If you’re like most parents you’ve probably had to deal with days when the kids just don’t want to get out of bed and go to school. In some cases they may pretend to be sick, while at other times they might have a legitimate ailment. But it’s not always easy to tell which end of the spectrum they’re at, especially if they seem to fall somewhere in the middle. Still, it’s still your job as a parent to determine whether or not your child is too ill to attend school for the day. So how can you decide when to drag him out of bed and get him dressed and when to let him go back to sleep? Here are a few helpful hints that can serve as a barometer to your child’s state of health.
The first thing you should do is check for a fever. This is the one real absolute of illness; if a fever is present you have undeniable proof that something is wrong. Just don’t forget the scene in E.T. where Elliot holds his thermometer next to a light bulb to heat it up so he can get out of school for the day. Of course, there are other signs and symptoms that are fairly irrefutable, such as vomiting, congestion, or rashes (like chicken pox). But in lieu of these outstanding physical manifestations of illness you may have to find other tests to ascertain if your child is truly ill.
One simple strategy is to take away a fun activity. If your child has after-school activities that he loves, just let him know that staying home from school means he forfeits the right to attend the next session. Even if he’s not feeling great, he may be willing [Read more…]
