NewMom: That’s Just Sick

I read this article on Washington Post.com by a stay-at-home Dad blogger wondering how to define “sick” . Is a baby who throws up once, but has no fever and is otherwise in good spirits, too sick to go to child care? As the mom of a child with a very easy propensity to throw up — the GI specialist said the mere act of pulling herself up to stand could cause my daughter to throw up because of the pressure it causes on the abdominal muscles — I’ve wondered the same thing a lot lately. NewGirl was sent home “sick” several weeks ago after she threw up at the center, but she was her happy, pleasant, and cheerful self once we got home. I’ve missed a lot of work this winter as NewGirl — along with her Dad — has had one illness after another. I was so frustrated to be forced into yet another day off, and this time I just didn’t feel she needed to be home.

It left me wondering if I needed to talk with the child care center director about just what it takes to send home a “sick child.” I actually had that meeting scheduled, when NewGirl came down with a certifiable stomach bug — an entire week of throwing up, diaper changes, and often clothing changes several times an hour, and endless desperate attempts to get her to drink even just a little Pedialyte®. As each day passed, I crossed my fingers that she’d keep food down and be ready to go to school the next day. And then, just as it seemed she was ready, she lost her lunch in the produce aisle at the grocery store, followed the next day by an accident in the car. I’ve got some new empathy for those teachers trying to decide who’s well enough to stay at school and who isn’t. I don’t think I’ll reschedule my meeting.