I'm too ill to take DD to school and now DH is unwell too -- can we just keep DD home for a day or two?

[SongsOfSongs]

I have COVID or the flu or something and I have been absolutely floored with fever, congestion, racing heart, etc. since Friday. I've camped out in the bedroom all weekend while DH took care of the children. Now, he says he's got it too. For me, it came on very strongly, so I worry that by the morning he is going to be very unwell. If he is, can we just keep DD home for the day? She's in Y5.

Ideas I've considered that won't work: We live a bit far from the school so no other families near us that I know of. No good enough friends that I would ask this of them either. It's tube + walking and I don't feel comfortable sending her on her own. I have an older DD but their schools are in opposite directions, so she couldn't make the primary drop and then get to her school in time and would get detention. Don't think I'd feel comfortable sending her in a taxi. Is there anything else I'm missing? Hopefully it'd just be a day - maybe two - before I was well enough to take her.

Never had one of us become ill before the other was better before!

We're actually very good about isolating at home (despite the fact that DH still caught it), but I appreciate you pointing this out. I've been isolating in the bedroom and wear a FFP2 mask when I have to come out. That usually works pretty well for us, but despite sleeping in the living room, DH was still sharing my bathroom, which was probably the issue.

Not specifically directed at you, OP but just thinking about these types of scenarios generally, I'm really angry to see the huge increase in parental stress/uncertainty around trusting their own judgement around attendance - although I completely understand why parents feel this level of angst due to the ridiculous sanctions doled out.

I wish schools would be more honest and admit that one, or even two days, at home for a child who has excellent attendance normally is not an issue.
The UK education system has become so autocratic and caught up with the idea that all its problems - including poor academic performance and behavioural issues - can somehow be fixed by draconian rules around attendance. This ignores all the wider social and economic problems feeding into poor educational outcomes and removes the ability of parents to make decisions based on their own family's needs - often forcing sick children into school when it's clearly not in the child's or their classmate's interests.

Hope you're all feeling better soon, OP💐

Agreed

And I bet you couldn’t have written a word on mumsnet let alone a long post .

That is true, I definitely didn’t watch any TV (I didn’t have internet on my phone back then for doom scrolling)

When I was in intensive care with sepsis i could write a long message on my phone. Couldn’t take my kids to school though.

Would you agree if OP had measles? Or chickenpox?

What would you advise then?

I thought teachers were not allowed to be alone with a child so how could one drop her home ?

OP doesn’t have sepsis and isn’t in hospital. It’s not the same . Unless you’re in hospital or incapacitated for example with the flu then I believe parents should make every effort to get their kids to school.

Well she said she was incapacitated. And her child went to school, so every effort was made. So no issue, is there?

Kid should not stay home & miss education because a parent has chicken pox or measles

Uh huh. I meant about suggesting OP pull her socks up and take her on the train or a taxi. Would you still advise she do that?

If you’re incapacitated with flu then you’re not even reading mumsnet let alone posting or putting on masks and wondering round house

The child went to school. Not sure what you’re still arguing about.

Sorry, that was to @MissApplejack

Would advise living catchment area / walking distance of school or having a plan for how kid gets to school if parent “incapacitated”

Couldn't you call a taxi to take both kids to school, dropping the younger one first then the older one, that will reduce the time the older one would be late, and they may even arrive on time. Also ring the elders ones school and explain they maybe a few minutes late

That's completely irrelevant in this situation, so thanks for your input.

I'll take your answer for 'no i wouldn't advise her to do the school run and therefore my earlier posts are invalid'.

Whether children should miss their education because their parent is feeling a bit poorly.? I guess you think it’s acceptable

One bloody day of primary school won't affect her life chances

It’s not irrelevant. It is actually the whole entire point.

It really isn't. How can OP change that in one day? Are you saying she should've rung up the nearest school this morning and registered her daughter as a pupil? Is that what you're saying?

Or are you suggesting she gets a time machine?

You’re missing the point

Hmm - not sure it's that black and white in terms of what people can and can't do with various illnesses. There's a difference between writing a post on your phone while comfortable and dosed up with painkillers in bed and being up and dressed, organizing a child and taking public transport too and from school. Let's not pretend these two things are comparable.

Neither is the type of illness always indicative of how bad you actually feel - I found out I had acute pancreatitis through a blood test, I should have been in agony according to my GP yet had felt much worse with bad colds and was carrying on with all my usual responsibilities.

Just as an aside, and I'm not doubting the OP was incapacitated at all, but Flu doesn't always incapacitate - you can even be asymptomatic. It's still flu and the famous '20 quid on the floor' rule to determine whether you have it is completely baseless.

You are still missing the point to the point of absurdity