when a child is off sick from school ?

jellyhead

FBaby wrote: »

In the end, no one can help if you are going to be very ill but I believe many kids are kept at home 'just in case they struggle during the day'. I take the opposite approach, expect my kids to go to school, and for the school to call me if indeed it is too much for them. I would say 7 times out of 10 when I wasn't sure how it would evolved, they have made it through the day.

I used to send them to school but my eldest was getting into trouble for not being able to colour in as neatly as he did on days when he wasn't ill, and not concentrating enough to do as much work as was expected (year 3). The teacher said the same rules had to apply for everyone, so I decided it would be kinder to keep him at home if I knew he couldn't perform as well as would be expected.

If my children were ill for more than one or two days per year I might reconsider that though.

daska

Mrs.W wrote: »

I received those snotty, "We'll sic the education welfare officer on you!" letters from my daughter's primary school last year when she was repeatedly ill with tonsillitis.

It's not nice, but it is a standard letter that hopes to make slacker parents pull their socks up. I'll bet you're not be the only parent to received one!

This term I received a snotty letter in the same vein because my daughter has developed a 'problem' with socks and tights. There's no talking to her, no comfort or sense can be imparted. She cannot put on her socks (they are too tight/uncomfortable/scratchy/the seems dig in/etc), but she also cannot go outside without them. She wails until she starts to cough, then vomits.

I never keep her home after these vomitty tantrums, but because she's been (five to thirty-five minutes) late to school eleven times this term, I received The Letter. Even though her overall attendance is 100%.

I'd actually rather like the education welfare officer to come round when my daughter is rolling on the floor, crying, refusing to be held, comforted or spoken with, just needing to come to terms with the situation in her own time.

If only.

I'm with your daughter on the sock issue - it took me years to find ones that didn't hurt.

Apparently 80% of kids with ASD have sensory problems (though not all kids with sensory problems have ASD). Is she like this with other clothing? If it is sensory then treating it as a tantrum probably won't be helpful, there are techniques such as brushing that can be employed (with varying success) to reduce sensory processing problems.


Last time the sick bug went round the school asked us to keep children off for 72 hours!

jellyhead

Does she HAVE to wear socks though? Both of mine have sensory issues and while they do go to school in socks my youngest goes is crocs when possible. In the last 2 weeks it's been cold but he has worn crocs on the mufti day and the pyjama day, and school have said nothing.

I told his teacher there were socks in his bag in case she insisted on his changing into socks and PE pumps, but she didn't. He's not cold. He comes out of school and takes off his jumper and coat at hometime, and walks home without them.

When they do PE he stuffs his socks into his school bag and hopes nobody notices he's not wearing them. They never do. I suppose girls shoe styles are more open though.

sulkisu

I don't think the school was threatening you with court. It sounds as if they were pointing out that if he has any more time off they will report it (as schools are obliged to do these days) and that depending on the outcome, i.e. worst case scenario if found to be keeping him at home unecessarily, you could face court action. There are parents who do keep their children at home for all sorts of reasons, feigning illness and I guess the school has to treat every case the same. A bit like employees who take a lot of sick leave - whether genuine or not.

FBaby

jellyhead wrote: »

I used to send them to school but my eldest was getting into trouble for not being able to colour in as neatly as he did on days when he wasn't ill, and not concentrating enough to do as much work as was expected (year 3). The teacher said the same rules had to apply for everyone, so I decided it would be kinder to keep him at home if I knew he couldn't perform as well as would be expected.

If my children were ill for more than one or two days per year I might reconsider that though.

Sorry but that sounds ridiculous. Surely a note to say that the child is a bit under the weather and has not slept as well as normal should be enough for the teacher to be a bit less expectant, especially of a young child in reception/Y1. Keeping a child home under this pretence is definitely not a good enough reason to me.

jellyhead

FBaby wrote: »

Sorry but that sounds ridiculous. Surely a note to say that the child is a bit under the weather and has not slept as well as normal should be enough for the teacher to be a bit less expectant, especially of a young child in reception/Y1. Keeping a child home under this pretence is definitely not a good enough reason to me.

It depends on the child. I had sent a note. They'd just taken his statement of special needs away so there was no TA in the classroom, and the teacher thought me sending a note was a bad idea. She preferred for him not to be in school. She thought that mums who send ill children to school should give up their jobs and care for their children better