Would you cancel the party?

[Pennies]

Tomorrow we are having a massive BBQ party. it's something we do every year. We have 50 adults and 50 children coming. We have a tent, tables, chairs, bouncy castle, face painter, flowers, childcare and caterers all ready to go. The food is being prepared as I type. There is a LOT of food.

DD2 has been ill all week with flu-like symptoms and is still ill today although her temps over the last 24 hours have not been nearly as high as they were earlier in the week. No family is on hand to help and take her for the day.

Do we cancel?

Well, there were kids at school who tested positive for swine flu.
They nstopped testing by the time we reported as ill so who knows...
But the symptoms were an intermittent fever, above 38 degrees,
headache,
achey limbs,
sore throat
Runny nose (we didn't have this one)
cough,
Vomiting and/or diarrhoea (we didn't puke but had diarrhoea)- one girl puked severly for 24hrs.

My ds1 was sick for 48hrs and i was ill for 24hrs and ds2 about 36hrs.

We weren't tested, but this follows the pattern for all of the positives too.

We were given tamiflu and treated as if we had it.

Some kids were ill for longer than ours and some were much iller than us- but we've all got over it as far as I know.

Is it a bad cold or the flu?

Not sure. 65% flu?

If she was a guest's child, would you expect them to bring her to the party or keep her away? If you'd think it was a bit cheeky or irresponsible of a guest to bring her to the party, then that's probably what other people are going to think of you if you let her mingle with everyone.

Def warn people - you can't know who will need warning, someone could be pg and not have told anyone yet.

You could let her mix anyway and say sod what people will think, but if not you could keep her away by keeping her in her room or cancelling the party - keeping her in her room even if she doesn't enjoy it does seem like less hassle, though it means finding sitters to be with her (taking turns?).

This is what I'd think for any illness that's more than just a cold - could be flu, d&v, whatever.

And you should take good care if you're doing food/drink prep and there's any chance could have the bug yourself too. (But then you're an adult so that should be quite easy, just wash hands lots, don't cough on the salad!)