I have been missing in action for about two weeks now (not sure anyone noticed). Why, you ask, because I was sick. I had the flu for a few days and now my body is having a hard time recovering. I am still not 100% but I am feeling better. I can stay woke, I can make it through the day without being medicated, I'm not coughing up my lungs and I can breathe. So what does my sickness have to do with anything? EVERYTHING! I am a kindergarten teacher. So I am 100% sure that I received my overly friendly and lovable germs from one of my unsuspecting and uninformed students that was infected with an illness. (Disclaimer) In no way am I blaming the student. Actually I'm not blaming anyone. I just think we can and should do better.
For starters, parents, please stop sending your little ones to school sick. Personally, I felt horrible and I'm an adult. I cant imagine a young child feeling like I felt and don't have the option to rest or sleep. I made a choice to go to work but students depend on parents to make choices for them. Unfortunately, I'm noticing that in general, we are failing our students when it comes to deciding if they should stay home because of an illness. With that in mind, I have come up with some suggestions to take into consideration before you send a sick child to school.
1. Can the child participate in the normal day activities? If not then you may need to monitor them at home and send them once they are ready to participate again. Normal activities include things such as classwork, walking down the hall, talking,and eating lunch (basic things that students do when in school).
2. Do they know how to take care of their self? Remember they will not be at home therefore they need to blow and wipe their nose on their own and make it to the restroom on time. Help them prevent the spread of germs as well as possibly have an embarrassing moment.
3.Do they have a fever, stomach ache etc? I'm not a doctor but please don't cover up their illness with temporary fixes like medication. This happens often and it wears off before school is out. The end result is that the teacher will be contacting you soon anyway. Plus, imagine being in a noisy environment and all you want to do is sleep. 😥
Other factors to take into consideration
4.Please be courteous of all the other children and the teachers in the school. Some people are older or may be sickly. Sending an ill child to school could cause great harm to other individuals.
5. As a courtesy to the teacher and the school please let them know when your child is ill. Teachers will take proper precautions and have the room properly cleaned to try to prevent the illness from spreading. I have had several children out and one parent finally emailed me that their child had the flu.
How can parents help prevent the spread of germs in school?
As a parent I get it and as a teacher I get it but, it is not okay. Think of the chain reaction that is created when you decide to send one child to school that has an illness that can be spread from one student to the other or even the teacher. Now, instead of one student being absent and needing to make up a few days of work; there are several students absent that need to make up several days of work. The worse case scenario is that the teacher gets sick, calls out and now the whole class is missing several days of instruction.
We cant stop the spread of germs but we can try to prevent them. Lets try to prevent these scenarios. Here are some suggestions:
1. Teach children how and when to wash their hands.
Hands should be washed before preparing or eating food.
Before or after touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
After using the restroom.
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
When your hands are soiled.
Watch the video by CDC with instructions on the proper way to wash
your hands.
2. Teach your child germ etiquette.
What does that mean? Teach them to properly cover their cough or sneeze to prevent the spread of germs. Teach them how to properly blow their nose and discard the tissue paper. Also remind them to wash their hands after this process. Children should also be aware that when other children are sick (runny nose, coughing etc) they should be mindful of boundaries and keep their distance.
Watch the video on the proper techniques to use when sneezing or coughing.
or try Epic - The unlimited digital library to teach your child about personal hygiene. Try it now for free!
3. Donate germ supplies to the classroom.
This includes items such as hand sanitizer, tissues and bacterial wipes. Many teachers run out of these supplies early in the school year. However, students still need these supplies to help with preventing the spread of germs in the classroom.
Sometimes parents they just need a little extra love and some rest. 🥰
For additional information on when you should keep your child home from school, CLICK HERE.
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