Should a Child Stay Home From School or Daycare - How to Decide

In the past, it was much easier for parents to let their children go to school even if they had sniffles or a mild cough. However, in light of recent events and because everyone’s immune system has become much worse now, and even with mild symptoms, parents tend to go in the other direction and keep children at home. They may be right because, under certain circumstances, it’s better to keep a child or toddler home from school and daycare for their safety and that of others.

It's such a hard time for parents to decide when their child should stay home and what symptoms they could ignore, more or less. Sometimes a stuffy nose is just a stuffy nose, and a child doesn't need to miss a whole day or even two just because of it. But other symptoms can prove to be much more severe, and in that case, parents need to take measures and keep their children at home. It gets easier to decide when parents know what to look for.

Sometimes a runny nose doesn't send a child to bed but has them bouncing off the walls, filled with energy. And when a toddler complains about a tummy ache, it doesn't necessarily mean they're getting sick and should miss school or daycare. Look for behavioral changes, fever, irregular bowel movements, respiratory symptoms, longer abdominal pain, bad cough, fatigue - sometimes even a rash can be a tale-tale sign. Look out for these symptoms in your child when deciding if they should stay home.

Parents have it easy with children when compared to a toddler. It's even more tricky deciding whether or not your toddler should stay home and if the symptoms are bad. But there are certain things to look out for to make it easier to know. If your toddler is crying persistently, does not have an appetite, or is overall in an unwell state - yes, keep them home and start treatments!

To ensure your child will make it into school or daycare, you should prevent the illness before it begins. One important thing is to get your child vaccinated. That way, the flu symptoms won't be as severe if they catch it. Also, teach your child to wash their hands regularly or help them do it a lot more than once a day. That will keep the germs away.