Monday, April 27, 2009

Please! If Your Child Is Sick, Keep Them Home!

Am I really missing something here? Why do parents send kids to school sick? Moreover, when you call them to come pick them up why do they hem and haw and almost tell you no? Why do they have changed telephone number and don't update them with the school? I am just baffled.

Last week when I went to pick my grandchildren up at daycare (they do not go if they are ill), the caregiver was dealing with a child who had been to see the dentist and had a bad reaction to the anesthesia they were given and the parent dropped them off at the daycare. Hello?? Since when do we leave our children in such a delicate state with daycare?

I questioned why a parent would leave a child so sick. I questioned why the daycare would take on such an enormous responsibility. I questioned an employer who might demand a parent show up at work while their child was suffering from a bad reaction to medication.

Today at school a parent sent their child to school with their nose so compacted with gunk, it was like literally trying to remove cement from its nose. This did not just occur on the way to school and then I found out he has been coming to school this way for weeks! This stuff was green! People, if your child is this sick, seek medical attention. I realize many people don't have jobs or insurance, but find a way to get your child seen by a doctor.

Another child threw up all over a student and its parent did NOT want to come to school and pick them up citing a number of possibilities to why they child may have puked. Excuse me?? This is your child, it is sick, turn the television off and come and pick your child up. Why make the child suffer and expose everyone else?

I realize many times a child may become ill at school. But if your child is puking, if your child has movement in their hair, a temperature of over 100, lethargic, green coagulated snot in their nose, please, keep them home!

First of all, I have a husband right now who is so sick, he missed work today. He didn't even eat dinner with us (soup), he has been in bed all day and nothing seems to be working to make him feel better. Last Thursday oldest grandchild had a fever, I kept her home from school. If you can't stay home and you are sick, wear a mask!

There is widespread concern right now over the Swine flu. If it is as bad as the last bought of Swine flu years ago, it will be ugly. I had it and was sick for days with a high fever. But, I do not buy all the hype the media is putting out there either. If you are susceptable to the flu and have a compromised immune system, wear a mask and do your best to stay away from those that are sick.

Two years ago, our entire family became ill with the flu. My husband put an air mattress in the basement (the large television is there), we kept the fireplace stoked, stocked up on soups, fruits, juices, cold and flu remedies. Did we venture out? No, if we needed something, we had some co-workers we could call, give them a list and they would shop for us, call us when they were at our home, we would leave them cash on the porch and they would leave us our supplies.

Overkill? Hardly! We were sick for almost an entire 2 weeks. My husband and I did not go to work and the kids did not go to school. We literally remained in bed for over 10 days. We hurt so bad all over, no one wanted to move.

While some of us may be exposed without knowing it to the bugs and viruses that go around, once you have it, wear a mask, stay home and try to NOT spread the wealth. This is one lottery prize, I do not want to win!

No comments: