Would you need your child off nursery for a nasty sounding cough if you had trip planned in a few days

[shellighg]

My DD is 4 in a few months and started having a cough yesterday. She seems fine in herself but the cough is starting to sound pretty nasty now. Just super chesty and she's coughing quite a bit.

This morning it sounded pretty bad and my H said she should stay at home, as it will get worse and we won't be able to travel on Friday ( plane trip ).

Today and tomorrow are quite busy days at the nursery with swimming and outside walk planned.

Logistically I can keep her off, but I know she loves going to her nursey / preschool.

I'm also thinking the cough sounds so nasty, maybe we need to have her checked out by a doctor. But my experienced mum brain tells me that the doctor won't be worried about a cough, unless accompanied by a fever and if the child is well in themselves. Say if it was a chest infection and she needed antibiotics, then she wouldn't be bouncing around as normal..

Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions

The trip is irrelevant. You have a child with a bad chest you think may need checking so of course you keep her home.

I’d be having her checked before a flight. And yes, I’d be keeping her off, going swimming with a cough like hers isn’t a good idea.

If her cough is bad enough that you're considering whether to take her to the doctors then yes keep her off. She will have a miserable time and it'll probably exasperated her cough. Nursery will still be there when she's feeling better- cuddles at home in the warm with a responsive parent who can make sure she has what she needs to feel comfortable sounds much better. For a run of the mill cold then I'd say send in, but sounds like it's beyond that

No chance, going swimming with a cough is a terrible idea unless you want to risk bronchitis/pneumonia. Thats besides your child is unwell risk of complications for her and spreeading her virus around the rest of the group.

I would make sure the childs gets plenty of rest at home, get vitamin c/d ,nebuliser with sterile saline solution etc

Thanks guys. I thought it was an ' old school ' view that those activities would make her cough worse. But I actually do agree. It's so cold outside as well, coming out wet from swimming and walking back to the classroom etc just isn't ideal.

I will get her checked by the doc as well.

I'd be keeping her home for some quiet days with plenty of fluids, fruit and veg and rest to give her the best chance at feeling well for the trip on Friday. I would certainly not send her in for swimming.

I usually keep her off completely before a trip to minimise the chances of her being sick on the trip- which I know is OTT, but I think I have more than enough reason to keep her off today and tomorrow. I'll try to get her seen by the doc, even though I don't know if they'll see her as she ' just ' has a cough.

Keep her off so she doesn't infect the other kids! If it's just started she'll still be in the contagious state of whatever it is. Possibly COVID or rsv. Flu numbers very very low.

Yes of course you need to keep her off. Would you want to go swimming if you had a chesty cough??

Screw your holiday. She should be off so she doesn't pass that cough to the other children and workers.

She's already been in with the cough anyway.. and most people send their children to nursery and school with a cough.. that's probably where she picked it up in the first place.

Swimming and a cough? no chance.

Keep her home, care for her and give her the love she needs when she's ill...

She's literally bouncing around to be honest. She's not acting unwell in any way. Just has this nasty sounding cough.

But I'm not sending her anyway. Will try and get her checked by the doc.

Definitely keep her off, it's a no brainier.

Only working mums with literally little choice and working dad's would force them in.

Well, I do work full time. But I'll manage it somehow today.

I've seen a child, my own on oxygen and looking pale and wan in hospital, literally bouncing around the hospital play room an hour later.

Sorry to hear that but there must have been something pretty wrong already to be in a hospital waiting room.

My DD definitely doesn't need a hospital right now. She barely needs a doctor. They'll probably say it's just a virus if she does get seen today. But I'll still try to get her seen. Her cough is not actually very often now that the morning phlegm has subsided.

In little ones bouncing arojnd isn’t necessarily a sign of health. My son has been on oxygen and still bouncing around his cough!

fair enough but if the doctor calls me later, he will ask me how she ' is in herself ' and she's fine in herself. Which is usually a good sign and a good indicator the child is ok overall.

Take her to see the pharmacist today and get some medicine
She'll probably be fine but needs to be taking something to help her get past the cough

The GP on This Morning yesterday said children were fine going to school with a cough if they weren’t otherwise ill and didn’t have a temperature, then she said rest was good. I think I would keep her off just because of your flight on Friday, doubt very much GP will see her for a new cough that isn’t causing any problems at the moment.

I agree. I doubt the GP wants to see her for ' just a cough '. But absolutely agree, she can stay home and not be out and about in the cold. I'm sure that will speed up her recovery. It's horrible outside.

I agree with the GP, if you keep a child off for every sniffle and cough, they'd never go to school or nursery. It's more the whole picture that needs to be taken into account.

To the posters saying I shouldn't send her in because of a cough as to not infect the other children and staff.

Her nursery had a word with me a while ago, asking me to please send her in more- unless she has a fever - even if she has a cough and a cold, as she was missing quite a bit and they wanted her in more. They said unless she has a fever or d and v, to send her anyway. All the kids have coughs and colds when they come in.

I'm still not sure I would send her swimming with a cough regardless of a flight. But if it was just a normal nursery day, I may have sent her ( if we didn't have a flight ).

You're the one saying about seeing a GP OP so not sure why you're then getting defensive about it! You're right she doesn't need one by the sound of it but there's an area between going to nursery and needing medical intervention.