Making dd work when she is off school...

[Carrotsandcelery]

My dd is off school today with a sore throat and a cough. It was a borderline case but I decided she could stay at home if she did some workbooks at home. We are going to go for a gentle walk with the dog later and then do some art or craft in the afternoon.
She seems to think I am the devil incarnate.
Does this seem unreasonable to you? Should I just let her mooch about watching tv all day? Am I an evil Mum.
She is 9, nearly 10.

hope she feels better tomorrow. There are nasty things going round. We have something horrible. Best to let them rest and get their strength up if they are under the weather IME.

Just be nice to her when she wakes up, give her plenty to drink. When they are pale and lethargic with a sore throat, they are not up to much usually

obviuosly you know all that anyway, sorry bit of a useless post. Don't worry we all do things like this, not recognising when the dc are really ill. Have sent dd to school thinking she was ok only to be called and turned out she was very sick indeed.

When mine are off i snuggle them under a duvet with the tv and snacks...sometimes there are even special things bought to make them feel better and it's a well known known fact that in our house any illness means either a snuggle in mummys bed ( for the little ones) or sleeping in the fold out bed in our room ( for the older ones) they are younger (6 and under) but i know i will probably still be like this when they are 16.

God I need to toughen up judging by this thread !

Fernie - don't change :) I think treating them how you would want to be treat is the best thing. Being off sick/ill/off colour is bad enough without being 'punished' as well.

Carrot - nah, you're alright! You have seen the error of your evil ways

FWIW I wasn't trying to punish her - I saw it as a compromise as I wasn't convinced she was that ill. In my mind she could go to school, be hot, noisy, ordered about etc and work or stay home and control her environment more, be peaceful, take things a bit slower and do a bit of work. I had no desire to be mean to her.
She has perked up again and is now designing cards for her friends.

Thanks for all the good wishes and the moral support.

I dont think you were being unreasonable, unless you were making her work when she was really, REALLY ill to the point of wanting to be bedridden.

But equally, you dont want her off school faking illness because you have made it so much more fun at home when ill IYSWIM.

So if my child was sort of ill, but not enough to be completely bedridden i would actually want to teach her that, no, being off school and staying at home isnt going to be fun, watching tv and doing crafts and baking cakes etc. Thats a recipe for many many awkward mornings of "oooh but mum im SO SO ILL" when actually she just wants to play all day..