Every parent signs a “Sick Child” agreement when they enroll their child at the Garden School, and most other places that care about children. Most of the time, this agreement is not even read, and I know this because so many parents are surprised when we say a child cannot come to school.

We get our list of childhood ailments from the State Department of Health. And for each one of the ailments on the agreement, there is a reason why this particular ailment is not conducive to sending a child to school.
Here’s the list:

A fever of 99 degrees of higher
Vomiting within 24 hours
Diarrhea within 24 hours
Severe Constipation
Stomach ache
Headache
Earache
Ear infection
Profuse drainage from a cold
Any untreated infections
Hacking cough
Any flu
Strep throat
Tonsillitis
Pneumonia
Open wounds
Same day surgery
Teeth extractions
Tooth abscess
Head lice
Crabs
Chicken pox
Mumps
Measles
German Measles
Rubella
Fifth’s Disease
Roseola
Kawasaki’s Disease
Sleep Deprivation.

When a child comes to school with “a little fever” two things are happening: the child is incubating an illness that he or she is going to spread to many other children. Also, the child who is passing his virus, is very vulnerable to any other bug lurking on the surface of toys, drinking fountain, toilet etc. When children do not remain at home and quiet during a “little fever” the “little fever” often becomes a huge and dangerous bug.

It’s the same with vomiting, diarrhea, profuse drainage from a cold, any untreated infections, hacking cough, flu, strep throat, tonsillitis, pneumonia, head lice, crabs, chicken pox, mumps, measles, German measles, rubella, Fifth’s Disease, Roseola, Kawasaki’s Disease or any communicable childhood disease. These can be very dangerous to children, and bringing a child to school with one of these illnesses is a disgrace.

These are all spreadable, contagious illnesses which do not belong brought into a facility with children. Not only is it unfair, it’s against the law. It’s really a matter that must be reported to the health department who could turn over chronic abusers to Child Welfare.

As for severe constipation, stomach ache, headache, earache, and ear infections…really? Parents would actually bring children to school to “play” knowing that their child was in terrible pain? Really? The answer is yes.

And how do we get by with this? We baby pack and shove the kid through the door hoping that the over the counter medication we packed into a child will hold just long enough to make it through the morning…then when the call comes from school, we can postpone picking the child up till snack…Sound awful? It is criminal.

One of the things that is on the list that few parents are concerned with is sleep deprivation. Children need ten to twelve hours of sleep every day. When they are “kept up late” children suffer. Children who are chronically sleep deprived behave as if they are mentally disabled. They can’t learn like other children; they can’t eat like other children because they are just too tired; they can’t run and jump like other kids. They mule around looking for a bed all day and miss most of what the other children are learning.

The guideline for whether a child should come to school is easy: if a child needs over the counter medication, he or she is not feeling well enough to go to school. Check the list. What exactly is the child suffering from? What can you do to keep your child safe, and his friends safe at school. One day? It’s better than five.
For the most part, a child who is kept home on the first day that he or she is ill, that child will probably only be sick one day. Most kids can fight off illnesses easily.

We’ve had an easy winter so far this year, but several nasty bugs have been passed around already. With the see/saw weather we are experiencing, we are waiting for the next round. Please watch your child carefully in the morning. Not a bad idea to “cheek to cheek” during your morning routine. Placing your cheek to your child’s will tell you instantly if your child is running a fever. His cheek on your cheek will be hot.

Wishing you the best this cold and flu season…