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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

48 hour exclusion rule

88 replies

Samsond · 02/03/2024 11:01

Ok I know IANBU here but I want to moan anyway.
WHY? Do some parents think the 48 hour isolation rule for D & V doesn't apply to them / their kids??
A child threw up in my DCs class yesterday. Whilst running to the door so managed to pass quite a few pupils close by whilst actually vomiting. (Poor kid)
She then told the teacher she'd been sick the day before and in the night but her parents thought she was feeling better so sent her in.
She has now directly exposed about a third of the class to her gastro bug as well as humiliated herself. I have emetophobia which was caused by throwing up on front of the class when I was 11 so I really feel for this poor girl and am very anxiously monitoring my DC for signs of nausea now.
Why are some people so fucking selfish???

OP posts:
User79853257976 · 02/03/2024 21:03

Based on these responses you can see just how selfish people are. They haven’t prioritised finding a family-friendly job so they don’t care if they pass the bug to 30+ children and staff. How do they know the parents of the other kids can take time off easily? They need to prioritise parenting.

User79853257976 · 02/03/2024 21:05

sleepyscientist · 02/03/2024 13:15

Maybe her parents couldn't get it off or though she was better. What about respiratory bugs, everyone in this house has cold should DH stay home and make work cover his shift just in case he's sick or sneezes on someone?

There are different exclusion periods for different illnesses. It’s not true that people can’t get the time off. They might have to take it unpaid if they’ve had a lot of time off though but they can’t just willingly spread a stomach bug to other families.

User79853257976 · 02/03/2024 21:07

sleepyscientist · 02/03/2024 13:30

So do we stop the 48hour and say they can go in when not actively vomiting.

Show quote history

No, because they are still contagious.

User79853257976 · 02/03/2024 21:12

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 02/03/2024 16:57

Our secondary doesn't do the 48 hour rule, it's 6 hours clear of vomiting and if you are off its an unauthorised absence for sickness. And kids who don't get 100% attendance miss out on all sorts of benefits.

My eldest was sent home from her secondary (a different one to the school above which my son attends) puking her guts up. She had been fine that morning, got her home about 1pm. By 6pm she was filling her face like she was starving and absolutely fine! I kept her off as her school does have the 48 hour rule but she was well enough to go in..

She had a friend sleep over at ours, who vomited all over my bathroom Sunday morning (missing the toilet totally). I joked when her mum picked her up about getting out of school. Nope, next day she was back at school as her mum was a teacher there and couldn't take time off. It's not hard to imagine other parents in the same position.

Her mum could take time off, she didn’t want to. That school reducing it to 6 hours is ridiculous.

stcrispinsday · 02/03/2024 21:15

Because they have a child who vomits at the drop of a hat, car sickness, coughing too hard, you name it, and if they kept said child off school for 48 hours every time that child would miss a ridiculous amount of school.

seven201 · 02/03/2024 21:28

A boy did this in my dd's class. Had been sick at home then sent in and threw up next to my dd, who then caught it and it gradually went round the whole class.

Givemeareason13 · 02/03/2024 21:33

HoHoGo · 02/03/2024 13:50

@sleepyscientist no, because that's how it spreads like wildfire. What we need to do is enforce the 48-hour rule, so that these things can't spread so much in the first place. If everyone stuck to the rule, there would be far less illness about, and that would be much more beneficial to the families who struggle to get the time off work.

This.

It feels like norovirus is doing the constant rounds at my DC's school because of idiotic parents.

In fact, I'm pretty certain of that considering in the space of 3.5 years at primary, DC1 has had 9 sickness bugs (despite being clear for most of reception year due to COVID restrictions).

She is particularly prone (younger DC has had two their entire life), but sheesh.

In fact, I think it's probably those who have DC who aren't prone to getting them who aren't particularly bothered. If DC1 were like DC2, I probably would also have more of a laissez-faire attitude. (Though would still stick to the damn 48-hour rule!!)

ManchesterLu · 02/03/2024 21:35

LolaSmiles · 02/03/2024 13:30

And you have no idea how many families live, if you think it's about "annoying" the boss. If you're in a zero hours job, you lose that day's pay and the chance of other shifts, which will be give to those seen as more reliable.

Maybe wobble your own head?
No head wobbling needed thank you.

I'm well aware some people are in the situation where the loss of a day pay is a big issue.

The thing here is that each time a child is sent in vomiting, that parent is saying "actually it's totally fine for up to 20 other families to have to take time off work, lose pay, have multiple unwell children in their family as the bug goes through their household".

Or do those families not matter?

But sure, let's not bother trying to reduce the spread of nasty illnesses. Let's send vomiting children into school so that another family can lose a fortnight's pay whilst their 2-3 children come down unwell one after the other. At least one parent didn't have to take a day off work.

You're absolutely right. It's selfish of parents to knowingly send a child into school who is/could be contagious. I don't understand how people haven't learned more from covid.

I understand that it's difficult to get childcare, but why do people not have contingency plans? Things can ALWAYS happen, then you HAVE TO come up with another plan.

Also how unfair for the kids to go back to school so quickly when - even if they aren't symptomatic anymore - they probably feel completely washed out and need a day or two in bed.

Givemeareason13 · 02/03/2024 21:35

sleepyscientist · 02/03/2024 18:12

@BananaSplitsss respiratory infection can lead to pneumonia, sickness bugs are generally very time limited. I would take noro over flu any day.

Tell me you haven't had a bad case of noro recently without telling me...

IsthisthereallifeIsthisjustfantasy · 03/03/2024 09:21

Soreteatowel · 02/03/2024 18:02

But you do care more about other families than your own? Really?

Show quote history

Of course not. But that's not the same as knowingly inflicting a DV bug on multiple other families!

CremeEggThief · 03/03/2024 15:23

Not all families have the luxury of contingency plans either. What about people who have no family support or there's no after-school club at the school, just for example?

In an ideal world, the OP is right, but the way society in this country is set up it makes very difficult for lots of people to prioritise health and wellbeing over work.
And people blaming each other instead of the structure is just silly and petty.

jannier · 03/03/2024 19:36

CremeEggThief · 03/03/2024 15:23

Not all families have the luxury of contingency plans either. What about people who have no family support or there's no after-school club at the school, just for example?

In an ideal world, the OP is right, but the way society in this country is set up it makes very difficult for lots of people to prioritise health and wellbeing over work.
And people blaming each other instead of the structure is just silly and petty.

Unfortunately there are plenty of parents who send in sick children even if they are home themselves. I've had one who knew the bug had already hit granny who had the children two days before then mum and dad got it before passing it to baby but still brought them in....and that's just one example.

Crumpleton · 03/03/2024 19:44

Some people pick and choose which school rules apply to them and theirs, orhers don't.

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