To not give any devices to child off school

[DancingHippos]

DD age 12 is wanting to not go to school as she has had loose bowels 3 times in the last 12 hours. I am a bit suspicious as Friday is my day off work. However, she's probably telling the truth. She's doing well in school and had friends etc.
However I have an appointment that I need to go to and can't cancel - it was booked 4 months ago. She'll be fine by herself for 3 hours.
However I don't know if I should give her her ipad, allow her to watch TV- in other words just chill at home. She doesn't have a smart phone.
What is reasonable to do in these situations?

If you believe she's ill I'd let her chill with TV or the iPad. If you don't I'd take her to school.

When I'm ill I watch tv under a blanket and drink plenty water or tea so I wouldn't deny my kid some comfort and enjoyment while they recover

How bizarre and controlling. Are you trying to punish her for being ill? Let the girl relax and watch her iPad. We've all had dodgy stomachs before and it's not nice. My children has had 3 in the last few months so we had 48 hours in the house watching tv. There loads of bugs going around at the moment.

The only minor illnesses you need to be in bed for hours with are the flu or a particularly bad virus. Some people on here are just weird. With a dodgy tummy or a cold it’s totally normal to watch a film or use your phone. You either believe her or you don’t. It sounds like she’s doing well at school and is a well-behaved child, so the fact you are even on here asking this is odd, although you’re in good company on this thread to be honest.

Generally if my kids are too ill for school they are in their beds in their rooms until they are feeling better. They do have teles in their rooms until so I allow that but not iPads or phones until they are feeling better.

Sick days are for dozing in front of the tv. Kids wouldn’t fancy This morning and Loose Women so allowing them to doze to something more appropriate would be fine. My kids are rarely off school so I know if they’re off they’re really ill. They do have TVs in their bedrooms and IPADs - shock horror!! They don’t watch TV that often but have apps logged on to their kids version - Netflix with the age restrictions depending age, bbc IPlayer kids, etc. So I know they’d be watching appropriate programmes.

I’d also make sure she has a phone on her - or the iPad accessing iMessages if she doesn’t have an actual phone - and probably check on her a couple of times from the appointment- when I’ve arrived and just before I leave. And so she knows she can get me in an emergency if needed.

When you’re poorly 3 hours can drag if you’re not occupied watching crap TV. When I’m ill during the night I don’t put telly on the the night seems to last forever. But I’ll during the day and it speeds by with telly.

She's got a tummy bug she hasn't done anything wrong so why stop screen time , let her relax.

I pity some of your poor kids. Imagine feeling rough and not even having the pleasure of something to take your mind off the misery of it. My mum used to pamper us when we were poorly, it’s one of my best memories of her, nothing was too much trouble, she’d tempt us with whatever we fancied if we had a reduced appetite and we’d be allowed on the sofa with a blanket and the tv on all day. Yes I milked it on the odd occasion to have a day extra but she soon sussed it and I’d be back at school the next day. Never did us any harm and I’ve definitely not been a shirker in life. Cut the kid some slack and let her have the odd duvet day I say

From what you’ve said OP I would have sent her to school. Loose bowels without other symptoms isn’t a reason for avoiding school. Definitely no devices today, not as a punishment but so that staying home is a bit unattractive compared to being out.

When we were kids mum always told us if we were well enough to watch the TV we were well enough to be at school

But the OPs daughter had the runs.
As schools hate letting their pupils use the toilets the poor girl would have likely shat herself.
How humiliating for her.

I'd let her watch tv for the time you're at your appointment and I'd encourage her to get her homework all done or sleep/read in bed the rest of the time depending on how she's feeling in herself.

I’d give her some Imodium and send her in. If I’d kept 20 year old my lactose intolerant dd off school every time she had the runs, she’d still be learning her three times tables.