To find it increasingly annoying, that parents send clearly ill children into school

[Howarewealldoing]

As the title states really, why do parents continue to send clearly ill children into school . When they should
A. Be at home resting and recovering
B. Stop spreading their illness on to everyone else
It’s not fair on the child and everyone else , and I find it incredibly selfish

This was my daughter last week. Coughing at night, through the night and in the morning, waking up with a blocked nose every morning - but not a sausage from her during the entire course of the day. No temperature either. She felt fine. I just made sure she got as much sleep as possible despite her cough. If she'd had a temp or continued symptoms I'd have been fine to keep her home but ultimately they'd just had their flu vaccines and I think it was down to that. It would have been daft to keep her home under those circumstances and miss all their Christmas fun.

Teacher here, I have a student who's attendance is appaling. Off for all kinds of things and some times parents cant get him out of bed and in. Other week he was brought in and we were told "he isnt well mind so ring if he cant cope" following week me, TA and half the class all off school with flu. Infuriating

Yep! My youngest son's friend's mum sent her kid to preschool last week despite being sick because "he really wanted to go", so now we've all got this flu thing, 3 of us have spent the weekend in bed, DH and me had to miss a gig we had tickets for last night, the kids had to miss out on a sleepover and we've all missed out on a family birthday lunch for my youngest today. The kids will have to miss school tomorrow and I'll have to phone in sick to work because there's no sign of it shifting any time soon and I wouldn't risk passing it on to anyone else. This is preschool, they're 3 and 4 so it's not about attendance. I'm fuming at the selfishness to be honest, especially so close to Christmas.

BS ive seen a child going through CANCER treatment get letters and threats of fines don't pee on my leg and tell me its raining

Exactly I feel like people are purposely missing the point . That if sick children stayed off school while ill . It well prevent spreading it on to other children / families . It’s selfish

It’s frustrating. My dd has just been off for FOUR weeks constantly unwell.

As soon as they are off we get bombarded about attendance

That’s horrible , I hope she gets better soon .

Is this about this stupid "flu" again? i swear flu REAL FLU is not something you can push through a running nose and a cough does not mean you have to stay at home this latest virus is long lasting im on week three of it if I was a school child would you think three weeks off school is acceptable? Doubtful and neither would the school ds1 is on week two still going you just cant stop your life for it wash your fucking hands and dont lick people you will be fine

Yes finally better now after a second course of antibiotics. It started as strep throat and 10 days of antibiotics hadn’t reduced the fever then she started with a terrible cough and had developed a really bad chest infection so needed as second course but the cough was so bad she barely ate and had got really weak

Most the time letters get sent automatically , It baffles me people are so worried about a letter . If your child is sick your child is sick. Do you really think if the parent disputed it they would lose . Sometimes common sense has to play apart .

My GP surgery sent me a message about mild to moderate flu symptoms because sometimes it IS something you can push through. Sometimes you don't realise you have flu. The whole point of the vaccine is to minimise the risk of catching and reduce the effects of the symptoms if you do.

Stop being a dick.

Just because you’ve never received a letter doesn’t mean others haven’t.

And parents being pressured into sending their sick kids into school doesn’t mean they don’t care or are prioritising school. It means they are being strong armed into it by stupid fucking policies allowing schools to take draconian measures such as overriding parental rights and decisions about whether their children are too unwell for school, which means they are being threatened with fines, parenting orders, and court proceedings.

just wind your neck in and stop being so judgemental

are you jumping on a chat , name calling and swearing. Relax it’s nearly Christmas 🤶 or
did you get a scary letter from the school .

Seconded. We are always getting pass agg notes: "Do not keep kids off with a runny nose or cough as we will send them home if we feel them unwell". It's basically the opposite of nursery.

Yeah, I genuinely know someone who got an attendance letter when their child had cancer. Now, I appreciate it was probably automated but it says something about the culture of schools.

It’s amazing how many people advocate sending children in to school while ill . But some how received letters from school attendance even tho they send children in while ill. So when are they having time off ?
I will always keep my child off if GENUINELY sick
which Is normally only once or twice a year because it’s the right thing to do .
It’s not the teachers job to look after my sick child .
A school can not do anything if your child is GENUINELY sick
most letter are automatically sent. They can come and visit .If they like I just hope they don’t catch it . Strange how so many want to justify sending sick children to school .like they are going to have their children taken from them don’t be a sheep
will end it there
merry Christmas

Just give it a fucking rest at this point OP.

Merry Christmas . Very high on the MERRY SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED IT 💋

DS has asthma so respiratory illnesses often hit him harder than the rest of the family.

A few years back he had a few days off for a cold that became a chest infection. His asthma later flared resulting in a 999 call from school, and being unable to leave the house for a week until the course of steroids took effect.

He then had an emergency surgical issue requiring more time off.
This triggered The Letters. Pretty shitty when you've had the stress of a child with serious health issues requiring two A&E visits in as many months.

Later in the year he had a random sick bug... 48hr rule and all that. Because he'd had a certain level of absence, school would no longer authorise illness without medical evidence. I am not taking a child to the GP for a bit of vomiting. It was marked unauthorised which I didn't realise until the end of the year to challenge it. This does matter in that this can be used to fine families if "unauthorised" absences stack up which can happen easily in children with chronic health problems.

I don't send my children in ill for the sake of it, nor do I keep them off because they sniffed. I look at are they in a state where they can learn. I've often had one child on 100% and the other in the "persistant absence" zone, not helped by illness season being weighted in the first half of the year.

Absence does affect educational outcomes, but the current government strategy and blanket school policies really don't help the situation, and support parents at what is a stressful time in itself. That's on top of workplace pressures. If it's a choice of sending an ailing child in versus legal threats, I can see why parents are unwilling to test the legal threats route.

I feel like you need bullet points.

Parent in reception keeps child off school with a couple of colds.
Parent receives letter and "polite reminder" from school that they should not be off with a cold.
Parent receives another letter when child is off with say scarlet fever or chicken pox or vomiting (inevitable).

Parent realises that next step is a home visit so rations days off for when child is properly ill and not a bit snotty.

Does that help?

I agree, it is selfish.

Parents use the fact that schools are strict about unauthorised absences to make excuses not to comply with authorised absence for illness so that they can go to work, the gym, or get their shopping done in peace.

Are you 14? Your inability to put yourself in anyone else's situation gives those kind of inexperienced vibes.

Good luck when it's your turn to need understanding and support.

This just largely nonsense though.