Temp of 37.9. WIBU to send to school?

[Rainallnight]

Genuinely don’t know what to do.

DS, 6, has had a bug since the weekend. Cough etc. Has had high fevers.

Now well in himself (bit of a cough) and bouncing off the walls. But STILL a temp of 37.9.

WIBU to send to school?

Well seeing as a high temperature is classed as 38. And above it's more than possible for 37.9 to be someone's normal. Certainly I wouldn't consider it a high temperature

Yes, that’s not particularly high. Unless any other symptoms making him too unwell to go then I would send him.

I sympathize with your situation but I don’t think people are being selfish here. Schools put a lot of pressure on parents to send them in unless really unwell, then there’s the pressure of work, other responsibilities, the child’s education. If my child is well enough in themself to go in then they will go in, why wouldn’t they? There’s always going to be kids in school with colds, covid, and other illnesses because if we kept them off every time they got something they wouldn’t be in much.

Personally fever doesnt affect my decision on sending my children into school, with most infections they'll have been contagious for a few days before the fever (a sign only of the immune system ramping up), it's about how they are.

They can be well in themselves with fever - if they continue to eat and drink, play, sit and listen, but just have a sore throat snotty nose then I will send them in. If they're unwell; disinterested, needing to be encouraged to drink - then they stay home regardless of what the thermometer says.

Also don't worry about dosing them up in an attempt to get rid of a fever - it's really not necessary and may actively weaken the immune response. By all means give it if they need relief from discomfort, but not fever alone.

38 is my magic number! If they dont look too sick otherwise then off they go.

I’d keep them off with that temp, it pretty much is 38!

Don't have a go at parents who wish they could keep their children home but unfortunately we all keep getting threatening letters/posts and reminding that we should be sending them in when not THAT unwell.

thats quite a normal phrase. It just means he’s acting like himself, normal

medical professionals will often ask this about your child “is he feeling well in himself?”

Wow over a decade of parenting and it never occurred to me to let a thermometer decide. My DD had a temp of 37.8 yesterday and I kept her off because she was run down and was feeling miserable. The “38 rule” some of you have is bizarre.

My DC is younger but I wouldn’t send him in with a temperature. They can go from active to needing to rest very quickly with a temp.

My youngest doesn’t feel unwell until
her temp is 39c plus. Not all children react the same.

But no at 37.9c I wouldn’t be sending her into school.

Is that right, a school with eg 95% attendance get more funding than a school with 80% attendance? How does that work given the fixed costs stay the same ie they still have to pay staff etc?

38.5 is considered fever

I actually asked my DS teacher last week what she wanted me to do. He's in P1 so getting everything going as they always do at that age, I'm old school, snot and coughs they go in as long as they are well in themselves, sickness and exploding butts it's 48hr rule and stay home.

DS teacher told me if I kept him home every time he had a bit of snot or a cough then he'd never be in school and to absolutely send him in if I felt he was well enough, she was happy to phone me to collect if I'd called it wrong and he got worse.

If he's well in himself then with that temp I'd give calpol and tell the teacher to call you to collect him if he gets worse.

In response to the PP who have children with health issues and are calling the OP selfish,
I do understand (and feel for them) there are children who either themselves or close relatives have significant health problems but every child also needs and has a right to education. If I kept my child home every time they have a snotty nose to protect your child with health issues then I'm doing a major diservice to my child by blocking them from accessing their education. I don't know what the answer is to protect your child but it can't be the answer to deny my child an education when they are well enough to attend.

Maybe it's the constant harassment parents get when children are off sick. My two have 100% and 96% ( she missed 1 day) attendance and we have still received 2 emails and a letter each about the importance of attendance and potential fines.

Our school even told us to send the children in and the school welfare would decide if they should stay or go home. Fuck that, I'm the parent.

Maybe, the issue is your schools culture rather than the parents.

It would partly depend how he'd been the day before. Mine had a temp of 37.9 this morning and was fairly ok, but it was 40.1 yesterday evening and he's been ill all week, so he had a day off to rest. He's been up and down all day so I'm glad I didn't send him in.

If it was 37.9 with a slight cold and in good spirits I'd probably send him in.

Schools are not funded according to attendance!!! Where did you get that from @jannier?! It us a measure used to monitor schools and they're expected to pursue non attenders but there's no financial penalty for them because it would be... totally crazy. Please don't give the government ideas!

I get what you are saying, but school are very harsh about absence, even through genuine illness, so this is the result of it.

Employers needs to be more understanding of parents with children and sick kids too.

No, that isn’t correct.

I would feel absolutely wretched at that temperature, and so would my children. I would keep them at home. They can't learn when they're ill, and knowingly spreading an infectious illness is a dick move.

i would send in with that temperature if they seem ok. School are so pushy with attendance.

I wouldn't keep my child at home with just that temperature & no other symptoms.

This thread reminds me of the Covid threads in the early days, with the debate around sending a child with a sniffle to school versus those with compromised immune systems etc

Yes please do send DC in just in time for my child to be ill for Christmas 🙄

A child who is well and bouncing off the walls should be in school.

It's barely raised, and home thermometers aren't super accurate.

It's fine to send him in as long as he's +48 hours clear of any D&V

My basal body temperature is 36 so 37.9 is definitely a fever for me. Do you know what your DS's is?