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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think parents should keep their vomiting children off school

145 replies

Sweetlifeofyours · 18/11/2025 15:07

Got a phone call off school to say my child has been vomited on by another child. I got a message from the parent apologising (my child and their child are friends) and saying their child was only sick once at 6am and because they felt fine afterwards they didn’t think it was anything serious.

Now is the countdown I guess to see if my DC gets it and (as usual) spreads it around the house. Fuming to be honest! People are selfish. Is it really that hard to keep your child off school for 1/2 days😡

OP posts:
OnlyYellowRoses · 18/11/2025 15:16

Oh god yes! Last thing anyone needs is a house full of winter vomiting bug! If your child is sick, is crap parenting to send them into school!

Breadandbutta · 18/11/2025 15:17

Yanbu. This really gets my goat!! It is SO SO SO incredibly selfish.

ThatHappyBlueCritic · 18/11/2025 15:18

My kid can get hospitalised if they get a vomiting bug so it is totally selfish! I get winter bugs happen but if they have thrown up once keep them off as per school policy!!

Sweetlifeofyours · 18/11/2025 15:19

I’m just hoping DC doesn’t get it but I guess it seems likely. No amount of cleaning I have ever done stops it from spreading. Maybe I could be doing it wrong though! We have a couple of things on in the next couple of weeks too😩

OP posts:
Ilovecakey · 18/11/2025 15:20

I would be furious ans telling the other children they better replace my chikds clothes that were vomited on!

Clearado · 18/11/2025 15:24

What selfish bastards!

My "friend" brought her DC round to see us a couple of days before Christmas one year. Apparently they'd had "food poisoning."

It wasn't food poisoning and we had a very memorable Christmas for all the wrong reasons 🤮💩🤮💩🤮💩

Sweetlifeofyours · 18/11/2025 15:26

Clearado · 18/11/2025 15:24

What selfish bastards!

My "friend" brought her DC round to see us a couple of days before Christmas one year. Apparently they'd had "food poisoning."

It wasn't food poisoning and we had a very memorable Christmas for all the wrong reasons 🤮💩🤮💩🤮💩

Oh no that’s terrible! People are just selfish aren’t they😒

OP posts:
ThejoyofNC · 18/11/2025 15:26

Ilovecakey · 18/11/2025 15:20

I would be furious ans telling the other children they better replace my chikds clothes that were vomited on!

You'd tell a child who had been sent to school with a vomiting bug that they needed to replace your child's clothing?

Sweetlifeofyours · 18/11/2025 15:27

ThejoyofNC · 18/11/2025 15:26

You'd tell a child who had been sent to school with a vomiting bug that they needed to replace your child's clothing?

I’m presuming they meant the child’s parents maybe?

OP posts:
Hotpolishcloth · 18/11/2025 15:33

I would be so angry, the fact I have emetophobia aside, the fact my child could end up with a vomiting bug would infuriate me. Absolute CF's.

WeepingAngelInTheTardis · 18/11/2025 15:37

I would of told them that they were incredibly stupid.

CombatBarbie · 18/11/2025 15:39

If it was the child's 1st vomit.....no issues it happens but to tell you they'd already been sick that morning!!?? Incredulous.

CagneyNYPD1 · 18/11/2025 15:42

Flipping heck. The standard rule AFAIK is child stays off school until 48 hours clear of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Perhaps some schools now say 24 hours.

The only exception to this is if you are absolutely certain that the vomit was car/travel sickness. But even then, only if it’s a regular occurrence and you absolutely know it’s nothing else.

Your poor dc. And poor kid who was ill.

unicornpower · 18/11/2025 16:11

Yeah it’s vile! I get it, it’s hard to lose time at work but my god that poor child must’ve felt awful too, absolutely crap parenting and risking a complete sick bug outbreak. If it’s any consolation, the same thing happened to me at school and I didn’t get the bug- fingers crossed!

Arlanymor · 18/11/2025 16:13

Don't most schools have a policy about not being able to send in a child who has been sick for the next 48 hours? It is selfish at worst and naive at best if there is no policy... poor kid having to go to school and feeling awful because their parent made a stupid decision. Hope your child is ok and doesn't get ill.

Pandasarethebest · 18/11/2025 16:20

My son once vomited on someone at nursery. He had no sign of illness. But I was mortified. Just re-read your post. Yeah if a child is sick once already. Definitely keep them off.

Doone22 · 18/11/2025 16:40

CagneyNYPD1 · 18/11/2025 15:42

Flipping heck. The standard rule AFAIK is child stays off school until 48 hours clear of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Perhaps some schools now say 24 hours.

The only exception to this is if you are absolutely certain that the vomit was car/travel sickness. But even then, only if it’s a regular occurrence and you absolutely know it’s nothing else.

Your poor dc. And poor kid who was ill.

Yes but the rule says vomiting....plural...more than once
Personally I'd be concerned but if no other symptoms why would you think it serious enough to keep a kid off school.
My child has vomited from over exertion. I've been sick from brushing my teeth too long. A single throw up is hardly the plague and no reason to suspect it's anything else other than a weird one off.

Celestialmoods · 18/11/2025 16:45

I can understand pushing the boundaries of the 48 hour rule, but to send your child to school when they have been sick that morning is disrespectful to the staff, other families and is pure selfishness.

Laserwho · 18/11/2025 16:47

It's because schools are so hot on attendance now. If they are in high school most expect kids back straight away. I remember one day I had a child with a fever and sickness and was asked to bring him in after lunch if he felt ok. Blame the government for setting ridiculous attendance targets

Celestialmoods · 18/11/2025 16:49

Doone22 · 18/11/2025 16:40

Yes but the rule says vomiting....plural...more than once
Personally I'd be concerned but if no other symptoms why would you think it serious enough to keep a kid off school.
My child has vomited from over exertion. I've been sick from brushing my teeth too long. A single throw up is hardly the plague and no reason to suspect it's anything else other than a weird one off.

The rule doesn’t mean that vomiting has to happen more than once. You are making that up. Going by your logic, how would the school have to write the rule if they intended it to mean only one case of vomiting?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/11/2025 16:51

Doone22 · 18/11/2025 16:40

Yes but the rule says vomiting....plural...more than once
Personally I'd be concerned but if no other symptoms why would you think it serious enough to keep a kid off school.
My child has vomited from over exertion. I've been sick from brushing my teeth too long. A single throw up is hardly the plague and no reason to suspect it's anything else other than a weird one off.

No. Vomiting is not plural.

If they vomit or have diarrhoea they need to be off school for the 48 hours.

And you can’t “know” it’s not a bug, it’s food poisoning etc

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/11/2025 16:52

Laserwho · 18/11/2025 16:47

It's because schools are so hot on attendance now. If they are in high school most expect kids back straight away. I remember one day I had a child with a fever and sickness and was asked to bring him in after lunch if he felt ok. Blame the government for setting ridiculous attendance targets

High school is different because but that age they are less likely to vomit on each other, and are expected at least (obviously not all heed what they’re told) to be able to understand the basics of hygiene.

Thats also why you don’t have to have 48 hours of work for vomiting.

Laserwho · 18/11/2025 16:54

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/11/2025 16:52

High school is different because but that age they are less likely to vomit on each other, and are expected at least (obviously not all heed what they’re told) to be able to understand the basics of hygiene.

Thats also why you don’t have to have 48 hours of work for vomiting.

The OP didn't state the age of the child.

Lauzg90 · 18/11/2025 17:00

Hmm If they had only been sick once and seemed ok after I would send them in. I have done with my little one in nursery. Mine have been sick once, felt loads better and had no repeat incidents.
I would struggle to keep my job if I had a day off everytime they were a bit under the weather.
Having said that if they still seemed unwell or had another incident I would keep them off.
In answer to your question it can be very hard to keep your kids off for a couple of days.
I have been called to collect mine before and my job has said no as they have no cover! I literally have cried at my desk when I get the call. My point is it isn’t always that easy.

FcukBreastCancer · 18/11/2025 17:32

I once had a colleague at a work day out (jolly) proudly tell me her child had puked over their own the her bed in the night. She sent them to school so not to miss the away day! My opinion of them changed then

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