To think DS should have been sent home after fainting?

[sunsetseasky]

DS fainted this morning in assembly. They asked him if he'd eaten and he said no, so they made him have some toast.

However, AIBU to think they really should have called me and sent him home?

[BadPolicy]

I think YABU. Have you ever fainted? I do quite regularly and my head always feels funny afterwards.

Also he probably didn't hit his head super hard, your knees usually buckle first and you kind of slope downwards.

[YouCantArgueWithStupid]

Ironically enough if they'd have called 111 they probably would've sent you to A&E 🙄

[sunsetseasky]

only fainted once. Come close but only actually gone once. He said his head hurt.

[BadPolicy]

I don't know what caused it but can't see it being related to food. I'd bet good money on it being either no food or low blood pressure from standing for a while. Either way it'll be sorted after some food.

[Yika]

YA totally NBU, they absolutely should have called you (I'd be angry).

[theSnuffster]

I'd want to know immediately if my child had fainted!

[bigbluebus]

DS fainted at Primary school once - they didn't ring me, just told me at the end of the day. It was a hot day and they had been standing up for class photographs.
He fainted again at Secondary school but because he shook quite severely whilst he was down they weren't sure if it was some sort of seizure so they did ring me to come and collect him and get him seen by our GP. He was as right as rain when I got to him but I took him around the corner to the GP to be checked over. Guess what the first question the GP asked DS was? It was "have you had breakfast?" Which in his case he actually had, but clearly lack of food is the cause in many cases of fainting.

You need to explain to your DS that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it fuels the brain after an overnight of being starved. He should eat something before he leaves the house. He will get into the habit and it won't be an issue for him as his body gets used to it.

[sunsetseasky]

He won't.

I don't know whether to say something or not. I am a bit surprised and disappointed I wasn't told.

[Cynara]

A simple faint is not a medical emergency. If he said he hadn't eaten, but was given toast and was then fine, it's perfectly reasonable to assume that he had a normal physiological response to missing breakfast followed by standing for a while. If he's suffered no adverse effects I wouldn't worry about it, but would suggest sending him to school with a banana or muesli bar to eat in the morning when he feels that he can manage food.

[Trailedanderror]

How long has he not eaten breakfast for? It's pretty basic parenting to fed your child- even if they don't want breakfast.

[Cynara]

*should have said - I'm a paramedic, we see this quite a lot.

[notacooldad]

I know you said your DS is adamant that he doesn't want to eat anything but do you think something like a smoothie would work instead? I know it's not the issue here but as others have said it's a long time for a kid to go from supper time to lunch time with nothing to eat.
DP used to make a babana or strawberry smoothie made with some whey powder in and occasionly half an avacado ( we never told him that bit though) a bit of vanilla and a teaspoon of nine mixed with almond milk gave him calories, carbs and protein. It may be worth a try or putting it in a bottle to have mid morning.

With regard to the fainting, I'm not sure. I was a serial fainter. Going home wouldn't have achieved anything.

[heateallthebuns]

I was always fainting at school. I just used to have a lie down in the sick room then back to lessons. It's pretty normal I'd say.

[ferrier]

What may be normal for one child is not flr another. It would not be a normal physiological response for me to faint at any time despite not having eaten breakfast for 20 years.
However, I did faint once as a reaction to an underlying neck injury.
Op knows what is normal for her son and school doesn't. Hence why op should have been called.

[MaisyPops]

I agree on sending him in with a banana or cereal bar or those weetabix smoothies. It's not really for a 10 year old to be informing their parent what they will/won't do.

I hate eating on a morning, always have (and it meanf i missed a meal regularly through my teens, which wasn't good for me but my mum sent me in with a substantial snack for break).
Now i take pots of fruit and yoghurt, porrige pots, smoothies etc to have once i get to work and can face eating.

[Starlight2345]

I think you are not unreasonable to expect them to call you.

I do think as they go through growth spurts they really do need more food. My DS for years ate Krave for breakfast I thought it was an awful breakfast but at least he was eating something.

You know your DS better than anyone else. You know what he might eat. whether it is a ceral bar walking along to school, toast with chocolate spread, a yoghurt drink, hot chocolate made with lots of milk., my son has gone off cereal at the minute so we find lots of other things.

[Tsundoku]

Op knows what is normal for her son and school doesn't. Hence why op should have been called.

YY to this. Fainting might not seem like a huge deal if you're already prone to it, but if an otherwise healthy child (or even adult) faints for the first time, I think it warrants more attention. Randomly fainting was the first real sign a friend of mine had a serious heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

I don't want to fearmonger, and the odds are it's nothing serious, but I'm surprised the school didn't even notify parents.

[LynetteScavo]

YANBU.

Both times my secondary aged DS feuded at school we were called and advised to take him to hospital.

I've known schools call an ambulance for a child fainting.

[HaudYerWheeshtBawbag]

When at school he is there responsibility and they are the best the best to assess him, and make a call if he required medical help.

He may not want breakfast but as the parents it’s your responsibility to ensure he has something to eat.

[itusedtobeverydifferent]

On the eating thing- mine are slightly younger but my eldest...not by much. I won't allow her to go to school without something, even an apple, yoghurt, cheese sandwich if need be.

I wonder if your son is having a growth spurt and his body is using so much extra energy that now he needs fuel before school , even if it wasn't an issue before.

[itusedtobeverydifferent]

I do think that the parent should be contacted if a child faints, even if the child is fine straight after. To make the parent aware and allow them to make a choice whether said child remains at school or goes Home.

[itusedtobeverydifferent]

Also something to perhaps be aware of OP - a School may possibly flag this as a safeguarding concern, especially if it happens again.

[WyfOfBathe]

YANBU, I would want DD to be sent home if she fainted. I know it's not necessarily serious, but I see it as a similar "level" of illness to vomiting.

My sister faints whenever she's unwell, and has done since she was about your DS' age, so it's not a massive deal for her. I've only fainted once in my life, so I think I would be quite shaken after it.

[ParadiseCity]

How is he now?

I can't eat breakfast either. It's just abhorrent to me. So I do understand how he feels. I know when it is 10.45am as that's when something built into me goes PING! And I want to eat.

[PurpleMinionMummy]

Yanbu. If he's never fainted before he needs checking over.

My ds faints occasionally and he's very pale and out of sorts for an hour or so before he gets back to himself. School called me immediately when it happened there.