Preschool Germ Pool Chaos…

I’m on my rant again about germs in school and a little confused at the same time. If you want to know what really bugs me, read my previous post I Love You, But You Can Keep Your Germs so you’ll be up to speed. My latest issue comes from “mini me” (my three year old) starting preschool last month and within the first week of being in school he caught a cold. He was miserable for the weekend and out for two days the following week.  Real Scenario: There was a child in my son’s preschool class with a cold and runny nose. He was playing with other children, sharing toys, and playing on the computer etc. The only thing running through my mind was that he was passing nasty germs to all these other children including my son.

I’m a parent that keeps her sick children home from daycare, school, heck the public! If I feel that if my child is contagious or will affect the well being of any other child or person in good health, I keep them in isolation. I know not everyone agrees with me but, I have children that deal with asthma and a simple cold can trigger an asthma attack and cause breathing problems for the duration the cold lasts. I try to keep my children healthy as would any other parent, and I’ll isolate them from each other if an illness hits my household so that we’re not passing it around. In know at times it’s inevitable and a cold, flu or virus will run its course through your family one person at a time!  I’ve been there! However, I believe in taking preventative measures.

Today I took “mini me” to the pediatrician AGAIN, because he’s picked up a viral infection. The one thing I asked the doctor is how I should approach dealing with germs and preschool. The doctor said that typically when a fever is gone and symptoms start to subside you can send your child back to school. As children are exposed to things they build immunity to it and their immune system get stronger. There is a study that states that children in the 2^nd grade are absent just as much as children in preschool. I don’t understand why parents send their sick contagious children to school. It seems like a never ending cycle of germ swapping to me. In a perfect world I’d like children with contagious symptoms to be kept at home, and if they go to school be sent home by the school nurse.

My son has to deal with allergies, asthma and eczema on a regular basis. I try to prevent anything else that he may have to deal with on top of his existing issues.  No, one wants a miserable sick child! So, am I the only one who feels strongly that sick children need to be kept home or should we allow them to swap germs at school in the hopes they are helping each other build a tolerable immune system?