What do you do when your child wakes up with a headache, sore throat or stomachache? Should you send him to school or keep him home? It’s challenging, especially when a child’s symptoms are just generalized. Trust your parenting instincts and some general knowledge to make the best choice for your child.
Illness guidelines
Your child can typically attend classes with a mild sore throat, runny nose, cough or congestion. The symptoms should be mild enough that they won’t interfere with learning. A persistent cough or constant sneezing might disrupt the ability of everyone in the classroom to learn. You should think about keeping your child home in those cases.
Here are general guidelines for when to keep your child home:
- Temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Severe sore throat or pain with swallowing
- Severe headache
- Severe cough
- Undiagnosed rash or skin lesions or sores that are weeping or draining
- Any suspected or confirmed contagious disease
Returning to school
Children need time and rest to recover from illnesses, just as adults do. Students can usually return to school once they are fever-free (without medication) and have had no episodes of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours.
Two notable illness exceptions include COVID-19 and influenza. If your child tests positive for either, expect him to be home for at least five days. Kids can return after five days if they meet the fever, diarrhea and vomiting guidelines already mentioned.
Depending on your child’s symptoms, your school may require a doctor’s note to return. Kids experience a lot of viral illnesses that often resolve without any formal treatment. If children are diagnosed with a bacterial infection, such as strep throat or impetigo, they can usually return 24 hours after the start of antibiotics.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Work with your school nurse and child’s health care provider when you have specific questions.
Mental and emotional sick days
Sometimes kids need a mental health day, just like adults do. Children are experiencing anxiety, depression and other emotional challenges at unprecedented rates. If your children struggle with mental health concerns, it’s OK to let them stay home once in a blue moon.
However, don’t let staying home become their preferred coping mechanism. Kids need to learn healthy coping techniques to deal with the stressors of everyday life. Connect with your child’s teacher and counselors to investigate potential contributing factors and identify resources within the school district. Contact your pediatrician or mental health professional to see what other treatment options may be available.
Deciding when to keep your kid home sick from school can be challenging. Trust your gut and make sure you know the school’s policies regarding specific illnesses and symptoms. If you still need clarification, you can always contact your school nurse or pediatrician’s office for personalized guidance.
Joleen Sams lives with her family in Shawnee. She’s a family nurse practitioner who has always loved taking care of kids and their families.
References
- KidsHealth.org, “Is my child too sick to go to school?”
- Johnson County Health Department, “Disease and Symptom Exclusion Recommendations/Regulations 2022”