Why do people take their obviously sick kids to classes/practices?

[kristavws]

This is a bit of a rant. I am walking to my car with my son after his soccer practice, when I overhear a woman say, "No, we need to get you home, you are sick." Hello????!!!! If your child is sick they should not be at practice, they should be at home :banghead:

 

There are some things that should not be shared with others. That is all.

 

Krista

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

:iagree:

[Impish]

Why?

 

Cause they're dinks. Thats the only answer I've come up with. Forget everyone else, why would a parent want to do anything but tuck their sick kiddo into bed?

 

Don't get me wrong, I've been at the pharmacy, w/sick kidlet because there was no other option. But an extra curricular? No excuse, unless the kid went from fine to sick while there (and yeah, I've had that happen too. Kid's fine, bouncing off the walls, 10 minutes later, burning up).

[Ravin]

Because their priorities are skewed. Maybe they feel wasting money on lessons/activities paid for and not attended is worse than taking a kid to an activity with a cold.

 

Though if the kid is well enough to have any kind of enthusiasm for soccer practice and then want to go do something else, they're probably not all THAT sick, kwim?

[newbie]

Why?

 

Cause they're dinks. Thats the only answer I've come up with. Forget everyone else, why would a parent want to do anything but tuck their sick kiddo into bed?

 

Don't get me wrong, I've been at the pharmacy, w/sick kidlet because there was no other option. But an extra curricular? No excuse, unless the kid went from fine to sick while there (and yeah, I've had that happen too. Kid's fine, bouncing off the walls, 10 minutes later, burning up).

 

 

 

 

You are so right.

[justamouse]

I'm right there with you. Around here people have been letting their kids all over with lice. Fun, no?

[GWOB]

I am in no way a germophobe or Hypochondriac, but this really bugs me as well. I was at a gathering where a mom left to bring her sick kid to the ER, got said kid diagnosed with WALKING PNEUMONIA, and came back to the event with sick kid in tow! I've seen kids puking at events, kids with strep, obviously ill kids hanging out with other kids, etc. Look, I live out in the country. I feel very isolated here. Bringing my kids to PE/sports practice/field trips/library story time is a chance for ME to get out and talk to other adults. I know it stinks that I have to miss my adult conversations due to a sick kid, but OMG!!! I'm not going to share my kid's cooties with everyone else. I'm not going to force my obviously sick kid to participate in any event just so I can get out of the house.

 

:rant:

 

Now let's see how long it takes before this gets listed in the "What WTM posts bug you" thread.:lol::tongue_smilie:

[Gwenhwyfar]

This is a bit of a rant. I am walking to my car with my son after his soccer practice, when I overhear a woman say, "No, we need to get you home, you are sick." Hello????!!!! If your child is sick they should not be at practice, they should be at home :banghead:

 

There are some things that should not be shared with others. That is all.

 

Krista

 

maybe he GOT sick at practice? hard to tell with the way that sounds...

[Jen in PA]

I'm right there with you. Around here people have been letting their kids all over with lice. Fun, no?

 

:scared:

[Mommyfaithe]

because they are morons....selfish...stupid ...morons.

Can you tell this really irks me?

[kristavws]

 

Now let's see how long it takes before this gets listed in the "What WTM posts bug you" thread.:lol::tongue_smilie:

 

 

I thought about this before I posted the thread, but the need to vent was too great :D

 

Krista

[LauraGB]

Why?

 

Cause they're dinks.

:lol: Way to tell it like it is, Impish! :lol:

 

(and I agree with you!)

[WarriorMama]

I agree...this bugs me too. I HATE to see sick little kids at activities who are touching everybody and spreading their germs, not to mention miserable and not very fun to have around, poor kids.

 

On the other hand, I often wonder if people think I'M that obnoxious parent who drags her sick kid to activities, because my daughter has environmental allergies that manifest as coughing fits and sometimes sound horrible. She's not SICK or contagious, and she feels fine (well, as fine as someone with allergies feels...), but it sounds like she is. If I kept her out every time she had a cough, we'd be out of activities from thaw until freeze.

 

Anyhow, I agree...I just hope people aren't glaring daggers at my back at all our activities. ;)

[jplain]

Drives me batty. :glare:

 

Last year I drove younger DD to preschool on the day of her Valentine's Day party, and then I turned around and took her straight home. She was so confused and disappointed! But I couldn't leave her there. One of her classmates was obviously sick; he was flushed and glassy-eyed and barely able to stand up, and he had a productive cough that wouldn't stop. But he just HAD to be there for the party! He'd have been SO bummed out to miss it! Neither the mom nor the teachers thought his being there was a problem, despite the clearly worded sick kid policy in the parent handbook. Grrrrr.

[Mrs Mungo]

because they are morons....selfish...stupid ...morons.

Can you tell this really irks me?

 

:iagree:

 

I will concede that it is different if the kids are in school and/or the parents work, but I see an awful lot of it among homeschoolers, at soccer practice, at church, etc.

 

I have one friend who will tell you that she and her kids are at church, no matter what unless there is vomiting involved. That means *I* have to stay home with my non-sick kids when I know there is something going around because I don't want my son getting sick. People at church *know* that he has a lung disorder.

[Murmer]

Because sick is relative...My children have runny noses and coughs almost all year long, some is allergies and some is probably a cold but if I tried to keep them home they would cause disaster of epic proportions because they are not sick enough to rest in any sense of the word (Movies and she still wouldn't sit down to watch them and this was after a major asthma attack from a killer cold).

On the other hand it is scary to have sick kids around mine because your (general) cold is a potential ER visit for my asthmatic/major respiratory kid. So I get both sides basically it is a parenting call as to what is too sick of course hopefully they would get the idea that strep, high fevers, chills, ect would equal leave them home.

I will also say that I have had doctors that tell me not to limit my children when they have been seen for a cold. The day before my dd's major asthma attack she was at the doctor who said she was fine except for an ear infection and then the next day we are getting steriods...she basically went from fine to not overnight. And my son was released from the hospital with RSV and given permission to go right back to daycare (hello still contagious) I was shocked to see that. So its all relative.

[kalanamak]

T "No, we need to get you home, you are sick."

 

If my son has claimed he has a headache to get out of something, and then substitutes it with a trip, say, to Micheal's, I might well say "If you are too sick to X, you are too sick to Y".

[kristavws]

 

I will concede that it is different if the kids are in school and/or the parents work, but I see an awful lot of it among homeschoolers, at soccer practice, at church, etc.

 

This is actually a homeschool-only league, so all of the kids are homeschoolers!

 

Krista

[Tree House Academy]

I don't know...last year when my younger ds was playing soccer, a mom brought her son with a 104 fever to a game. Didn't want him to miss it, you know. That was the year when Swine Flu was rampant and everyone was freaking out. She just casually sat down and started telling all the other moms how her son was running a high fever last night, but she gave him some motrin this morning - even though it had worn off and the fever was 104 just before they left to come to the game! We actually got up and left...pulled my son out of the game and LEFT!

[Snickerdoodle]

It doesn't bother me.

[Firestar Academy]

my 'sick' rules:

 

fever - stay home for 24 hours - no questions

disgusting nose issues - stay home

coughing stuff up - stay home

regular, run-of-the-mill runny nose could be allergies - we go

dry cough - we go

achiness - stay home (That tells me feverish)

 

robin in NJ

[gaillardia]

I've heard this: "Oh, he's okay. He's been on antibiotics since yesterday."

And when I look at him, he looks flushed (fever) and has green snot coming out of his nose and when he coughs he sounds like he has pleurisy/pneumonia/bronchitis/whooping cough, etc.

"Mom I don't feel good."

Sorry, I don't buy that crud of "on antibiotics for 24 hours, germ free!"

[Firestar Academy]

I've heard this: "Oh, he's okay. He's been on antibiotics since yesterday."

And when I look at him, he looks flushed (fever) and has green snot coming out of his nose and when he coughs he sounds like he has pleurisy/pneumonia/bronchitis/whooping cough, etc.

"Mom I don't feel good."

Sorry, I don't buy that crud of "on antibiotics for 24 hours, germ free!"

:iagree:

[Catwoman]

I hate it when people bring their sick kids to activities. I also hate it when a mom brings 3 of her 5 kids with her and announces that the other two are at home with the flu. :glare:

 

My feeling is that, if your child is ill, he should be at home for his own well-being as much as for that of other people. If one of your children has a contagious illness, but your other kids "haven't gotten it yet," there's still a strong possibility that they (and you, too, Mom) are already contagious, and can get other kids at a group activity sick before they start showing signs of the illness. Stay home. Keep all of your kids home. We don't want to catch whatever you've got. It really, truly won't kill you to miss a homeschool group meeting or field trip.

 

And yes, I understand that people who seem perfectly fine may have a high fever in an hour, and being around them can make my family ill, but it's different when a person knowingly exposes others to illness, like bringing sick children out in public. It's like they're telling me that as long as they are sick, who really cares if everyone else gets sick, too.

 

Once it's flu season, we cut back on our activities quite a bit -- and it's mainly because of a few inconsiderate moms who can't stand the thought of missing a single homeschool group activity. :glare:

 

Cat

[Gwenhwyfar]

If one of your children has a contagious illness, but your other kids "haven't gotten it yet," there's still a strong possibility that they (and you, too, Mom) are already contagious, and can get other kids at a group activity sick before they start showing signs of the illness. Stay home. Keep all of your kids home.

 

 

...how does that work though? sometimes everyone gets sick - sometimes they don't.

 

i had a cold recently - lasted almost 2 weeks. neither kid caught it from me.. should i have kept them from everything for the whole time 'just in case' they caught it?

 

i'm just saying that 'everyone stay home' doesn't always work out in life.

[Catwoman]

i had a cold recently - lasted almost 2 weeks. neither kid caught it from me.. should i have kept them from everything for the whole time 'just in case' they caught it?

 

i'm just saying that 'everyone stay home' doesn't always work out in life.

 

I think it's a little different when a mom has a cold than when fevers and/or vomiting are involved, or when one of the kids has a bad cold.

 

An adult can be more careful about not spreading germs to others, but if one of the kids has an awful cold, those germs are flying everywhere (certainly not intentionally!) and the other children will be exposed to them if they're near each other or playing with the same toys.

 

I do think, however, that if the mom has a really dreadful cold with lots of coughing, sneezing, and nose-blowing, that staying home from group activities is the best choice. It may not be the most convenient option, but it can help keep others healthy.

 

Cat

[Mom-ninja.]

I hate it when people bring their sick kids to activities. I also hate it when a mom brings 3 of her 5 kids with her and announces that the other two are at home with the flu. :glare:

 

 

 

 

This bugs me too. Happened this evening at karate. Mom comes in with 2 of 3 daughters. Tells me that her 3rd dd was up all night with a fever, and one of the dds at karate also had a low temp lat night. The dd at karate woke up fever free so she was at karate. The other dd went to the Dr. and has strep.

 

So one dd has strep and you bring the other kids to karate? :glare:

[Sparkle]

This is my big pet peeve too. And it seems like I know sooo many people who do this. I don't care as long if it's a mild cold, but fever, throwing up, major coughing? Stay home!

[Snowfall]

That really bothers me, too. I have two sisters like that. Luckily I don't live near them. (Actually, I'd like to live near them, but that particular aspect of it would be annoying. lol)

[GWOB]

I hate it when people bring their sick kids to activities. I also hate it when a mom brings 3 of her 5 kids with her and announces that the other two are at home with the flu. :glare:

 

My feeling is that, if your child is ill, he should be at home for his own well-being as much as for that of other people. If one of your children has a contagious illness, but your other kids "haven't gotten it yet," there's still a strong possibility that they (and you, too, Mom) are already contagious, and can get other kids at a group activity sick before they start showing signs of the illness. Stay home. Keep all of your kids home. We don't want to catch whatever you've got. It really, truly won't kill you to miss a homeschool group meeting or field trip.

 

And yes, I understand that people who seem perfectly fine may have a high fever in an hour, and being around them can make my family ill, but it's different when a person knowingly exposes others to illness, like bringing sick children out in public. It's like they're telling me that as long as they are sick, who really cares if everyone else gets sick, too.

 

Once it's flu season, we cut back on our activities quite a bit -- and it's mainly because of a few inconsiderate moms who can't stand the thought of missing a single homeschool group activity. :glare:

 

Cat

 

:iagree: For real.

[justamouse]

:scared:

 

Don't I know it.

 

I hate it when people bring their sick kids to activities. I also hate it when a mom brings 3 of her 5 kids with her and announces that the other two are at home with the flu. :glare:

 

My feeling is that, if your child is ill, he should be at home for his own well-being as much as for that of other people. If one of your children has a contagious illness, but your other kids "haven't gotten it yet," there's still a strong possibility that they (and you, too, Mom) are already contagious, and can get other kids at a group activity sick before they start showing signs of the illness. Stay home. Keep all of your kids home. We don't want to catch whatever you've got. It really, truly won't kill you to miss a homeschool group meeting or field trip.

 

And yes, I understand that people who seem perfectly fine may have a high fever in an hour, and being around them can make my family ill, but it's different when a person knowingly exposes others to illness, like bringing sick children out in public. It's like they're telling me that as long as they are sick, who really cares if everyone else gets sick, too.

 

Once it's flu season, we cut back on our activities quite a bit -- and it's mainly because of a few inconsiderate moms who can't stand the thought of missing a single homeschool group activity. :glare:

 

Cat

 

:iagree:

 

Look, I know I have 7 kids andI know what it going to roll though us all and those are the consequences of me having this many kids. When we we had the flu three years ago we were out of commission for 6 weeks. It was like we got done and it was spring. But that's the reality for our family and I refuse to 1. drag my poor kids out while they're sick-I mean, I know how I feel when I'm sick, but they have to be hauled all over kingdom come? 2. And I'm not passing it on if I can help it.

[TX Bluebonnet]

This bugs me too. Happened this evening at karate. Mom comes in with 2 of 3 daughters. Tells me that her 3rd dd was up all night with a fever, and one of the dds at karate also had a low temp lat night. The dd at karate woke up fever free so she was at karate. The other dd went to the Dr. and has strep.

 

So one dd has strep and you bring the other kids to karate? :glare:

 

I would have asked for her address so I could send her the doctor's bill when my dc ended up sick.

[silliness7]

This bugs me too. Happened this evening at karate. Mom comes in with 2 of 3 daughters. Tells me that her 3rd dd was up all night with a fever, and one of the dds at karate also had a low temp lat night. The dd at karate woke up fever free so she was at karate. The other dd went to the Dr. and has strep.

 

So one dd has strep and you bring the other kids to karate? :glare:

 

My husband got strep last winter. So there's 8 more of us to get it, right? Nope. Only child #3 got it. I don't keep healthy people at home. Do we make health care workers stay home because they've been exposed to goodness knows what all day long?

[EmmaNZ]

Ummmmm..........I have to say I don't agree. If a child is well enough to want to do their activity, then in my book they're usually well enough to attend. There are a few obvious exceptions (chicken pox, gastroenteritis come to mind), but a low grade fever in the night, a runny nose, a bit of a cough - these things don't keep us at home generally.

 

Before you all get cross with me (!) - I didn't realise I was causing so much offense to people and maybe I might have to think twice in future.

[Murmer]

Ummmmm..........I have to say I don't agree. If a child is well enough to want to do their activity, then in my book they're usually well enough to attend. There are a few obvious exceptions (chicken pox, gastroenteritis come to mind), but a low grade fever in the night, a runny nose, a bit of a cough - these things don't keep us at home generally.

 

Before you all get cross with me (!) - I didn't realise I was causing so much offense to people and maybe I might have to think twice in future.

 

See this is the hard part I am/was like this too....but now I have 2 kids that when they get sick it usually means a trip to the dr. if not the hospital. My dd only had a cold the next day it was a major asthma attack.

My ds got RSV that landed him in the hospital from friends who went to church and we sat next to them. They just had a "cold" and we ended up in the hospital, they had no way to know that their cold was so dangerous to us.

When I hear others cough ect around my kids I start thinking could they get it, what can I start now so it doesn't end up dangerous. It's no one's fault but it could be really bad especially around immune compromised people. And yet I am the mom that takes my kids out if they are coughing but still running/jumping/playing all over the house. :(

[jplain]

Sure, my kids might feel well enough to be out, but that doesn't mean they won't be giving their virus to every other kid in the group. :glare:

 

If my kids have coughs, from past experience I know that we are all in for a few nights of no one getting any sleep. I wouldn't wish that on any other family. And if they're throwing up, not only are we not getting any sleep and running the washer and dryer constantly, but I also know there's a chance that my husband will end up needing IV rehydration. (For unknown reasons, GI bugs really knock him out.)

 

So we do our best to stay away from people who are sick. And when we are sick, we try to keep our germs to ourselves, even if that means missing out on activities. To me, our ability to do this is one of the perks of homeschooling. We can be flexible and considerate, without missing days of school and without parents missing work.

[Word Nerd]

That really bothers me, too. I have two sisters like that. Luckily I don't live near them. (Actually, I'd like to live near them, but that particular aspect of it would be annoying. lol)

 

One of my sisters brought her whole family to Thanksgiving festivities even though two had a stomach bug. One threw up on the floor after the dinner. We all came down with it within a week. Good times.

Edited October 16, 2010 by WordGirl

[DaffodilDreams]

So the rest of us can have sick kids, too!

[GWOB]

See this is the hard part I am/was like this too....but now I have 2 kids that when they get sick it usually means a trip to the dr. if not the hospital. My dd only had a cold the next day it was a major asthma attack.

My ds got RSV that landed him in the hospital from friends who went to church and we sat next to them. They just had a "cold" and we ended up in the hospital, they had no way to know that their cold was so dangerous to us.

When I hear others cough ect around my kids I start thinking could they get it, what can I start now so it doesn't end up dangerous. It's no one's fault but it could be really bad especially around immune compromised people. And yet I am the mom that takes my kids out if they are coughing but still running/jumping/playing all over the house. :(

 

I used to be very lax about this as well, unless it was something major. However, our current piano teacher has two kids that just do not handle illness well. One has severe environmental allergies and asthma. The other has a history of febrile seizures. I cannot in good conscious expose these types of kids to my own relatively-heathy kids' cooties. Yes, it may be inconvenient to me, but I will take a hit if it means another kid stays healthy. Do unto others and all that.

[EKS]

I think the mentality starts when the kids are in daycare/preschool. Kids get sick so often in that environment that if one were to keep them home every time they got ill, they'd be going about once every 10 days. Only to get sick again.

[pdalley]

I used to be very lax about this as well, unless it was something major. However, our current piano teacher has two kids that just do not handle illness well. One has severe environmental allergies and asthma. The other has a history of febrile seizures. I cannot in good conscious expose these types of kids to my own relatively-heathy kids' cooties. Yes, it may be inconvenient to me, but I will take a hit if it means another kid stays healthy. Do unto others and all that.

:iagree:

 

I have two that are prone to strep and it affects them badly and in ways that are not typical. They don't show typical symptoms either. We have several people in our church that have other auto-immune disorders and I wouldn't dream of exposing them if I even suspect mine might have something. (Or me or DH for that matter) In some ways having two kids that possibly have an autoimmune disorder is more challenging than having three with autism.

 

I also have a dear friend who has developed severe asthma. People think nothing of hugging her - while they have slathered on the perfume - and then she has to run for the inhaler.

 

I don't understand it.