I found out recently that my mom, who was VERY critically ill with pneumonia got sick this way. She is a substitute teacher at her church's school. There was a girl in school (pre-school), on the last day she was teaching, who was just starting to become ill. My mom held her, was comforting her and was in very close contact with her for most of the day. There is more than one teacher in a class, so my mom spent most of the day with this one girl. The parents did not come to pick her up until almost the end of the day. There is an 'all-day' preschool there.
The girl's sister was at home very ill with pneumonia }> . My mom did not know she had a sibling at home very ill with flu and pneumonia, until she was told about it, after she was released from the hospital. My mom has asthma, and although she was happy to comfort the little girl for a minor illness, would not have been in such close contact with the girl if she had known the circumstances.

I have said before that I keep all my kids out of school, if one of them has a more serious illness, in order to not 'spread the misery around'. I know a lot of parents don't do that, but I wish they would.

Lorraine
btw- all the ICU and ER nurses and drs who treated my mom came to see her when she was released, and told her they were very pleasantly surprised to see her survive- they were certain she had very little hope to do so.

Lorraine

Reach for the heart of God and not just His hands.
Organ donation saves lives!
Life happens when love is given.


http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bradenwild

I hear you lorraine, I kept my kids out of church sunday school before christmas when the flu was rampant around here, because my elderly parents were coming up from fla for early christmas visit.I just didn't "trust" that folks who had family members at home with the flu would stay home, you know what i mean. And i didnt want to risk my kids getting it, they did remain going to school daily til it ended for xmas break, that was just a chance we took there, and luckily no one got it. And im with you, if i knew one of mine had the flu, as serious as it is/was this year,i would have kept all 3 home to wait for them to break with it, as we all know will happen. But with "normal" colds, strept throat, etc, i only keep out the sick one when need be, as these are all going around the classrooms anyway...and seems all the time. In fact we just got done with round of antibiotics for 1 with strept throat, 2 days after he started on them, had to call and get meds for other ds with it too since they share the same bed, and now just yesterday, dd had to come home few hours into school, after being to nurse twice with her stomach hurting..the only sign she ever shows with strept throat, check her throat and she has white yucky on her tonsil area (no tonsils) so she is now on antibiotics...so has she had it for 10-12 days already? since her brother is already done with his 10 days of antiobiotics...??? heck i dont know, but surely couldnt have kept them all out of school waiting to see if they got it. So yea i guess i agree with keeping them all home, depending on the severity of the disease...flu is/was killing alot of people, thank heavens your mother is doing alright..and yea sounds like those folks were just looking for a break and babysitter for the homefront, not thinking of risks to other people..which we need a little more of.
triozoo bb/g 8-7-97

Lorraine, I think you have a point, but I don't think all siblings should always stay home. My boys do not all get the same sicknesses (go figure)every time. There have been many times when one gets something and the others don't. Last month, one of them had the stomach bug, so I kept them all home, figuring that it would go to someone else. No one else got it! Then, last week Andrew got pharyngitis and sinusitis and the doctor said to send the other two, that there was no reason to keep them home. So they went to school M-Th (preschool, they don't go F)and on Saturday the other two got it. I never send them if they seem to be getting sick,but we do have allergies here, so someone is always coughing. It is sometimes hard to tell. I have to really try to figure out what is going on. With all the little things going around this area, they could be out of school all winter! I try to be cautious, because I was a teaacher myself. But I think it is reasonable to send siblings most times, unless they seem to be getting the bug themselves.
Tamra

I replied to this post on the main forum.

Cindy
Happy & Proud Mommy to:
Shannon Alexis 12
Trevor Jack 10
Sierra Brooke 7
Madison Rose 5
Mackenzie Lynn 5
Max Christopher 5

I posted this on the main forum

"There was a girl in school (pre-school), on the last day she was teaching, WHO WAS JUST STARTING TO BECOME ILL."
I never said that all siblings of any sick child should stay home
It is not reasonable, especially in PRESCHOOL to consider our 'competetive society', when sending a child becoming ill with a serious disease (flu that with the complication of pneumonia)

"I have said before that I keep all my kids out of school, if one of them has a more SERIOUS ILLNESS"
The girl who was sent to school, and not picked up until much later after her parents were notified, was showing symptoms of the flu, when she was dropped off at school .
My mom is not upset with the family, but I am. My mom was willing to take a calculated risk and expose herself to the normal/routine kid stuff (she has always been very healthy, besides asthma). She was also willing to comfort the poor little girl whose parents were irresponsible in my opinion. She had no idea, at the time, that the girls sibling was very ill.
I am aware that pneumonia is not a contagious disease per say (although mycoplasmasma, that often induces pneumonia is very contagious) The flu, especially this season is a very serious and contagious illness.
I only have triplets, and no other children, but I do understand very well how taxing it is for the entire family to have a child miss a lot of school. One of my boys has had to 'tough it out' more than any child/adult I have ever known. He has had chronic pain bad enough to see an anesthesiologist that specializes in chronic pain management. It is not only unfair to others, but unfair to the (becoming seriously) ill child to send them to school. They will have a much more difficult recovery, if not allowed to rest and recover properly.


Lorraine

I am very well aware of how normal/routine illnesses are spread and what precautions to take against those things. I have NOT said that every family member needs to stay home if someone has a cold or a cough or other minor problems, nor have I said that the child who is sick with minor problems should even stay home (although I am aware that a cold can be very dangerous for some). It is however negligent for a parent to send their child to PRESCHOOL when they are obviously becoming ill, and very likely becoming ill with the flu.

Lorraine

Reach for the heart of God and not just His hands.
Organ donation saves lives!
Life happens when love is given.


http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bradenwild

I am sorry to hear that your mom was so seriously ill. I can only imagine how frightening it was for you & your family to see her that critical. Thankfully she recovered.
I think you make a valid point with more serious illnesses like the flu. I too would be upset with the family for sending a child to school who is begining to show symptoms of an illness when they have another child ill with the flu already.
I have kept one child home from preschool with a cold while the other 2 attended but won't do the same if we have a more serious illness in our family.
As far as how illness spreads, the best thing to do is wash hands OFTEN. You can easily pick up a virus on you hands then when you touch you mouth, nose, or eyes, the virus has a route in to infect you. Of course people sneezing or coughing in your face is another direct source!!!

Shell
Jacob, Daniel & Rebecca 1/7/00

I'm sorry your mom was so sick and glad she's on the road to recovery.

However, I am appalled at the school and the parents. If your mom had to spend all day comforting a sick child (very nice of her to do!), the child shouldn't have been at preschool. The parents should have been called right away and picked up the child. I don't care if the school is an all-day program or not, the child should not be there. The school needs stronger policies on sick children!

I hear the same story happening at elementary schools. Once, a mom couldn't come pick up her sick child because she had a hair appointment! Give me a break. Makes me mad. Having sick kids isn't convenient but parenting isn't a convenience activity!

Sharon
6 year old b/b/b + 10 year old son

Sharon

"I hear the same story happening at elementary schools. Once, a mom couldn't come pick up her sick child because she had a hair appointment! Give me a break. Makes me mad. Having sick kids isn't convenient but parenting isn't a convenience activity!"

}> that is pathetic, that poor kid .

I had planned on taking a kid home from preschool one time for a play date. His mom had a haircut appt, and just couldn't handle taking her kids she said - they were 4 and 9, and only the 4 yr old would have to go with her ! I have always taken my three with me, but anyways... One of my boys was having problems and needed to be taken to a drs appt that afternoon. I tried calling the mom at home-left a message, and I even tried going to the shop she had an appt at, to leave a message there for her to call me- they said her appt was cancelled. She didn't give me a cell phone # either. So I had to ask a babysitter to come home and watch 2 of my kids and him, so that I didn't have to take all 4 to the drs appt and probably not be back in time for her to pick her son up. She showed up 1-1/2 hrs late too, to pick up her son }> at 4:30- preschool ended at 11:45 . She waited until her 9 yr old was finished w/ an after school thing, so she didn't have to come get her son at our house first. She then started to complain how hard it was to manage two kids with diffent activities- hello !!! It was really annoying to me the way she just couldn't do things with her kids and I do it all the time with three. I asked what she did that day and she said "I did some shopping and a few errands". We didn't ask her son over for any more play dates.
I should have known better than to have him over this last time. The first time he came over, his mom dropped him and his sister off (she wasn't invited-she's 9 yrs old, and I had never met her) and said do you mind watching both kids ? I should have remembered "just say NO" I did not enjoy trying to entertain her too- she wasn't the type to help with four 4yr olds. At least I learned my lesson about having kids over- check out the mom really well first

Lorraine

Lorraine

Reach for the heart of God and not just His hands.
Organ donation saves lives!
Life happens when love is given.


http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bradenwild

Geesh, that mom is a terror!LOL Around here playdates usually include the moms too. My guys are almost 5 and playdates after preschool include siblings (usually younger) and the mom for lunch and play. Only when you are good friends with the mom (and the kid)do you have the kids over without the mom. I would never send my 4 yr old over to a friend's house without me, especially without leaving a cell #. Funny how different people have such different comfort zones.

So sad isn't it. I sort of expect other parents to view parenting the way I do. It's not easy with 4 kids but I manage.

I too have learned the hard way about playdates. Some parents truly can't manage two kids and think nothing of dumping their kids here. But I soon learn the "users" and end the playdate thing. We always are "too busy" whatever day the mom needs us.

Just another warning for the weird things people do - always ask for everyone's cell number at birthday parties. As kids get older, parents drop their kids off at the party and ask what time to pick them up. Then, they run!!! At one party my son attended, the parents left to run errands. Unfortunately, their son fell at the ice skating rink and slit his chin open. I wound up in the ER with this scared little boy. Thankfully, he remembered his parents cell number once his shock wore off and they were able to save me from holding his hand while he was stitched up. Now, I insist on cell phone numbers if the parents choose not to stay at the party!

Wonder what the other parents say about us!

Sharon

Lorraine, it's not just siblings. When I was pregnant with my trio, the guy I was training to do my job showed up with rampant pink eye! I mean gross, oozing, nasty pink eye! He said his wife made him come to work so their kids would not get it. Can you beleive??? I walked straight into my boss's office and told him that either John leaves or I would. My boss was furious that this guy would risk infecting our whole staff and sent him home with orders not to return without a dr's note that the infection was over. We spent the rest of the day spraying every surface with Lysol and disinfectant. LOL

My husband was at a meeting recently and he said this guy went around the room shaking hands with everyone then confessed that he was terribly sick and probably had the flu. This is exactly why I carry antibacterial sanitizer in my purse and use it on everyone after any outing. Some people are so thoughtless.