Fever but otherwise ok - send to school?

[badbunnysadbunny]

Hi,

My child has just started reception last week. Today when helping him get dressed I noticed he felt hot to touch , took his temperature a few times and it was consistently 38.3. Thermometer is fine as I checked my temp and was normal.

He ate his breakfast and is acting normally.

Do I just send him in anyway? I don’t know the threshold for attendance and I know he will be ill a lot this coming winter . Have given calpol . I’d be at home today anyway with his baby sister so I don’t have to consider work arrangements

No

Send him. Keep him at home when he is actually ill, otherwise you will have attendance on you. The school will soon ring you if there’s a problem

No, he needs to be off school with a fever. He can go back when his temperature is normal again if he feels well enough.

oh right - spread those germs!

I would be concerned for my child rather than their attendance record - the breakfast might be coming up shortly

No don’t send him

Absolutely not - fevers turn into sickness very quickly!

i look at three things, are they 1, not themselves/crying, 2, not eating and 3 high temperature .
they would have to have at least two out of three to be off school.

Hope you’ve not sent him!

I did this once with my youngest, very slight temperature that from previous experience could have gone either way. 3 hours later I was at A&E as it had gone up to 40+, she went downhill incredibly quickly. Now they stay home.

I am ex teacher and have 3 kids, now all older teens.

I began with quite a tough attitude, go in unless you are really ill.
If I was doing it again, I would keep them at home more often. Just because it is so miserable being in school ill.

Depends on the child. Is getting a fever unusual for him?

DD1 gets raised temps easily (to the point Drs ended up doing a batch of tests to make sure it wasn’t something hidden) so for her 38.3 with no other symptoms wouldn’t make me concerned. whereas if DD2 or DS1 has a noticeable fever they were likely to be really unwell in a short space of time.