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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teachers- how often are you unwell!?

72 replies

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:26

Just a curious question.

Dd is 4, has been attending nursery since she was 2. She picks up all sorts of illnesses from nursery/school and brings them home to me, lovely!
Before having dd I was hardly ever unwell but even just this winter I've had various colds and stomach bugs that she's caught at school and then passed on to me.
Not a huge deal I suppose but got me thinking, if she's picking them up and giving them to me, how do the teachers cope when they are amongst it all 5 days a week!? How do our schools even stay open??

OP posts:
autumnnightsaredrawingin · 27/03/2019 20:58

You build up a resistance I think! My first year of teaching I was ill loads, and my PGCE year I had pneumonia, two sickness bugs and loads of colds. Touch wood the longer I’ve been working the less bugs I’ve had.

SagelyNodding · 27/03/2019 20:59

I'm a teacher, but secondary school... I'm ill right now but will battle through to the weekend Sad It's the first time this year, but I am careful about hand hygiene! I think I'm tired and stressed as I usually have a strong immune system.

Getting your own children to change clothes and wash hands after school/nursery is supposed to help!

LaurieFairyCake · 27/03/2019 21:00

My dh has been in teaching 23 years and has not had one day off

Every single holiday is RUINED by illness for the first week and sometimes he just gets well enough for going back to work

I have learned never to book anything the first week EVER

ASauvignonADay · 27/03/2019 21:00

I work in a school and I've not had a day off in the last 6 years.

TTCVickster · 27/03/2019 21:02

Also in my school at all the 48 hour rule does not apply to us, as there’s no money for cover, we’re told to come back as soon as we’re well. As my class are young (4/5) parents generally prefer a recovering me to a stranger their child doesn’t know so we’ve never had any complaints!

Biscuitsneeded · 27/03/2019 21:10

In 5 years in my current school I have only ever had one afternoon off. I went home at lunchtime as I felt so grotty but was back (albeit not feeling great) the next day. I have had a few days off when my children have been ill as I have no back-up, but I can only really do that the first day of their illness. I think most teachers struggle into school unless really unwell, because trying to set cover work that can be done by kids being babysat by non-specialists is such a headache you might as well just go to work...

brizzlemint · 27/03/2019 21:10

Only when a stomach bug goes through the whole class because children come to school when they have been sick/had diarrhoea

mayandjuniper · 27/03/2019 21:11

I get ill all the time. I've been off once this year with D&V, the rest of the time I just power through it. No choice.

Malope · 27/03/2019 21:14

Strong immune system, good hygiene, and carrying on in work dosed up on immodium or lemsip or whatever, then hitting the floor from exhaustion during the hols.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 27/03/2019 21:17

I've not had more than 2 days off sick with any contagious bug or sickness or cold in over 20 years teaching. I've dragged myself in with the sniffles occasionally but not every year.

When I was training I'd get tonsilitis and a chest infection without fail every time I was on teaching prac.

Some members of our staff can be guaranteed to be off with the 'flu or sickness every year once or twice.

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 27/03/2019 21:18

Iv been off twice this year (immune seems shot after having a baby) but normally I am ill on holidays. I think adrenaline keeps most Lergey at bay.

BeanBag7 · 27/03/2019 21:21

I had about 1 day off per year when I was teaching. The exception was when I was 7 months pregnant and had a chest infection, I had a week off then and hated every minute off it because I didn't feel unwell enough to be letting the kids down, but I couldn't speak or breathe properly. After struggling in for 2 days, one of my year 11 pupils said "Miss just go home!", so I realised I must have been pretty bad!

I think many teachers go in when they're not feeling well. Whereas in some jobs you can have a day off if you're not feeling great and then just push everything back a day, that doesn't really work in teaching and often it's more trouble than it's worth for a more minor ailment.

tinkywinky777 · 27/03/2019 21:24

I have had one and a half days off for sick bug in 12 years of teaching. You basically drag yourself in even when you are half dead.

(seriously - at my school, the assumption is, as a teacher, you come in even when you are feeling rough. Our teaching assistants however are a different matter...!)

Yabbers · 27/03/2019 21:29

DDs teacher has been off sick way more than DD has this year.

She’s only a couple of years past qualification, maybe she hasn’t built up her immunity yet!

YourSarcasmIsDripping · 27/03/2019 21:32

I've only taken time off for DD being ill. Any other time I just dragged myself in, a few times drugged up to my eyeballs. I have to say i seem to catch things less and less as the years go by, and definitely recover quicker. Luckily I don't do sickness bugs. I'm a TA.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 27/03/2019 21:33

There's quite a divide at our place. Ks2 staff know there's no cover and no money for supply so are very rarely ever off. Foundation staff in our place seem to be off all the time and there's at least one or two off every week. I know the younger children aren't great with hygiene compared to the older children, but I think they also have the flexibility of knowing there are more staff in their dept to cover absence.

OrigamiZoo · 27/03/2019 21:38

When I started childminding I was ill all the time, (but not enough to be off sick, I couldn't let the parents down)

Now I have a bit of a cold about once every four years. I do sleep with my windows open all year round and take copious vitamin c and only had one day off sick ever.

clairedelalune · 27/03/2019 21:40

I have a permanent cold. Am permanently knackered as never get over one thing before the next kicks in. Rarely ill enough though to go through the hassle of phoning in. Always ill ill in the hols though; the only Christmas I was not in bed for duration was year I was on mat leave Hmm

Walktwomoons · 27/03/2019 21:42

I used to teach, now work in private sector.
I was just thinking about this the other day as I went home early with a tum upset from eating something dodgy.
I know that if I had been teaching I would have stayed until the kids left since not infectious and it just wasn't done in most of the schools I worked at to leave unless you were physically unable to work.

Crunchymum · 27/03/2019 21:43

I take medication to suppress my immune system and I have a 6yo, 4yo and 1yo.

Between us we've had a rough winter, but touch wood I've been "least" affected. Surprisingly!

Crunchymum · 27/03/2019 21:44

I'm not a teacher though Grin Grin Grin

Thehop · 27/03/2019 21:44

I’ve been back at my nursery for 5 months after extended Mat leave and I’m so poorly. I can’t wait to get Teflon coated again 😂

Crunchymum · 27/03/2019 21:46

Sorry, didn't fully appreciate this thread wasnt aimed at me Blush

Heyha · 27/03/2019 21:53

You build up an immunity to a lot of the common diseases in your school, it's hellish when you change schools though as you do pick things up until your immune system adapts!

I probably have a day or two off a year normally if that, usually if I've had a migraine the night before so not even anything infectious. I did have the flu for the first time ever last year which was awful but almost everyone else had it too so it was pretty out of the ordinary.

It is interesting how some staff apparently catch everything going and have rubbish attendance, some of these bugs seem to target the same small group each time and leave everyone else alone 🤔

iolaus · 27/03/2019 21:55

Anyone who works with the public has a good immune system after a short period of time

Anyone who works with people with some level of sickness (health care professionals or teachers - kids are basically germ factories) - after a period of complete hell (I ended up in hospital and off for 4 weeks within a few months of qualifying) end up with an immune system of iron (Past 5 years I've had less than 2 weeks off - most was following surgery and 1 case of D&V where I was fine within 24 hours but the rules state 48 hours after last episode)