I always keep my dc off school with a sore throat

[Responsiveness]

Just reading latest government guidance regarding attendance- parents are being told to send children in even with a cough, cold symptoms or sore throat ? (But not to send with any symptoms of scarlet fever or chicken pox yet often a sore throat is a symptom of both these illnesses 🤦‍♀️)

I always keep mine off with sore throats ? They can be really painful even without a fever. I will continue to do so as well!

I can understand sending a child in with a tickly cough or runny nose etc but sore throats can be horrible not to mention for some dc with SEN especially ASD the sensory aspect of something like a sore throat and how it impacts eating and drinking / sound of voice/ the cold air in winter making it feel raw etc (my ds has ASD and has these issues every time)

AIBU to think that this latest advice isn’t going to help anyone ? It will just be kids in school feeling too unwell and distracted to learn or spreading germs !

You don't take tonsils out to improve attendance!

I work in a school. This past year I’ve had pneumonia twice, laryngitis twice, and several ear infections.

It really annoys me when parents send in children who are clearly ill.

My nephew is autistic and non verbal. We can still tell when he is unwell and obviously can look down his throat. You don't usually need your child to tell you they are unwell, you see they are. So I'm sure you have picked up on it the times he was unwell.

Would you call in sick over a sore throat? 🤔

Oh god I totally agree with you here, I have to say of every cold/flu symptom I've ever had I find a sore throat to be the absolute worst, it completely floors me! I think I'll be exactly in your situation when my little one starts school.

On a side note, for all the people saying they'll grow up to be weak adults, i remember being allowed to be off school as a child with colds, and as an adult I have gone nearly 20 years without one sick day so this is absolutely not the case 🙄

Gosh, that's an awful lot! I hope you are feeling better now?

@EddieHoweBlackandWhiteArmy Thank you! This is very useful

Sadly, I’m giving up my job because of this. I’m going into a completely different field. I absolutely love the children, but my health has been horrendous since I went back into it.

In this case, it’s a parent who seems to have all 3 children kept off for relatively minor illnesses with no medical cause.

@Cookie105 yes if it was tonsillitis or severe .

Creating the work forces next generation of sick notes 😂

I hate it when colleagues come in sneezing and snotty and using all the door handles with their sneezed-in hands.

Mine stay home if they are unwell and go in if they aren’t. Simple as that for me unless it’s something contagious like a bug or chicken pox when of course they’d stay home whether unwell or not. Cough might mean they are ok or they may be in bed feeling rough. Don’t need the government to tell me when my children are well or not well enough for school.

My Autistic teen won’t stay off school. I had to make her when she last had Covid last Xmas and it upset her 100% attendance streak and had since primary school. Recently I got a call asking to pick her up so knew it was serious. She was shattered and starting with a cough. I was at work so her Nan picked her up. She slept 2 hours in the afternoon. Was definitely ill. Got up fine for school the next day though even though she had a cough. This cough went on for weeks. Usually for me it’s D&V that would have me keep them off, or chickenpox. Anything else I send them in and if they’re that poorly they’ll get sent home. I once got a call asking me to pick up DD as she had tummy ache. She was going through an anxious phase and was totally fine. I asked if she had been sick and they said no so I said to send her back to class. School was taken aback. I said call me if she’s sick. I picked her up at home time and she came bounding out right as rain telling how she had a wonderful day. She was totally fine. I had kept her off before for tummy ache and took her to the gp who couldn’t find anything wrong and suggested some books on anxiety.

Sore throats can vary. I used to get tonsillitis a lot and tried to work through it (teacher) until I was sent to the GP by my school and I nearly fainted in the GP’s office. It re occurred alot. Sometimes I can work and other times I can barely get out of bed. I can generally tell which way my kids are going with a sore throat. Breakfast, calpol, ibuprofen and they’re suddenly fine. My eldest can keep a dose of calpol on her bag now she’s old enough for school to allow self medications. She used to keep some at the office. So can always top up after the 4 hours if needed. My youngest. If she’s off to bed early I know she’s poorly. She spent need a lot of sleep and is always up early and asking to stay up later of an evening.