Danestress Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Does your husband? I'm just curious. We are pretty healthy around here and tend not to run fevers (I myself have had two my entire life that I can remember). But we seem to get a lot of colds. If every time the kids or I had a cold, my DH stayed home, I don't think he could function in the working world. I'm curious about how those of you who are firm in your stance that everyone stays home if anyone is sick handle this. Or is that rule just for the non-employed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 You lost me.....Why would your dh stay home if he wasn't sick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 dh (or I - I worked p/t out of the house until a few years ago) would still go to work if we were not showing symptoms but both of us would choose to keep further distance from people. So keep a 6 ft distance, be even more scrupulous about hand washing, and definitely keep away from any pregnant or chronically ill people at work. Some of my work put me in contact with moms & newborn babies and in that case I would move those appts.; I would not risk contact with a vulnerable population if we had a bad infection going through our home, even if I wasn't sick myself. Dh just holes himself up in his office & has an even better excuse to avoid talking to anyone LOL. Depends too what kind of a season we're having. If it's a mild flu season, it's not such a biggie. The year we had SARS was tough. The lactation students I was working with then missed a bunch of their clinical observations as everyone was minimizing contact for a while. ETA - it's much less of an issue with adults because I think they generally tend to be better about hygiene. Kids just are not & kids activities often place them in closer contact than many adult jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 If we're sick and dh is not, he goes to work and works the same as usual because that's what is required of him. If dh himself is sick - depends. If it's major sick, can't get out of bed (ie, he has the flu/etc), then he stays home. Soon as he's up and around again, he goes to work, or if it didn't knock him over(colds, etc) Yes, that often means he goes even when he's "kinda still sick" - because that's what is expected by his employers and he needs to KEEP his job. If people want this to change - sick people not working - then employer expectations need to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My hubby is a school teacher and the only time he stays home is when he is unable to function. Rarely does he miss more than one day of work. He gets most of his viruses FROM his students anyway. I practically strip him down & disinfect him when he gets home. He doesn't stay home if anyone else is sick UNLESS I'm down for the count & the kids have a doctor's appointment. Then he might stay at home to help. That has happened maybe five times in our 15 years of marriage. I remember one of the times was when I had burnt my hand so badly I couldn't pick up our newborn. So it has to be fairly major before he does that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We stay home when someone is sick. I will often keep one child home from scouts if another child is running a fever. I think it is better for all of us. The scout child may be contagious or fighting off the infection. I think about pregnant people, and people with infants that do not want to share our germs. I can't control where my husband goes. He HATES to take sick days. Of course, when his own dad retired, he had something like 3 years in sick time saved, so I guess I know where he gets it. Other than work, he will not go out when he is sick. I think it would be better to just call in sick. I'm starting to actually lose a friendship because I don't want to be around my friend when her kids are sick. She resents my attitude and says, "It is just a runny nose, or a cold". Well, I don't want either of those. We are generally very healthy. My oldest hasn't been sick in over 5 years. My youngest has only been sick twice in her life. My 10 year old was recovering from a cold, and I let her go to summer camp. I did take her to the doctor first, and had a note saying that she was not contagious. Even so, she was run down enough that she caught Swine Flu at camp. She would have been better off if I had made her stay home until she was 100%. I understand that my friend feels trapped because her kids are sick so much, but I have to wonder if they might get better if they had more quiet time to rest at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithHopeLove Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My DH rarely stays home unless he absolutely can't get out of bed or unless I can't -- which is very rare. It is very easy for us (the kids and I) to stay put if someone isn't feeling well. With this H1N1 stuff going around I refuse to take them shopping and usually go at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I'm not sure I understand the question. Have you heard/read of people who stay home with their sick kids because they're afraid that they (the adults) are carrying germs? Or do people stay home with their sick kids because the children need a caregiver? The only reason I stay at home when the kids are sick is because it's illegal to leave them at home alone. (They're only 4 and 7.) But once dh gets home from work and can watch the kids, then I will go out if I am not sick. (if I actually have anywhere to go that doesn't revolve around children...but that's a whole 'nother issue!! :tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 No, dh never takes a day off - especially when *I* am sick. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) Well, we rarely get sick. Since I'm home anyway, I stay home. My husband doesn't work around people (self-employed lawn maintenance man), and he usually goes to work if it's a mild sickness because he doesn't get sick pay or anything like that, and he just gets more behind. If he were really sick, he'd stay home. But, he's been sick fewer than 5 times in the last 11 years. Oh, and my husband never gets sick from the kids. I have caught their cold before (I do lots of kissing, snuggling, etc). So, my husband will go anywhere if the kids are sick. Edited October 23, 2009 by nestof3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 DH still goes to work, but he stays away from people and cleans his hands before touching anything to keep from spreading germs. The kids and I do stay home if someone is sick, because we know first hand how dangerous it can be for carriers to expose an immune compromised person to an illness (our little guy was hospitalized for a week with no immune system markers due to this). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olan719 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Not usually. DH still goes to work when the kids are sick, unless I also am too sick to care for them. However, last month, when they were diagnosed with flu (most likely H1N1), he did stay home for two extra days after the holiday weekend, just to minimize chances of exposure to his coworkers. One of them is pregnant, and we thought it best to stay away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I don't know why he would do that.:confused: The dc and I would stay home, because it was they who were sick (or I, as the case may be), and I took care of them. Why would dh stay home if he were not sick?:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) The only working spouse I know, that routinely takes days off for sick kids, has 2 type 1 diabetic daughters, and a 3rd who is border line. Sick kids in their house can turn into an emergency quick. Once the kids are getting better and they have an idea of what is going on, he returns to work if only mild symptoms remain, but at the start...he is always home. Dh has only taken 2 sick days in the 19 years we have been together, and he was so sick the doctor threatened to hospitalize him if he didn't agree to stay home '3' days. I do know spouses who have called in sick to work to take care of a family with the stomach flu. Especially if the wife (or stay at home partner)has it too, or if she can't do vomit duty. Sometimes 2 parents hands aren't enough. Edited October 23, 2009 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 You lost me.....Why would your dh stay home if he wasn't sick? on another thread, and some took the position that when any member of a family is sick, they are all likely carriers, so everyone should stay home. It just made me wonder whether "everyone" included Dad if he has a job. It seems like sort of an extreme position to me anyway, but I was curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 I don't know why he would do that.:confused: The dc and I would stay home, because it was they who were sick (or I, as the case may be), and I took care of them. Why would dh stay home if he were not sick?:confused: some people seem to think that it's a matter of protecting the health of others to stay home when anyone in the family is sick - because you may well be infectious too. That would be moot if your children are too young to leave - obviously you aren't going to leave a young child. But the position seemed to be that if ANY member of the family is sick (including an older child) all the children and Mom should stay home from all activities "just in case." Obviously that really would slow the spread of disease, though at a pretty severe cost. Anyway, I just wondered whether people who are committed to that have husbands who can arrange to stay home or if there is a special "for profit" exceptions or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Dh does stay home if he is actually sick. He works with immuno-compromised patients. He does not stay home if the rest of us are sick. But he will wear a mask, wash or purell his hands before and after each patient and certainly washes after using the bathroom. He does not go on playdates with children who cannot be expected to always practice good hygiene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 on another thread, and some took the position that when any member of a family is sick, they are all likely carriers, so everyone should stay home. It just made me wonder whether "everyone" included Dad if he has a job. It seems like sort of an extreme position to me anyway, but I was curious. Who took that position? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 This is a total side note... when I was working as a nurse in a hospital, we were not paid for sick time until our THIRD day of sickness. And, we worked three 12s a week. So, if you were sick two days, you lost 2/3 or your pay that week. I went to work sick many a time. What exactly was I supposed to do?? As a side note... a lot of times you are already contagious before showing symptoms. So, even if the WHOLE family stayed home for whoever was sick, you've already exposed a bunch of people prior to that anyways. Good handwashing. It's your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 some people seem to think that it's a matter of protecting the health of others to stay home when anyone in the family is sick - because you may well be infectious too. That would be moot if your children are too young to leave - obviously you aren't going to leave a young child. But the position seemed to be that if ANY member of the family is sick (including an older child) all the children and Mom should stay home from all activities "just in case." Obviously that really would slow the spread of disease, though at a pretty severe cost. Anyway, I just wondered whether people who are committed to that have husbands who can arrange to stay home or if there is a special "for profit" exceptions or something. I think that adults are much less likely to spread illnesses than kids. My son's pediatrician said that kids shed virus in sheets - they just give off more virus than adults naturally. Then you tie in that kids are notorious for touching everything, sticking things in their mouths, etc. If I am sick, I take precautions by sneezing or coughing into a tissur or my elbow, I wash my hands constantly, I don't kiss or cuddle my kids or dh, and I rarely run a fever (haven't since I was 16). Soooo...that said, I think the risk of and adult (at dh's work) catching a cold from a another responsible adult (unless you are just right with them in the car when they sneeze or cough without covering their mouth) is low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheWillFly Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My husband works in a field where he has constant interaction with hundreds of strangers daily. We get exposed to more germs from him going to work that he could possibly expose others to by going. He is diligent about wiping down all surfaces, phones doors etc during the cold/flu season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Short answer: the only reason an adult stays home here because a kid is sick is to care for said sick kid. Which means not just for a cold. Now, we do stay home from certain activities, particularly SCA meetings at the Sewing Room, which is at an older lady's house who has fibromyalgia and several other health problems and catches every bug that comes her way. As a courtesy (since she regularly opens her home to us), we stay away when there's a bug in the family. But the general public at Wal-Mart can just take their chances. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 are firm in your stance that everyone stays home if anyone is sick No, just the sickie and One supervising adult need stay home more. :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 The only time DH stays home is if he's sick or I'm so sick that I need adult care. Maybe it's not the greatest from a public health standpoint, but he doesn't get that much sick leave either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.