matter of fact about it - the more you try and sound like you're telling the truth, the more you'll sound like you're lying. Just tell them the truth! Besides, if they think that you're trying to get her off school under false pretenses - that's their error. Who cares if they think that?

Me. I care 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyone else have these random worries? What do you tell yourself to snap out of it and to stop being such a muppet?

OP posts:
Luckycloverz · 15/02/2024 00:38

You know your daughters sick so who cares what anyone else thinks they'll have forgot within a couple of days at most don't waste your time worrying about this you'll have so many times ahead of this exact thing happening again if she's only 5 😊

purpleme12 · 15/02/2024 01:24

I had to do same thing.
I did think oh they're going to think we're making up. But what can you do 🤷‍♀️

sprigatito · 15/02/2024 01:27

If you usually have a good working relationship with the teacher, I seriously doubt he/she is going to assume you are faking! I teach this age group and they are still so little, it's really not unexpected that they have blips in attendance. Schools are full of bugs and good parents don't send sick kids into school. Stop worrying Flowers

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
stardust40 · 15/02/2024 01:41

Honestly stop worrying....her teacher won't think anything of it! We always know the ones who aren't sick as the children always tell us anyway!

Original poster
LuckyMum1989 · 15/02/2024 06:03

Thanks all. I know it's crackers! We have a great relationship with her teachers and they have zero reason to think we'd be anything other than honest (and there would be no point in lying as @stardust40 says, my DD would just tell them anyway!)
I just can't help thinking 'why does it have to be these two days!'

Thankyou to you all. It has been a rough night 😴 DD in our bed now and DH relocated, bless him. Poor DD is wiped out and throwing up any water she has (amd she keeps sayinghow thirsty she is), so going to be on diarolyte today, I think!

Here's hoping it doesn't hang around for long 🙏🏻

OP posts:
Original poster
LuckyMum1989 · 15/02/2024 06:04

Dioralyte**

OP posts:
DappledThings · 15/02/2024 06:06

My DD missed the last day of term before the summer holidays last year to sickness. It never crossed my mind anyone would be suspicious.

She's prilobably caught something from school and there have been others off already anyway

Hollyhead · 15/02/2024 06:07

No, I think attendence stuff sucks and if teachers are as busy as they say they are (which I believe) they won’t even have a chance to think about it. I’d recommend becoming someone who does tag a day on to save £400 - it’s liberating AND money saving!

Jeffjefftyjeff · 15/02/2024 06:17

the volume of circulating illnesses that affect children can generally peak before a school holiday as by that point they’ve had weeks of time to infect each other. Half terms generally act as a break which brings things down again. So reassure yourself that this is statistically likely to happen!

Scalottia · 15/02/2024 06:20

Why give this so much thought? If she's sick, then you know you are doing the right thing. Why worry about it? Life really doesn't need to be so complicated.

1AngelicFruitCake · 15/02/2024 06:20

Im a teacher, schools know which families try and pull the wool
over our eyes! You could say ‘can I just check it is 48 hours?’ even though you know it is.

BananaSplitsss · 15/02/2024 06:25

Hope she feels better soon. These things happen and are a common occurrence unfortunately.

My children are on half term this week. My eldest is usually poorly every half term, bless him.
He was sick everywhere last night. He’s had all sorts of symptoms this week. My worry with him is that it may be Pneumonia ( wish I hadn’t Googled )
We’re off to the Drs today. My husband is travelling abroad for work so it’ll just be me here.
Fun times.

ShiftySquirrel · 15/02/2024 06:32

Don't worry about it, staff don't bat an eyelid. The children tell us when they're off on holiday anyway!

And if your daughter is being sick there's probably something going round so other children will be off too.

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 15/02/2024 07:04

I imagine they know there is a bug going round the class. If she's vomiting that much, it sounds like a proper stomach bug (as opposed to a young child vomiting from a temp or something) so she won't be the only one off.

I imagine the teachers will just be glad she isn't in to spread it to them before their holiday!

ToastyBreads · 15/02/2024 07:23

Scalottia · Today 06:20

Why give this so much thought? If she's sick, then you know you are doing the right thing. Why worry about it? Life really doesn't need to be so complicated

Exactly this. Bizarre. Plus, the teacher has 30 or so other children to focus on - I’m afraid they won’t give your DD being off any thought at all!

BusyMummy001 · 15/02/2024 08:16

I really wouldn’t worry about it - she won’t be the only child in the school with the bug/to have been off with it. The school really won’t care as they have far bigger priorities.

But I have been in your shoes and worried about it myself in the past, only for school to be quite indifferent to my child’s absent and/or relieved I’ve kept a sick child at home so the staff don’t get it - and can enjoy their half term breaks too!

Mumsnut · 15/02/2024 08:40

If you’re really worried about it, offer to come in on Friday and collect any holiday work that’s being set. There probably won’t be any , but it lets them know you’re not in Tenerife already

Bunnycat101 · 15/02/2024 09:07

You won’t be the only one if she’s been vomiting. Loads of the children in our school were sick last few days before Christmas and during Christmas holidays with a vomiting bug. This time round the bugs circulating seemed to be hand foot and mouth - it always seems like the kids get stuff at the end of terms as they get tired and and a bit run down.

NeonHalo · 15/02/2024 09:27

DS (6 years) has woken up covered in chicken pox and I just had to call in sick of course. I hadn’t thought they might think that 🙈 Ah well, I can send them photo proof if they like. Hope your daughter feels better soon.

FrederickTrottersville · 15/02/2024 09:32

Weird. Why would you even think that? And why would you care what a teacher you don't really know thinks? And why would you think they would care? I don't know why this has irritated me, it's up to you but it's just so bloody weird!

Original poster
LuckyMum1989 · 15/02/2024 13:15

@BananaSplitsss and @NeonHalo - hope your little ones get well soon and can enjoy the school break.

Thanks to all who "get it" - I was never going to send her in poorly but it is really reassuring to know they'll likely think nothing of it (and let's face it, if they do - they're mistaken!)

Much easier to relax about it now a) it's a done deal and b) I've caught up on some sleep! and c) I'm armed with a few rational reasons they won't mind!

OP posts:
NoOrdinaryMorning · 15/02/2024 13:20

Yep! DD has 3 separate (hopefully) minor issues which will need GP attendance at some point soon but as she recently saw one about something different, I'm worried sick that they'll think "Hmm all these issues with only one child" and suspect me of some kind of Münchausens by proxy or something. They can’t be sorted by a Pharmacist and can’t really be ignored either. I don't know what to do tbh

NoOrdinaryMorning · 15/02/2024 13:21

FrederickTrottersville · 15/02/2024 09:32

Weird. Why would you even think that? And why would you care what a teacher you don't really know thinks? And why would you think they would care? I don't know why this has irritated me, it's up to you but it's just so bloody weird!

Oh come off it you know very well what OP means. It's called Anxiety! 🙄 Happens to a lot of Mums.

Original poster
LuckyMum1989 · 15/02/2024 13:30

NoOrdinaryMorning · 15/02/2024 13:20

Yep! DD has 3 separate (hopefully) minor issues which will need GP attendance at some point soon but as she recently saw one about something different, I'm worried sick that they'll think "Hmm all these issues with only one child" and suspect me of some kind of Münchausens by proxy or something. They can’t be sorted by a Pharmacist and can’t really be ignored either. I don't know what to do tbh

Yes it's hard when your brain decides to throw unhelpful "what ifs" at you! All you can do is the right thing by the child in front of you. But I agree - getting those internal voices to zip it is hard and we all need some help talking our own made-up problems away sometimes with a bit of good old-fashioned logic (usually from a third party who can see what we can't clearly see at the time).

Sounds like booking a GP appointment is the right thing to do. Sometimes things just go wrong all at once - and any doctor worth their salt will know that. 💐

OP posts:
mindutopia · 15/02/2024 13:35

They will have more than one child off with a vomiting bug right now. I wouldn't worry. They'll be expecting them to go down like flies. Just be grateful it's now and not in the middle of half term when you might have had things planned.