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

I hope your DD feels better soon @Thirteencats

My youngest DD is half way through secondary school, and she said a few kids in her year group have been off with a vomiting bug over the last week or so.

These bugs are the absolute pits - and they spread like wildfire too.

Hopefully your DD will be better in time to enjoy her holiday from school.

Wanting to avoid someone who is visibly unwell (wrapped in a blanket and green) is not a symptom of anxiety, it's an instinctive response.

Taking your child to school when they are unwell is selfish - nothing to do with valuing education or struggling with childcare. It's always hard when someone is unwell, but taking them to school is NOT the right thing to do. I presume the school kept the sick child away from the other children until a caring adult took them home. I imagine school would have safeguarding concerns if a parents just dumps an ill child on them and leaves.

So in the future your child can sack off work to avoid catching the office bugs before her jollies?

😆 Happy to report DH is very capable of looking after DD whilst working from home. He had lots of practice during covid.

He'll be working from a laptop, joining teams meetings, cleaning up after DD, bringing her drinks, giving cuddles. Doing all the things parents do, and his work colleagues will understand completely.

Also to clarify, I work too but not from home hence DH is looking after her.

Hope everyone feels better soon. What area are you in out of interest.

Lancashire. Is there a similar virus around you?

Erm not as a rule, no.

Unless, like this situation there was a particularly contagious vomiting bug that had already taken out half the people in her office and getting sick would stop her going on a much anticipated holiday. And if she worked in a role that her absence wouldnt cause any detriment to anyone else, then in that case, yes I would be OK with it.

But by that stage she will be old enough to make her own choices anyway

Yanbu. Clearly school aren’t taking steps to keep the children safe and healthy. I miss that time just after Covid when we were allowed to mix but schools actually kept up cleaning standards and made kids wash their hands. The drop in bugs my kids brought home was tremendous.

I had it 6 months ago, wasn't better and wasn't worse. Different strain I imagine.

Presumably you are just trolling, I don't believe anyone is actually stupid enough to believe that.

No way should that father have been allowed to get away with that!

At my children’s old primary, the headteacher would have been down to tell him in no uncertain terms!

That’s a disgusting comment.

Public sector workers work at least as hard as private. With far fewer perks and lower pay.

It’s not narrow minded or judgey to criticise a parent for dropping off a child who is patently unwell. It’s completely irresponsible and disrespectful to that child and everyone else who will come in to contact with them.

First they could infect many other families who need to work to keep a roof over their heads. Or those who are immuno-compromised.

And second it’s a welfare issue when a child who should be at home in bed is abandoned by its parent and put in a public group situation, when the teacher looking after them has the responsibility of looking after twenty plus other pupils too.

There is absolutely no need to be so rude to the op when making your point.

It’s not a logical point anyway because there is equal chance that op’s dd might avoid getting the bug if she isolates herself from now on and hasn’t succumbed to date.

Op, fwiw, given that your dc has a high attendance the rest of the time, I think I probably would consider keeping her off school in these circumstances but I’d also make sure that she doesn’t miss any important work or a load of homework projects given out on the last day or so? In your shoes I would collect any hwk from school and report that she has diplomatic flu!

Hopefully the school will be able to be deep cleaned on the half term break and the virus will burn out?

There is always something around in primary classrooms, though.

I think keeping a child off because they might get ill is unreasonable - I realise she’s already got it which shows it’s a bit futile really; either they get it or they don’t.

Yes, it was all futile anyway.

And normally I would agree and not keep her off just in case she caught something. But this virus has been more contagious than I've seen before and with much worse symptoms.

And the timing factor with us having semi important plans on Sunday and it being half term anyway - so more relaxed teaching tomorrow - made me think as a one off it was worth keeping DD off school.

But alas she has caught it anyway. So it doesn't really matter. Thankfully she's not as bad with it as I feared. Not eating and very tired, can't look at screens or TV without feeling sick. But not throwing up on the hour like some of her friends have been.

Ah sorry to hear this update. Hopefully just a 24 thing with some nausea and no more sickness. Fingers crossed you can still enjoy your plans on Sunday.

She's in school, not Canary Wharf yet, what a ridiculous comment.

and one prepares you for the next. The example you set in one establishes the work ethic for the next.
We will have a country of work shy deadweights in 20 year's time. Everything is optional nowadays.

Imagine going to work and saying you don't want to go in because in case you catch a virus 🤣🤣🤣🤣 school is not optional but sadly many people think it is. Kids need to go to school.

Again DD had 100% attendance last year. This is her first day off school this year and it turns out she is actually sick. She loves school, works hard and gets great reports. She's really not on track to being a workshy deadweight

DH and I have both been in work since we left education and the last time either of us had a sick day was when we had covid.

School and work is really important. But if these are sometimes compromised a bit, on very rare occasions to avoid vomiting for 48 hours, I'm OK with that balance. Also in my experience this kind of virus spreads more amongst schools than workplaces because adults have more personal space than children so I doubt this issue will come up much in DD's working life.

Thank you, I hope so too. She's sleeping now on the sofa with her head on my lap. Hoping she'll sleep a lot of it off

Jesus Christ, do people not understand the difference between norovirus and a cold? Norovirus is wildly contagious, extremely debilitating, and dangerous to the very old and very young. It is entirely reasonable to consider taking your child out of school for TWO DAYS to avoid it, so stop pretending they are the same thing and lecturing the OP about her children growing up to shirk their responsibilities or whatever. You're probably the same people who don't give a f about spreading it to others when it's been around your own house.

Quite. Career preparations are hardly going to crumble over two days leading into half term.
It’s highly likely the next generation will work increased hours , many with the option to work remotely. In her OP the poster intended to do some Reading & learning at home. So a complete non-issue.

You're the fun one right?