How to stop reception child being ill?

[Drummingisfun]

My DS started school in September.

He's only on his third week of full days and already he's had 4 days off (3 for an ear infection that really wiped him out and needed antibiotics, 1 for a stomach bug that started over a weekend).
Tonight he's seemed really off colour, just taken his temp and it's really high plus his tonsils are swollen. If he's got tonsilitis there's no way he's going in again this week, he gets it often and it takes at least 4 days before he's reasonably well again.

School are going to start asking questions I'm sure. Obviously I don't want to have him off school but I don't know what to do, I'm pretty sure they won't accept a child who needs dosing with calpol every 4 hours.

Does this happen to all kids when they start reception? He was in the nursery attached to the school and most of the children are the same so it's not as if he's mixing with a new crowd of people.

This is crazy. The child is sick! He needs to be at home in bed. The idea of penalizing parents for children's school absences is, i presume, based on those who can't be bothered to bring their children to school. Not for cases of genuine illness or even being under the weather.

Where I live no one is interested (beyond a note explaining) until children are absent more than 20 days. Imagine: we are allowed to decide all by ourselves whether they need a day in bed or not.

If he's unwell there's nothing you can do but keep him home to recover. I am sure school would send home any work that's he's missed. He's probably not the only one off sick in the class.

You’ve got nothing to hide though. He’s ill and that’s it!

My dd missed a lot of school last autumn/winter because of tonsillitis (she was year 1) and same again in reception. School were fine - they knew what the issue was.

Your poor baby. Hes obviously fighting something. In terms of preventing it I don't think there is much you can do. The only thing I've done in the past is when my son is getting a runny nose or a bit of a cough is just insist on early nights and I give him a glass of orange juice, he won't take multivitamins but you could see if your DS would?

handwashing handwashing handwashing
with warm water & soap and often

otherwise good nutrition and rest. consider getting the flu vaccine.
anything else is up to luck really.

is it dc's first year in a chilcare setting? that's always tough!

Mine has been fine since starting reception bar 1 sickness bug. When he started nursery though he got everything going. You just can’t predict it, and he clearly needs some time to recover. Don’t worry about him being off if he’s Ill, there’s nothing to hide. Plus, a doctor will confirm the prescription if anyone gets their knickers in a twist about it. Don’t worry

My kids were always off school at that age, the school should be used to it.

Ds has just started reception and hasn't got anything yet. However during his first term at pre school he had everything going, hand, foot and mouth, slapped cheek, chicken pox, impetigo, vomiting bug.....the lot. It felt like he was off more than he was there. I really wouldn't worry about it, as pp have said if he's ill then he's ill.

what do you mean the school will ask questions? he is sick. Make sure he has time to recover by not sending him back too soon.

Last winter my 5 yr old in Year 1 missed two entire weeks on separate occassions. None of the teachers mentioned it.

Obviously you want your child to be well - keep up the vitamin intake and don't push him back to school when he is run down.

Mine had every illness going in the first year of nursery including chickenpox and pneumonia despite having all vaccinations.

Wouldn't worry about nursery or school as long as you ring in and explain absence.
They are well used to this and happens every year.
If you keep school informed it wont be a problem

Poor thing is obviously poorly and it sounds like you’ll have doctors evidence if asked but just so you know the attendance officer or EWO (education welfare officer) only checks and can enforce attendance age 5 and above as technically they don’t have to be in school until age 5 so they are very unlikely to penalise you if he’s only just started school. It quite common in reception children, sometimes the whole class can be off with chicken pox over the course of a week or two as it goes through like a dose of salts! Don’t stress too much, maybe ask the teacher if there is anything you can work on at home so he doesn’t fall behind (probably letter sounds). I found generally the start of each year after the kids being off for summer was the worst for bugs and sniffles as they all get used to the mixed environment again! I hope your little one feels better soon.

My 4 year old hasnt been ill once.

*since starting in september obviously

DS is in year 2 and will have had 4 days off this week (he’s on antibiotics and we have decided he’ll be off tomorrow/ Friday already.
He had 2 weeks off last year with coughs etc, same the year before.
Children get poorly in winter, this won’t be news to school I am sure, don’t worry about it.
This attendance stuff all sounds a bit crazy. DS is at an independent school so they are sensible about illness.

You could try elderberry syrup alongside chewable vitamins and probiotics we take elderberry as an immune booster this time of year as it keeps colds and viruses away

My 5 year old has had loads of time off since he started school. Usual tummy bugs (roughly 3 every year) which mean 48 hours off, loads of appointments and 3 minor operations. School were not impressed and sent us one of those letters saying his attendance was unacceptable.

If he’s ill he’s ill, he can’t go to school. That’s just the way it is! Mine started reception in September and hasn’t been ill yet (bar minor sniffles) but I’m sure it’s pretty common.

A lot of it is just luck...my dd went through her entire reception year without having a day off for sickness.

However, she's had about 4 days off already this year thanks to a bad cold and stomach bug.

Did he go to nursery?

It's very common for children to pick up bugs when they start school/nursery. My DS was ok in reception but was off a lot when he started nursery! Sounds like your LO has just been unlucky but I doubt the school will flinch, he won't be the only one.

Vitamin supplements, lots of hand washing when they get in. And lots of fruit/vegetables, along with a good nights sleep/not getting overtired.

It does get better, honest, I think the first 2 years at school are hard going but then their immune systems seem to kick in better.

Handwashing, proactive management of sniffles and colds with vitamins the second he feels a bit unwell. A good night’s sleep.

He was at the school nursery, and he picked up most of the bugs last year too.

He's already on a daily multivit and multimineral, has been since all the illness last year.

Re handwashing - judging by how utterly filthy his hands are when he comes home, I don't think he washes them all day at school. I do tell him to but obviously I'm not there to enforce it.

It's not just school asking questions that worries me, it's also the amount of learning that he's going to miss of this carries on. He is EAL so he's starting behind the other kids in English as it is.

Obviously I'm not going to send him in ill, I just wish I could boost his immune system so that he would get sick less.