When should I keep my child home from school?

Keep your child home from school if they have one or more of the following:

• Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher (keep home until fever is less than this without pain/fever reducer)
• Has been vomiting (keep home for 24 hours after vomiting)
• Has had diarrhea
• Rash (until cleared by a physician)
• Red painful eye with thick drainage (until cleared by a physician)
• Has symptoms that prevent him or her from participating in school:
  • Excessive tiredness
  • Productive coughing, sneezing
  • Headache, body aches, earache
  • Sore throat
    A minor sore throat is usually not a problem but a severe sore throat could be strep throat. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset. Contact your doctor for these symptoms.

Does my child have the flu?

The flu is serious! Call you doctor at the first sign of flu symptoms. These symptoms usually come on suddenly and include:

• High fever (over 100.4 degrees)
• Chills
• Head ache, body aches, ear ache
• Nausea, vomiting
• Dry cough
• Sore throat

How do I make my child feel better?

Ask your doctor, school nurse or pharmacist for advice on over the counter medications and other comfort measures. We have found the following very helpful:

• Help your child get plenty of rest, stay in bed and limit TV
• Encourage fluids (water, soup, juice, ice)
• Try a cool mist humidifier for congestion/coughing

How can I keep my child healthy?

• Encourage frequent and thorough hand washing. Use soap and warm water. Rub hands together with soap for at least 20 seconds. Hands should be washed at least 5 times a day. Research has shown this number to effectively cut down on the number of colds in elementary students.
• Everyone should cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their sleeve.
• Keep your child’s environment tobacco free
• Minimize time spent with others who are ill
• Keep frequently touched household surfaces clean (phones, cell phones, counter tops, door knobs, keyboards, remotes, toys). On a regular basis clean these items with an anti-bacterial wipe.
• Make sure your child gets a sufficient amount of sleep each night and remove the TV from the bedroom. Kids with a TV in their room do not rest as well.