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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Taking child out for some fresh air whilst off school.

100 replies

Pop2017 · 24/01/2020 08:31

DD and DS have both been quite poorly with fevers, cold like symptoms, sore throats. DD is over it now and DS is hopefully nearing the end. But his temperature is still a bit high and he’s so sleepy and off his food (didn’t eat a thing other than a bite of lasagne yesterday)

Basically we have been couped up for days. I am thinking a little bit of fresh air will do us good. Thinking of taking a drive into town as I have some stuff to put into a clothing collection bin, maybe tempt with a McDonald’s breakfast, popping into a shop to get some more calpol (been through so much of it this week) and some snacks. Maybe a walk round the block if he’s up for it.

I’ve rang the school to say he won’t be in but popping out whilst not at school? I live in a tight knit ‘nosy’ village and I’m sure somebody will say look at her not sending him into school but going out and will tell the school..

Is it really bad to do this?? OH says I’m being ridiculous and to take him out for a bit.

I need it for my own sanity too. I’ve been stuck in with poorly kids for near on 2 weeks!

OP posts:
itispersonal · 24/01/2020 11:01

I took my dd who had a really bad bout of chicken pox to McDonald's (drive thru) and an empty park, as she had been off school for nearly 2 weeks as the spots took ages to scab over and needed to go out.

viques · 24/01/2020 11:02

Oh god, what has it come to when going out in a car , walking round overheated shops and eating macdonalds counts as getting a bit of fresh air.

I ran a marathon yesterday, well not actually, I went to Tesco and but I went on the bus..........

Mumbassa · 24/01/2020 11:03

I think it’s fine

KeepThosePlatesSpinning · 24/01/2020 11:04

OP did mention McDonald's breakfast, not burgers, so muffin and egg presumably, maybe hash brown. Not horrendous from a nutrition point of view.

Ginfordinner · 24/01/2020 11:04

I think you need to use your common sense as most posters have here. Not shopping, not eating in at MacDonalds, but yes to fresh air away from other people.

I get that you have cabin fever, I have walked that route many, many times, but just be aware of how it will impact other people, especially those with compromised immune systems. (and the gossips where you live)

viques · 24/01/2020 11:04

Sorry, I lost the bit where I went to TKMax as well as Tesco, would only have been a half marathon otherwise.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 24/01/2020 11:05

I wouldn't take a child who still had a temperature out and about, it's not fair on other people.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 24/01/2020 11:06

And if he's off his food so much he only had one bite yesterday then he should be at home. No need to try and tempt him with food, he just needs lots of fluids.

Urkiddingright · 24/01/2020 11:09

Having a walk around the block is fine but a trip to the shops and McDonald’s is not. He’s clearly still ill, a McMuffin won’t resolve that.

Luckystar777 · 24/01/2020 11:10

if he feels up to it, why not? i wouldnt do mcdonalds though, i only got toast or mashed potato when i was sick as a kid :(

coffeeforone · 24/01/2020 11:13

I's take them out. And I wouldn't hesitate to give an unwell child McDonald's if they wanted it, its just food! Anything is better than nothing if they are a little under the weather.

Lovemusic33 · 24/01/2020 11:14

I would go for a short walk or drive, wouldn’t take them to McDonald’s though unless drive through, not fair to spread germs around to others (same with shops).

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 24/01/2020 11:14

I'm not judging McDonald's as an occasional convenience at other times but to me its just counterintuitive to be giving that sort of unhealthy food to a child who's recovering from being poorly enough to have been off school a few days. It just would never occur to me.

diddl · 24/01/2020 11:16

So what did you do, Op?

Sometimes shopping still has to be done even with sick kids.

I'd limit it as much as possible though, especially if one is still needing calpol!

Thestrangestthing · 24/01/2020 11:16

Of course it's fine and if he wants a mcdonald's take him to mcdonald's, at least it gets some food into him. Sometimes when you are ill you just want to eat crap 🤷‍♀️

DustyMaiden · 24/01/2020 11:18

Do as you please, they are your D.C. just don’t go if they are contagious, it’s really not fair.

IntermittentParps · 24/01/2020 11:20

Plus, if he's off his food, it's really more about you than him.
Not fair. The OP says she hopes to tempt her DS with a McDonald’s breakfast, as he hasn't been eating and presumably she, as a concerned parent, would like to see if he'll eat something.

Apolloanddaphne, I don't mean you, I meant NoIDontWatchLoveIsland, who uses the word 'junk' and a snitty face, and lectures the OP on what sort of food she ought to be 'thinking' about instead.

Schuyler · 24/01/2020 11:23

I find some people very rigid about what you can and can’t do when off sick from work or school. It’s not black and white. There are all sorts of shades of grey. Personally, I wouldn’t take a child who I thought may still be contagious to the shops of McDonalds but there are certainly instances where I can think I might. I think you can be well enough to sit and eat a quick meal in McDonald’s but not well enough to sit and learn in school for 6 hours. 🤷🏻‍♀️

ShinyGiratina · 24/01/2020 11:25

DS ended up at the shops (supermarket) and McDonalds the last time he was ill. We needed to buy fresh food into the house and McDonalds is next to the supermarket. He wasn't full power as he only wanted a childrens meal, but it tempted him to eat a bit more and got much needed calories into him.

Being out of the house for just over an hour after a sleep in and lounge on the sofa then going back home to rest is very different to coping with a full school day, being turfed out to play for an hour (and in his case coping with the additional strain of dyslexia, dyspraxia and ASD that make every day at school very hard work to him)

He didn't have any obviously contagious symptoms beyond a heavy cold and low energy, and I wasn't exactly wafting him over people's food to contaminate them. No one else in the house went down with it so he was reasonably low in the biohazard stakes.

Elbeagle · 24/01/2020 11:29

I’d definitely take them out for some fresh air... a walk for example. I wouldn’t take a child who still has a fever and is lethargic round the shops and to McDonalds.

Blackbear19 · 24/01/2020 11:32

Take the kid out. Everybody gets cabin fever now and again.
After a 4 day, no sleep for me, hospital stay with DS who was about 2, all I wanted to do when we got home was chill / nap on the sofa and let him watch ceebbies. He had a huge tantrum and all he could say was BUUUUGGGGYYY!

SoupDragon · 24/01/2020 11:32

Just stick to a short walk round the block. DD and I have had similar fluey bugs and it wiped us out.

Nanny0gg · 24/01/2020 11:34

Fresh air is fine. A trip into town, not so much.

And McDs when you don't have an appetite?

Original poster
Pop2017 · 24/01/2020 11:36

It was the drive thru, wouldn’t go in at the best of times let alone when he’s ill. Had no choice but to take him into the shop as he has additional needs and cannot be left alone in a car!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pop2017 · 24/01/2020 11:38

He hasn’t eaten anything in 4 days so I’d rather him of eaten McDonald’s then nothing. I thought McDonald’s would have tempted him to eat but he who a few nibbles and left it! 😭

OP posts: