AIBU to keep DD off school to avoid virus?

[Thirteencats]

There's a very nasty and seemingly contagious vomiting bug going round DD's school. 6 kids were sent home from just one year group today. DD says there were 20 kids missing from her after school activity today - all juniors.

One kid in DD's class had to go to hospital earlier in the week when they couldn't get his temperature down. Other mums in our school year chat group are saying they've never seen their children this poorly before.

I'm wondering about keeping DD home for rest of the week to avoid her getting ill. Especially as its half term next week and we have commitments this weekend that would let people down if we had to back out suddenly. But those things are minor really, the main thing is that this illness sounds horrible and is spreading very quickly and I'd rather DD avoid it.

AIBU to consider it?

We normally are very strict with attendance and DD had 100% attendance last year. Just trying to weigh up risks and benefits.

She's 9 and DH works from home so childcare wouldn't be an issue

Me too. Absolutely 👍

For a vomiting bug that has hit that hard, yes. I have once before. By the time I decided to the class teacher was off as were half the staff with other classes being combined to watch films supervised by teaching assistants. I decided she would either have a few days off vomiting or a few days off not vomiting and sparing the rest of the family. My children usually have very high attendance, but in that situation it seemed silly not to protect everyone. The school was deep cleaned twice and the absence rate was so high it made the local paper. I do not regret it.

We had this happen.
Whole year group infected cos one very selfish parent sent in their child to school on the Monday- who had been projectile vomiting on the Sunday ( all up the bedroom walls , apparently) but he was ‘ fine ‘ for school on the Monday.
Turns out my child caught it, just in time for his birthday and birthday party..
I was livid.

Tbh she could have already caught it so whats the point?

Yes I would, especially as it’s straight before the school holidays.

TBH it sounds like any regular D&V bug. They whip around primary schools and nurseries like anything (feral beasts that they are!).
Like others have said, it's likely she's been exposed already. I would always have sent mine in because I didn't have the annual leave.
My older son is mid 20s now, but for my younger son I distanced myself (hid) from a few Mums who almost relished in sharing their D&V stories on social media. If the kids got it, I dealt with it, but I didn't need all the anxious anticipation. I'm glad class whatsapps weren't invented when he was at primary

Ds was literally sat next to a child who vomited everywhere he didn't get sick we were all expecting him too but he was ok

I clicked on the thread ready to say YABU but actually, I would definitely consider it in these circumstances. Sounds horrendous!
Already being exposed is neither here nor there, is it? If she's going to be sick, she'll be sick whether she goes to school or not BUT if she isn't going to be unwell you've prevented further exposure.

I'd probably lie and say she's "pale and clammy and lethargic" so they assume she's coming down with it too but if anyone questions you later you can say she spent the morning sleeping it off and recovered quickly so it must have been something else entirely! How strange!

@IstillloveKingThistle its so bloody annoying

This is madness. For one, she’s likely already been exposed but also children will be exposed to illnesses all through school. If you keep removing them from situations, they’ll never build up any immunity.
I have 4 children. It was part and parcel of life that one might get an illness and the others might catch it. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t.
I remember an awful night where three of mine came down with the vomiting big their sibling had had earlier in the week. DH was on a nightshift and they were vomiting all over the place AND my washing machine had brok en! Trying to clean vomit covered bedclothes in a bath is no fun!
My point is, children mix with children. If you have a big family, you don’t send the other children to another house when there’s a risk of catching an illness, you get on with it. As such, as a family we are very rarely ill these days.
My husband was one of 8 children, imagine bugs hitting them!

Not necessarily.

A few friends work in offices which (after 2020/1, when funnily enough, like you they had no problems) told staff to wfh if they're ill, to avoid spreading things to those with weak immune systems/undergoing chemo etc. But most of them have kids at school, so doubt the workplace is the main issue!

Id keep her home

I’m in week 3 of that virus. Horrendous. I’d do anything to avoid catching it.

Life happens.

Keeping her off school will do nothing for her future.

A cough / Sore throat may have you change your plans for the weekend amyway

Thanks everyone. We've decided to keep her home. Heard from more mums during the evening and some of the siblings of DD's classmates have got it too. For the sake of missing one proper day of teaching and one fun day of school we are going to lay low and hope to avoid the bug.

She came downstairs this morning in inside-out pyjamas that she had changed into in the middle of the night because she had got all sweaty. So she might be running a slight temperature anyway.

Appreciate those saying to not avoid life and that is our normal approach. I've never kept her off before unless she's full on, needs to be in bed, poorly. It's just that this particular virus sounds very horrible and my school mum friends aren't prone to exaggeration. If they say it's bad, it's bad.

Yabu. Dc get sick. You can't control it.

It can be massively reduced, society just chooses not too.

Norovirus shouldn’t last for 3 weeks. Are you still vomiting?

Little update. Two more girls in DD's class have caught it and are off school. DD hasn't wanted any food yet today and has snoozed on the sofa on and off all morning so I'm not feeling guilty any more. She's clearly fighting something.

Posted too soon. DH messaged. She's been sick.

Ah well, hopefully we'll be getting it out of the way for half term

Aw bless her. Hope she’s better soon. All you can do is a try bit of damage limitation to avoid everyone else in the house getting it, although sadly it’s probably too late. Exactly the same thing happened with DS1 a few years ago. I kept him off to avoid a horrible vomiting bug that was knocking everyone down like skittles and he staggered into the living room and hurled all over the rug.

Be careful what you wish for and all that!

Lol this did make me laugh. I guess all you can do is be glad it's your own rug and not school's carpets! I do feel sorry for the teachers when these things do the rounds.