School age sickness - WWYD

[traveltheworld]

DS (kindergarten) has viral-induced asthma.  As soon as he has a bit of a cold virus, he starts coughing.  It's not a continuous cough - more like once every few minutes.  He doesn't get runny noses, fevers, or anything else with a cold virus, just the cough.  If he has a continuous cough and we are concerned about an acute asthma attack, we keep him home (as per doctor's instructions); but otherwise we are not too concerned about it, and would still let him participate in most physical activities by giving him a puff of Ventolin ahead of time.  As with all colds, it lasts about a week - 10 days.  

This morning DS was very concerned about going to school tomorrow (he has a PD today so no school).  He said that his kindergarten teacher said that if he is coughing, he should stay home, because otherwise he'd be spreading germs to all his friends.  DS loves school and was quite upset that he wouldn't be able to go.  Then he cried that it's not fair that he has asthma and DD doesn't - so when they both get a cold, he gets a cough and she gets a runny nose, but then she still gets to go to school (daycare).

WWYD?  I can't find the school board's sickness policy, but can't imagine that they would ask a child to stay home if he/she has a cough?  Or am I just too used to daycare where you can go as long as you don't have a fever?  I was thinking of emailing his teacher to explain his asthma thing - but she already knows he has asthma.  What more could I say?  Realistically, if we were to keep him home every time he has a cold/cough, that'd be 5 - 6 weeks a year, minimum. 

[waverly]

DD has the same condition. We do budesonide breathing treatments morning and night. It seems to get rid of most of the coughing during the day and just deal with night time coughing.

I would email the teacher and explain the type of asthma or send a doctor note. I wasn't aware there was a cough type asthma until DD had it, so likely the teacher is not realizing the cough is asthma related.

I have never kept her home for it, nor have I ever been asked to. My public school is the same as daycare- fever and throwing up etc. We can't keep kids home for colds because then they would never go to school.

[186momx]

Send him. I would email the teacher and explain the asthma and that you reminded him to cough into his elbow.

DD's school really pushes for 95% attendance for the school because studies have shown the more you go to school the more you learn. The principle told us if your kid is really sick (fever, flu, can't function) then yes keep them home but for coughs and runny noses please send them.

[186momx]

FYI the 95% attendance isn't going so well again. They have gone to school 56 days so far and have only 35 days of 95% or better attendance when they reach 40 they get a hot chocolate day. DD's teacher figures that they will reach 40 days in January...

[k3am]

I would still send YS. I'm not keeping my kid home with a cough. Ever. I don't care if it's daycare vs. school, that's just the facts of life. Is his teacher new? I might want to have a chat with her.

[traveltheworld]

Nov 27, 2017 11:50:34 GMT -5 k3am said:

I would still send YS. I'm not keeping my kid home with a cough. Ever. I don't care if it's daycare vs. school, that's just the facts of life. Is his teacher new? I might want to have a chat with her.

No she is not new.  She has been teaching kindergarten for 15 years.  That's why I was really surprised with what DS told me.  Frankly, I'm quite upset about the whole thing.  DS has multiple food allergies, epilepsy and asthma. We've made a really conscious effort to try and make sure he understands that while he has these issues, they shouldn't/wouldn't limit him.  So it upsets me that he now thinks he asthma is preventing him from going to school when he "doesn't even feel that bad".  He voluntarily went back to bed this morning to sleep more so that he could get better sooner as he doesn't want to miss school. 

[k3am]

traveltheworld, you should definitely have a chat with her. And him. She's probably trying to get it across that when you're really/truly sick, you need to stay home, but making the distinction is hard.

[ilovelucyvv]

Sorry you are dealing with this traveltheworld. I wouldn't want to keep my kid home under those circumstances. Hopefully you can talk some sense into the teacher.

[mommyatty]

It may have been a general comment, not directed at him, and it may have been more about how illness is spread. But yeah, I would shoot her an email explaining the cough is part of asthma, and ask her to clarify to DS that he’s not breaking rules by coming to school with a cough. Asthma or not, coughs tend to linger beyond other symptoms, so no way would any school have a “cough=stay home” policy.

[phdmomma]

DS also has viral and sports induced asthma. I would send him and drop the teacher an email. Maybe include a link about viral induced asthma. Also does he have a rescue inhaler at school? We only use the neb at home but the school asked for an albuterol inhaler just in case.

[awick14]

I have asthma and even still when my asthma is acting up I cough for a couple days to weeks afterwards.

My mom sent a note to the school that said that I have asthma and my coughing was asthma induced. She included a doctors note, the papers were passed on through the school after that so each year my teachers were told and my mom didn't have to keep getting notes.

[freezorburn]

Does the school have a nurse on staff? That person would probably be better able to assist you with figuring out attendance protocol and administering medication around YS asthma.

I'm actually dealing with this same issue today. My son has been prescribed a temporary inhaler for a chronic cough that he has had since September, when we had a lot of forest fire smoke sitting over our fair city. I haven't had your difficulties figuring out the attendance policy, but I did need to contact the school nurse to get forms regarding administering medicine during school hours.