We’ve all had those mysterious stomach aches that appeared just before going to school. While these were just excuses to skip classes or homework, it is good to know when your child is actually too sick to go to school.
Whereas vomiting and diarrhoea are no-brainers, sometimes it can be a task to tell if the fever or ache is too much for school. The most common causes of missing school are:
Usually, colds aren’t that serious and the child is good to go to school. But if there’s a fever with the cold or persistent coughing, then it’s better to keep them at home.
If there is no other symptom other than the stomach ache, then the kid can be sent to school. It may mean they are constipated. But if stomach aches are accompanied by vomiting, diarrhoea or fever, it means the child is too sick.
If only a part of the eye is red and there’s no pus, then the child can go to school. But if the eye is bright red with pus discharge or half or fully shut, then there’s a high chance that it’s a form of Conjunctivitis. The kid should be kept home until she or he has been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
Sore throats are generally harmless. Unless it’s accompanied by fever, swollen glands or headaches, you can send your child to school. If the other symptoms are present, it might be a case of streptococcal infection. In that case, send your kid back to school after their fever is gone and they have been on the antibiotic for more than 24 hours.
Tips to Keep Sickness at Bay
- Prevent illness by having the children wash their hands often. Make sure they are doing it for long enough.
- If you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, check with the school for contagions.
- Let the teacher/school authority know if your child is on antibiotics so they can look out for side effects such as diarrhoea or nausea.
- Remind your kid to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and tell them that if they can’t grab a tissue, they should cough into the crook of their elbow.