Sometimes, the decision of whether to keep a child at home is a difficult one. Parents often ask me about what to do when a child seems all right, but complains of a mild stomach ache or other vague symptom before the start of the school day.  I remember having the same concerns when my girls were younger.

From my experience working in schools these past years, I feel that its usually okay to send a child to school who is not in obvious distress, has his/her usual appetite and who you think will be able to participate in classroom activities.  (I call this my keep your fingers crossed plan).

On these occasions, its a good idea to call or leave a voice mail (973-509-4500, ext. 19) so I can be aware of your concern, and call you right away if needed.  Often, a child who has vague complaints before school feels much better in the classroom when engaged in fun activities. If a child does not seem to be fully participating in class or develops more severe symptoms during the day, I will call you to have the child taken home.

With older children, the same advice applies.  It's usually not a good idea to tell a child to go to school and see the nurse if they're not feeling well later.  When I worked in the elementary and middle schools, this advice almost always resulted in kids coming to the health office right off the bus!

For more serious symptoms of course, it is necessary to keep children home for 24 hours, especially after vomiting, diarrhea and/or fever. In addition, keep children home for symptoms of:

• Persistent coughing
• Thick nasal mucous
• Eye symptoms that could be contagious (redness, crusting, mucous-like drainage).
• Symptoms of skin rashes or bumps that are new, not diagnosed or under treatment.

Young children can seem to develop illnesses quickly, so be sure to let me know if your phone numbers change. Thank you for calling in each day that your child is absent.  It's important that we know of any viruses or other illnesses affecting students in our building.

Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns.