Going on super cool field trip without a child?

[Janeway]

There is this really neat place in town that is expensive to go to, and I have heard such great things about it that I want to take the kids, but it is too expensive. Now, I found out that today and yesterday and tomorrow, they are having a half price sale AND adults free! Yay! Normally, it would cost us $200 for two adults to take the children, but now it will be $55 if we go today, yesterday, or tomorrow. But tomorrow is half day of school for many districts so I did not want to go tomorrow and face huge crowds. 10 yr old son was kind of sick yesterday but after giving him some tylenol just once in the morning, he seemed fine the rest of the day. Today, he woke up and says he is miserable. He does not even want the TV on as it makes him feel sick. Yesterday, he was wanting to play ipad despite being sick so he seemed only mildly sick with just a little bit of fever. 

I hate to miss out on this, but it feels cruel to take the two younger children and leave middle child home. Would you just go? He seems sick enough today that it seems unlikely that he would be fine tomorrow so just waiting until tomorrow does not seem like a good option. I have no idea when we can go again as I am not willing to pay $200 to go. Plus, husband is on vacation today so this was a family thing.

[TheReader]

For me personally, I wouldn't do it, but that's just me. One, the others could be sick but w/o symptoms yet and you could spread the illness. Two, presumably this place will still be there next year and is likely to run a sale again sometime, hopefully when you can all go. It may mean waiting, yes, but.....for me personally, that's what I'd do.  Unless the 10 yr old has no interest in the place, I'd wait. 

[bibiche]

One parent stays home, other parent takes other kids. Unless there is a loving babysitter that your ten year old feels comfortable with, in which case family goes and sick kid stays home with babysitter.

ETA Personally, I would stay home with my child while the rest of family went and try to go with him at some point in the future. 

Edited December 19, 2019 by bibiche

[JustEm]

I personally wouldn't expose anyone to children that have already been exposed to their sick sibling this close to Christmas. Your other kids may come down with the sickness at any minute or they might not. A few hours of a fun impromptu experience isn't worth it to me to potentially ruin someone else's Christmas.

But that is just my mentality during this time of year, other times of year I'm more likely to risk it. We also tend not to go out much right before Christmas so we don't pick something up. This strategy has kept us healthy on Christmas for the last 11 years.

[katilac]

If it's been mentioned, yes, I would take the other two. 

[SKL]

I would probably take the 2 kids with 1 adult and promise middle that he and other parent can go another time if he cares.

[catz]

Sure I'd take the other kids.  

[Dainty]

I'd rather go with all my kids and face big crowds then leave one home sick and missing out.  If he wasn't better tomorrow, then I wouldn't go but plan for next time.  They'll be a next time. 

[AngieC]

At a minimum I would have 1 parent take the 2 healthy kids.  Whether or not both parents would go and leave the sick child at home alone would depend on the child, how close to home I would be and if I had any relatives/good friends nearby.  With the sick one being 10, I probably wouldn't be comfortable having no one at home with him, but I wouldn't judge another parent for doing differently.

[Farrar]

I'd go. And, for a 10 yo who wasn't in serious danger but just needed to veg out and rest with their germs, I'd leave them alone if they felt okay about it. Certainly, I can say I *did* do that for my kids, but they were used to staying home for a couple hours alone by that age.