The Sick Kid Syndrome: When Should You Keep Your Kid Home from School?

It's a new year starting and along with that comes school for your kids. Plus colds, infections and other contagious things. Chances are it won't be long before you have to decide if your child is sick enough to keep home from school.

Jewish people have always prided themselves on their commitment to education. They also pride themselves on being dedicated parents. And these days, most Jewish parents--fathers and mothers --also see themselves as loyal professionals who need to show up in the office. 

"Caught between the demands of work and family," writes Katy Abel for Family Education (www.familyeducation.com) many parents are sending kids to school sick. School nurses say it's happening more often, as the demands on parents grow."

So how do you know if you should keep your kid home?

No Sneezing in the Halls

Schools and daycare centers are breeding grounds for illness. Children are often huddled together in a room and experience unavoidable exposure to dozens of viruses and bacteria. As the weather gets worse during the school year, kids are usually kept inside more often where bugs multiply and spread.

Children--like the elderly --are just more susceptible to common infections. Besides the common cold, ear infections and the flu, there are several conditions that kids suffer from that usually necessitate absence from school. These include: streptococcus (strep throat), cold sores and conjunctivitis (pink-eye). These conditions are highly contagious, and the school will usually require you to keep your child home and under medical treatment for at least 48 hours before returning. This policy decreases the chances of spreading the bacterial infection.

However, experts stress that the majority of childhood infections--approximately 80 percent--are caused by viruses which cannot be treated by antibiotics. Instead, these infections usually must run their course. But this doesn't mean that your child may not appear and feel very ill, making it necessary to keep your child home.

Making the Decision