It is the second week of November, and the school year is well under way. Students have had the opportunity to learn a great deal. . . and to share and spread germs. As many parts of the country are experiencing cooler temperatures, windows are closed, making it easier for those germs to be trapped inside the school. With this fine mix of ingredients, many schools will see increases in the number of illnesses and possibly an increase in the amount of students staying home.
As a parent, what can you do to help keep your child healthy and prevent the spreading of illness? It’s simple:
Keep your child home while he or she is ill.
How do you determine if your child is well enough to attend school or sick enough to stay home? One key measurement is your child’s temperature. If your child has a temperature of 100°F or higher, that is a fever. Your child needs to stay home. Even though fever-reducing medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may eliminate the fever, your child still is sick. Additionally, your child needs to have a temperature lower than 100°F for 24 hours before returning to school.
Of course, your child may be sick without a fever, and then determining whether he or she should stay home is more difficult. Some symptoms are more obvious reasons to keep your child home, such as vomiting or headache. Other symptoms may be harder to triage, such as a sore throat or cough. The basic rule of thumb is that if the symptom is severe enough to impact attention span or learning, the child should stay home.
While keeping a child home from school has an impact on your job, it is essential. Keeping your child home will allow him to heal more quickly. Additionally, it will prevent him from spreading these germs to others.
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