“Mom, you won’t believe what happened in class today! Tyler* threw up!” My child shares this news with the same wide-eyed excitement usually reserved for the latest video games. I can only imagine how dramatic it must have been, but my heart goes out to the poor kid. No one enjoys throwing up, especially not in front of classmates.
“Really? That’s unfortunate!” I respond, trying to keep my voice steady. “I hope he feels better soon.” As I guide my child toward their nightly homework routine, I can feel a wave of anxiety wash over me.
Hours later, my fears are confirmed. We’ve caught a nasty fever.
In total, my child was home sick for 11 days with the flu. My partner missed four days of unpaid work. We had to isolate our teens in their rooms to prevent the virus from spreading further. Thankfully, that strategy worked, and they stayed healthy. But here I am, dealing with swollen lymph nodes, body aches, and a relentless cough that leaves me gasping for air—yes, it’s so bad that I need to keep maxi pads on hand.
And we’re the lucky ones. We’re generally healthy, so it could have been much worse.
Beyond the physical toll and lost wages, we also spent hundreds we didn’t have on doctor visits and medications, mainly just to confirm it was the flu and to obtain those necessary notes for work and school absences.
Interestingly, we learned a lot during our visit to the clinic. We all tested positive for Flu A, and our doctor informed us that there had been over 800 cases in our small town last week alone. To put it in perspective, the town has about 1,900 residents—meaning nearly two-thirds of us had the flu.
It turns out that someone decided to skip a ballgame while sick, infecting not just their team but their families too. This chain reaction continued as those infected returned to school and work, spreading the illness even further.
Let me be clear: If you or your child are sick, please stay home. I understand that sometimes circumstances are tough, but there are no emergencies that require attending school or work while contagious.
If you’re worried about taking time off to care for your sick child, I completely empathize—I’ve been in that situation more times than I can count. But before you send your child to school with the flu, think about how many others will be affected.
This isn’t just a simple cold; the flu can be deadly for vulnerable populations. The CDC has reported that this year’s Flu A vaccine is only 43% effective. Sending a sick child out into the world is akin to sending them to show-and-tell with a loaded weapon. It’s not just irresponsible; it endangers lives.
To address this issue on a broader scale, we need to implement some significant changes:
- Revise School Attendance Policies: Current policies often force parents to choose between sending their sick kids to school or risking failing grades. Not every illness requires a doctor’s visit, and parents shouldn’t be penalized for keeping a sick child at home.
- Job Security for Taking Care of Sick Family: Parents should not have to fear losing their jobs when they need to care for a sick child or themselves. We must advocate for better employment standards, including paid sick days.
- Foster a Sense of Community Responsibility: It’s vital that we look beyond our own families and consider the wider impact of our actions. We all share this world, and infecting others out of negligence is not acceptable.
I don’t want your children to fall ill any more than I want mine to suffer. I expect the same consideration in return. It’s a collective responsibility that we should all embrace.
*Names have been changed for privacy.
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Summary
Keeping sick children home is crucial to prevent the spread of illness and protect vulnerable individuals. The community must support better attendance policies, job security for parents, and a collective responsibility towards public health.