Perfect Attendance ...

I hear the words "Perfect Attendance" and I cringe .... all I picture is little germ factories running around the school getting other kids sick ... and as a mother with two kids that get sick far more, and far worse than other kids it almost infuriates me ... now I guess let me say that my kids have, on occasion, gotten perfect attendance awards for quarters or semesters here and there ... I'm not saying "if your kid sneezes, keep them home" ... but seriously ... if your kid is sick ... for their sake and the sake of all the other kids keep them home ...

I understand some people are in the difficult position of having to stay home from work themselves to take care of a child that doesn't go to school; I understand there are challenges, but sick children should still stay home .... even the schools usually send home guidelines ... "please keep your child at home if ...." and then list off a bunch of symptoms, etc., when your child should stay at home ... as parents I think it's an obligation to follow that ...

I have two kids with decreased immune systems ... most kids might get one out of five "active, live"  viruses they're exposed to, two of my three get pretty much every virus they're exposed to and they get sick for usually twice as long as other kids as
well ... leaving them out of school for a week because some other parent couldn't keep their kid at home for two days ... if your kid has a fever ... they are contagious .... unless they have some kind of internal infection (like a urinary tract infection or something else internal) ... and then they need to see a doctor anyway ... keep them home ... if your kid is a snot machine or coughing in violent fits, then they are spreading germs, unless they are keeping themselves clean at the medical level ... if your kid is puking or has diarrhea ... they are spreading germs ... keep them home ...

I also take a personal note in this from the other side ... I was the kid that got sent to school sick ... my dad always prided himself on how he "took the BAR exam with a 104 degree fever and strep throat" ... so you know I sure as hell could go to school ... I would go to school and be miserable, embarrassed to blow my nose constantly .... and really not in any mental state to learn ... I would just survive the school day, I wasn't really there ... there really is no point in a sick kid going to school other than not having the school yell at you for your kid missing too many days ... there isn't ...

Okay, that's my little stance on sick kids and perfect attendance ... just sayin' ....