DS has not been feeling well today, he had some diarrhea and threw up twice. He really didn't eat or drink much of anything either. He does seem much better tonight, most of the throwing up was this morning.

What I am most worried about is if he passes gas and accidently poops (which is what happened today once) he would be so embarrassed! Not to mention if he were to throw up in class?!


I would hate to keep him home if he is acting fine in the morning, but I don't want to rush him to school either if he isn't well.

What would you do? He's only 5 btw.

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I think I'd decided based on how he does overnight. Sometimes these stomach things run their course completely in 24 hours....

cj/

I believe it' recommended to wait until 24 hours AFTER the last incident. So, if he puked at 7:00am and by 7:00 am the next morning he has been okay, you can probably send him. If he has many bathroom visits, I would probably keep him home one more day

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Keep him home because it is better to keep him home an extra day and make sure he is completely over it.

I say this because it may be helpful to the other students in his classroom not getting the same bug, and also you can monitor what he is eating if he stays home and make sure that he doesn't get a too big of a diet to upset his stomach off of the school food. I would rather be safe then sorry KWIM?? I hope he is better!!

Our school policy is that they need to stay home for 24 hours after the last time the threw up. I would definitely keep him home.....especially at his young age! He will be able to easily make up anything that is missed!

I would keep him home. Can you imagine how embarassed he would be if he had an accident in school? And I am sure the parents of his class mates would appreciate if he would not share.

That's my biggest worry! I mean I don't want to get anyone else sick either, but I worry about him. It would probably be good to get him drinking and eating more before sending him back too. We all JUST had the flu last week and he missed 2 days, so I am a little worried about missing more school, but it's only one more day. We all still don't feel totally back to normal, so maybe it's the same thing just hanging on longer. He took a 2 hour nap today too!

Tonight when I put him in bed I told him I just wanted to hug him and snuggle all night and he said "so why don't you"? It just melted my heart, made me totally forget all of the diarreah and puke. I seriously thought about crawling into bed with him later.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I would keep him home for sure. Even if the diarreah and vomiting has stopped he will still feel crappy today. He needs to build his fluids back up and rest. If you send him he will still feel weak today.

The beauty of elementary school is that they expect that the kids will be absent alot with illness~

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#3 Gone To Race In A Better Place...

Please oh please keep him home. You would feel horrible if he got all the other children (or the teacher!) sick. Whether or not he feels well, it's still possible he's carrying the virus/bacteria. Besides which as the others mentioned, keeping him home will ensure that gets gets completely better.

It's always better to err on the side of caution: if in doubt, keep him home.

Thank you for thinking about keeping him home! I have so many parents who think since their kids were sick the day (or even night before) they can go to school the next day.

I vote for keeping him home, too. I'm sure he'll need the extra day to recuperate.

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He's home today. He seems fine, but I do like the idea of keeping my eye on him and making sure he drinks enough today.

I was saying to DH last night that we are so lucky I don't have to work, because if I had a job he would probably be at school today. I am home and there is no reason he can't take a day off, that's what I'm here for.

Thanks for all of the thoughts, you made the descision much easier.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I love to hear the cute little things that the little ones say.
What a sweetheart.
I'm glad you kept him home and I hope you two are hugging and snuggling a lot!!!

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Well, he seems to be much better today, no throwing up at least! He has had some diarreah and went in his pants twice today, just a little, but enough to make a mess.

He is playing fine, bugging his sister and playing trucks and blocks, etc, so he is feeling better. I would hate to keep him home tomorrow again!? He loves Tuesdays, he has gym and hates to miss that. Do you think it would be ok to just send him in with a couple of extra pair of undies and a note for the teacher or is she going to look at the note and think I should have just left him home? He will cy for sure if I don't let him go tomorrow.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

If you feel okay about giving him medicine, I'd check on giving him Imodium Anti-Diarrheal before he heads out the door tomorrow (read the box or call the Pediatrician? I'm not real sure on the dosage for a five year old but I think that there is a kids' one? it's been awhile!).

As far as weakness, our old standby is Gatorade or Powerade and banananananas... They need to have those electrolytes replaced as well as the liquids.

It sounds like things are going better if he's bugging his sister. That is always a sign that mine will be in school the next day. Hah. Hang in there Mom!

Oh yea... I also wanted to post the BRAT diet that my nurse friend gave me when the kids were tiny and we all go by it when we have the runs but we add in the Gatorade/Powerade.

It is for diarrhea... I found online at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAT_diet

It is my understanding that if he still has diarrhea he is still contagious...our school has a very firm policy of NO symptoms for 24 hours.

I would wait til he has a regular bowel movement. That's how I can tell my kids are better.

please, keep him home!!!

Oh my!! That could be two or three days before he gets enough food back into his system to be regular again.

All schools have "firm" sick policies. Do you think they're followed? Nooooo..... I was helping in the middle school office this morning. One of my son's classmates came in about 20 minutes late because she'd overslept. She was up sick last night, throwing up.

If she said that to the school officials they should have called her folks and sent her home! If I heard that I think I would have complained to the office personal after the child left the room. That's nasty. That's why everything spreads around so quickly!

Keep him home

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He didn't eat too much today, but he did drink everything I handed out. He seems much better, he's playing and he didn't take a nap today.

I don't want to get anyone else sick, but I don't want to keep him home over every little thing either?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

My kids rarely get sick since they started washing their hands more often. Knock on wood.

They MUST wash their hands with soap after using the bathroom at school and at home AND as soon as they walk in the door after school.

They have been really good about it since they have noticed how healthy they have been the past two years since we started this.

Keep him home and enjoy the day with him.
(Minus the extra bathroom time!!)
Our school would LOVE you since you are actually thinking of others.
Talked to our school nurse today and she is so upset that so many parents are letting there children come to school even though they obviously ill.
WOO~don't want to ruin that perfect attendance record even if it means getting the rest of the class sick!!

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Keep him home again! He's only 5 so missing another day is not going to hurt his learning! It will help keep all the other kids from getting sick! Our school has the 24 hour sympton free too, and we try to stick to it. If we notice a kid acting sick, we call the parents!

My DS is running a temp since yesterday evening and today I will keep him home. He missed a couple of days the week before last because of strep, I don't know if what he has now is just viral or what! I am just going to wait and see before I take him back to the doctor. He loves school too and HATES to miss it, but I have to stop and think do I keep my child home and let him get over it or let him go to school so everyone can keep passing it around!

I wish all parents would keep their kids home when they are sick, it would make it alot easier on everyone, I get mad when I hear stories where kids are sent to school sick and it is obvious when they get there they aren't feeling well. Where is the respect for other children, parents, and TEACHERS for having to deal with this! Oh and people should respect their own children enough to keep them home when they aren't feeling well.

I am glad to see a parent concerned!!

I volunteer at the school and one morning wasn't real sure that I was getting sick, I thought I felt a little weird and so I decided to stay home, I am glad I did because I ended up with a fever, dizzy and sinus infection that day. I was worried I would go and make a bunch of little kids sick.

This statement should answer your question. Yes, the teacher will think you should have let him stay home. If he is still having small accidents and might need to change his underwear he is not 100% yet. Not to mention his embarrassment of having to get his underwear out of his bag and dispose of the dirty ones which will be germ ridden.

I would let him sleep in and not even mention school or what he is missing...

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#3 Gone To Race In A Better Place...

And at my kids school that child's mom would have received a call to come get her...they do stick to the rules.

Besides possibly being able to get all of his classmates sick still, HIS resistance to other germs is probably down. He could easily pick up something else.

While we want children in school, we don't want them here getting the class and staff sick. At our school we don't reward perfect attendance for this reason. We EXPECT them to be here unless they are sick.

When a child is running a fever, yes, the parent is called. We've had students sit and wait for hours for that parent to pick them up. A lot of our students receive better care, attention and something to eat at school than they do at home. Sad, but true. If we sent home every child that complained but didn't have a fever, about 25% of the students would be absent daily. When I was replacing the box of thermometer covers, the secretary remarked that she'd went through 4 boxes the day before, that's 100!!
I keep my children home when they're sick, I follow the rules. Not all parents care enough to do the same.