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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder how much school illness costs

1 reply

Derilon · 13/02/2026 09:35

I don’t mean in terms of supposed future lost wages because a child stayed home with a vomiting bug or something, I mean because e.g. child or teacher attended when clearly contagious impacting other staff, children and parents/siblings. I wonder how much it costs in parental time off, in susceptibility to additional viruses, in encouraging a mindset that contributes to the mounting costs of presenteeism instead of productivity. I’m also talking about less quantifiable costs e.g. not seeing grandparents, studying whilst feeling lousy, the awful rise of children with long covid, the messed up holidays, asthma exacerbations, glue ear, impact on nhs.

OP posts:
DustyGlow · 13/02/2026 17:51

I wonder.
My kids have been quite poorly this year. We usually have 100% attendance but both have had a lot of bugs. We’re pushed to send them in regardless. One was sent in poorly today and sent home at lunch. But they tell us to send them in and they will send home if they don’t perk up.

They’ve probably been much more ill because of other parents like me who feel pressured into sending them in.

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