Taking child out for some fresh air whilst off school.

[Pop2017]

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!

I think if he barely ate yesterday then a McDonalds probably wouldn't have worked today.

Soup/rice pudding always went down well with mine!

Would he go for an ice cream or lolly OP?

You can be well enough to cope with a short trip out with breaks whilst not being well enough to be at school or work. A recovering child out with a parent shouldn't attract any adverse comment from anybody. If it does, you can say so - "he was really unwell for x days, with a fever, today is the first day he's been outside for x days. He's not yet well enough to be at school" - if a particularly nosey person you can add on something like "of course, you wouldn't want me sending him back to school for a day, only to relapse and need another week off, because he wasn't well enough in the first place"

Fresh air is a good idea (unless it's very cold or raining heavily)

Yes, try to avoid taking someone who is likely to be infectious somewhere they might pass their germs around, but life goes on - you need more medicine, you might need to do grocery shopping etc. McDonalds is OK too, IMO, if it's actually appealing to your child in his current state of health - even if he normally likes it, he might prefer something different whilst ill.

Not eating is always the first sign with mine. My eldest can eat for England (good job we walk miles to school and back and he's a keen swimmer!) so when he says he doesn't want breakfast I'm like "uh oh..."

I think this "fresh air" stuff is fine when they're fit and well, but it's just going to tire out a sick child. They need to be tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle with calpol doing it's thing.

I always get mine lucozade sport for the electrolytes, they always drink it. The pink fizzy one is all I could drink when I was pregnant with DS2 (everything else came back up!) - we had mountains of pink bottles in the recycling! wouldn't give that to the littles though .

My motto is a little bit of what you fancy when you’re not well does wonders. Obviously it depends what’s wrong with you, post op I’d not allow a Macdonalds.

Sometimes you need something nice when you’re not 100%. A nibble here and there, but as long as he’s drinking I wouldn’t worry too much just keep offering little and often. I take mine out when not well - youngest off quite often with asthma so usually gp/pharmacy for steroids and the fresh air can help but only walk to car and back. 9 year old gets migraines that make him vomit 🤮 so he’ll take meds and sleep it off and we go for a walk or whatever neither are infectious though. They don’t tend to want to go far if they are. Hope your son is feeling better soon

What has he got to be off school for that long and not to have eaten in four days?!!

If he genuinely hasn’t eaten for four days, take him to the Dr

What most people have said... a walk in the fresh air could be really good for you all. A Maccy D's would feel wrong for me though if the kids were ill.

Oh for Gods sake it's not like he has vomiting and diarrhoea. It's a cold. You don't quarantine children for a cold. You pay bit more attention to hygiene and hand washing and try to avoid spreading it around but honestly some of the responses on here. I have a cold. I'm stuffed up, sore throat and headache and a temperature of 41. But I'm carrying on my daily life not painting a black cross on the door and staying in because it's just a bloody cold.

Bully for you nothing

I think I would get the calpol but prob avoid the shops and McDonalds. Maybe a very short walk in the countryside, woods or park and then back home to snuggle on the sofa.

Would someone really tell the school ? :( How intrusive, if so. I could see some silly gossip telling others in the playground that they saw you out and about with children who have been off but actually informing the school ? Yikes.

Hope the children feel better soon, OP

A temperature of 41 in an adult is far from a standard cold.

I took my son to Sainsburies last time he was off sick ...we literally had nothing left- he looked grey by the time we got to the till .. it was pretty obvious he shouldn’t be at school ... I imagine it will be obvious with your son too

I was spoken to by the police though when my son was out of school for an eye test ... it over ran and as I knew we’d miss school dinner he was having a Greggs on a bench before going back. They were very nice to him , but it was obvious they were checking up

Gosh, when I had a temperature of 41 I was sent by the GP to hospital with suspected sepsis (it was sepsis).

You are being ridiculous. Of course you can take them out.

(Try being an adult off work with depression, if you really want to attract the snide gossips!)

Fresh air can work wonders for making you feel better.

Yes to gojng for a walk - some actual fresh air!- or for errands that you absolutely can’t avoid.

No to McDonalds.

Also if you need to “tempt” them out they probably aren’t well enough to go!

To those saying fine for some fresh air but not to shops / McDonalds etc because he might be contagious: do you not yourselves go out and about when you have a cold? (Appreciate this about children not adults, but still)

Also if you need to “tempt” them out they probably aren’t well enough to go! The OP was fairly obviously talking about tempting her DC to eat, not to go out.

Your child your rules. I think it is a great idea to treat him and cheer him up a little bit.
@Hoik, what you've posted here is ridiculous since it has nothing in common with real MD info.

Take the children for fresh air (which I think was part of treatment years ago anyway).
Remember you're the parent and not the nosy parker's or even the school, you know what's best for your child as you know them the most!

POP2017 Would you be happy to bump into your Boss in McDonalds if you were off work ill ? You have your answer

I'd take them for "fresh" air so not into a town centre/ supermarket/ Mc Donalds.
Is there a park neraby ?
A beach ?

Fresh air - fine. Shops and places where your ill children will spread their illness to other people - not fine. If they’re not well enough to be at school, they’re not well enough to be out and about contaminating other people either.