Some parents are nice enough to warn you and let you make the call if they are bringing sick kids to your home and there have been times I said, "It's alright, it's just a cold" but bringing a sick kid over without even mentioning it to me is frustrating. This is not a good time to be sick a few weeks and the kid that came over has been sick for weeks! I'm not thrilled. It's just very bad timing and it would have been nice to be able to take some precautions. :roll:
I'm sorry, I know that's frustrting! I have had that happen to me many times as well. Like you I wouldn't mind so much if the parents would tell me in advance. However, I've also been on the flip side where parents tell us not to come because B is coughing (he coughs pretty much all winter due to asthma), and it really stinks for him to feel so isolated from everyone just because his lungs don't work like other peoples. Not that it's an excuse for me to take him when he is truly sick, but it would be nice if sometimes people would let me make the call. I mean if he has no nasal discharge, no fever, and no other symptoms except a cough there is no good reason for me to keep him home away from fun! If he had a runny nose, or a fever I certainly wouldn't take him, but often parents don't even give me that chance to explain...just ban him from the activity.
I think there should be common sense and I don't think our kids should go visit if they are obviously sick. However, I have a friend who is a little over cautious or I think she is. She will say her kids are still sick when their temperature is not even a degree above normal and they have been "sick" for a week or so. I can't remember the details about this one day, but I just remember thinking that a normal temperature is in the range of 98.6 (is that right) and it doesn't have to be exactly that to mean someone is healthy. I should say she is way over cautious about other things as well.
I'm usually pretty laid back about it, it was just a bad time and now all my kids are sick and I can't take them anywhere because they are coughing, sneezing, and it's obviously the cold. Allergies I don't care about, they are not contagious and I understand a kid who has a lingering cough half the year and I feel bad for your son. It seems like people could understand that particular case. It's not really the person's fault because they know I am usually laid back about it, so it's partly my fault and I suppose this is just a rant because I'm overwhelmed right now. I just would have liked warning at this busy time (we just moved so I'm unpacking and remodeling our old house to be a rental and started some outside classes my children will now miss). If there is a warning than the person who will pay for the visit in illness can be the one to make the decision. I actually had someone bring the Rotavirus to my house once. They had been to the doctor and had it diagnosed but their child wasn't vomiting by that time but still managed to pass it on. I suppose they thought if they were no longer vomiting they weren't contagious, and no I didn't mention it to them. I was upset but I really liked the person and didn't want to be rude. Four children vomiting 4-5 times a day for a week (I thought I was going to have to hospitalize for dehydration but managed to keep them hydrated by constantly keeping at them with the Gatorade.) This was two weeks before Christmas and three weeks before my brother's wedding of which two of my children were supposed to take part.
Don't get me started. I have a real problem with people who bring their kids anywhere (except the doctor) when they are sick. It is truly inconsiderate and I think a little selfish on the part of the parents. What are you teaching your kids about respect for others? I agree with the comment that some common sense needs to be applied. But who like to be sick? So why would someone think we want to share their germs?! This isn't restricted to just kids. Adults that come to work when they are sick (and don't have to) really boil my ... (can't think of the phrase)... Part of me thinks this is part of the entitlement society we are living in... I have just as much being here as you, so what if I am sick, that is your problem... That's my two cents...
To be fair, it's not always clear what the right thing to do is. My daughter got ear infections pretty much every other month for a couple years, so she was always walking around with cotton balls taped to her ears to catch the ooze. But otherwise, she never seemed sick. My son would spend all winter with thick nasty stuff coming out his nose and puffy eyes... but again, never seemed actually sick. He'd also occasionally barf up his food, but that seemed to be more of a digestive issue than anything else (which the doctor eventually confirmed). For awhile, my son would get a fever for a couple hours every afternoon, for weeks. Just a fever - no other symptoms. Was I supposed to keep them all isolated for months or years? Often I don't think it's selfishness as much as just plain confusion. Kids can look okay one moment, and suddenly appear to be on death's door the next. Other times they look horrible (like when all their chicken pox have scabbed over), but they're not actually contagious with anything. Or they can be fine, and be little walking plague bunnies. There's a reason they don't let young children visit patients in hospital. You just can't tell. I just found out the little girl I tutor has been bouncing around shedding strep all over my house. She was barely sick one afternoon several weeks ago, and has just been identified as a carrier (because everyone around her has been getting sick). I don't blame her mom at all, but I give her full props for insisting the doctor test her daughter as a possible source.
If someone comes knocking at the door and I have a sick child, I always let them know. I have noticed several places, kids come who have been out of school for being sick the same day. I do not really understand it sometimes. :0(
