Junior Infants - Missing Days

michdee

Hi all, I have a child who just started junior infants in Sept gone. Since she started in school she is literally catching every dose thats going. I have had her to the doc on two occasions with viral infections, but she gets this dreadful cough with it and high temps- to extent that she's raving at night time. So no sleep in the house while she has the dose! Then this time her tonsils are up too. The time in between the school sent her home she'd the vomiting bug!
So all in all up to today she's missed 10 days, so obv I got a text from the school.
But I've said it to the doc and they have said there is nothing I can do, she's just building up immunity and these things unfortunately do happen and in the long run it is better for her to get them all now!
But that doesn't help me when she's missing so many days. So come day 20 the school will report us. What can I do if she's sick, I cant send her in and let everybody get the doses! So do schools know this is a common thing in junior infants or what?

Big Bag of Chips

Get a sick note from the doctor every time she's sick. Keep a copy and send it in to the school. The school are obliged to report it if she misses over 20 days. But if she is/has been sick then that's that and nothing will come of it.

Plenty of children miss school due to various illnesses. They're not interested in making life difficult for the parents of those children.

michdee

That's great to hear thanks, yeah I'm going do that from now on get the note. But I'll send in notes now when she goes back and like you say if she's sick she's sick, I'm not one to keep them at home for no reason so she has to be sick to stay home!
Thanks

byhookorbycrook

If the child is genuinely ill, there is no issue. You don't have to have a doctor's cert either. The school is legally bound to let the NEWB now if she misses 20 or more days, but can outline that there are genuine reasons for that. Don't panic!

evolving_doors

Just one of those things! Keep em hydrated, fed, good sleep (not too late to bed), exercised.
Dunno what the procedure is in primary schools but maybe ask about a hand washing policy before eating! This might take all day with a big class though.
Did the child bypass creche? I think another parent was posting earlier that their child just joined the creche and was plagued with bugs.

If the child is sick at home then try and keep up the penmanship (colouring, dot to dot, painting). Read them some stories and ask what's going on what will happen next. Maybe keep revising Jollyphonics stuff if they do that.... But make it 'fun' without pressure.

michdee

Thanks all, rang the school to see what the policy was and secretary told me if she's sick she's sick, they do prefer you to keep them at home when sick so no panicking! phew!
Yeah we have been reading and I get her to pick out the words she's already done and say them out, and she's all the time doing her writing herself so hopefully will stand to her. No she didn't skip playschool, now I think of it she was sick in winter time in playschool too, but is now with a whole new group of kids, as nobody from playschool went to her primary school, so prob all new set of germs now.
Really appreciate the info and replies, thanks very much

pwurple

You mention winter having an effect...

Is she taking her vitamin d supplements or on supermilk?

Kathnora

How I wish all parents were as concerned about children missing days as you are. I've had children miss between 30 and 40 days annually and while they were
reported to the NEWB no action was ever taken against the parents and attendance didn't improve. Believe me the situation regarding attendance has to be extremely bad before any real action is taken.

michdee

pwurple wrote: »

You mention winter having an effect...

Is she taking her vitamin d supplements or on supermilk?

Yeah she is drinking super milk, and I have just gone and started her on a course of pro boitics to try boost her back up. I also got a natural elderberry supplement to boost immunity too, so hopefully she'll get back going.

Kathnora, thanks I hate her missing school as she's bored at home and I know she loves it. But hopefully this will work and boost her up, she's going back in tomorrow and we'll see, she's just finished antiboitics today so fingers crossed

heldel00

You're obviously doing your best. School is the worst place to be if you're not feeling well.
Have you anyone living nearby that attends the same school or is in the same class? They could bring home her new words/ readers/ homework if she absent in the future.

bisset

Legally they don't have to be in school at all until the child is aged 6 or over.

michdee

Thanks everybody, she's still out, got another infection. Spent last night in the hospital with her. I spoke to the school yesterday and thought she'd be back today so need to ring now and explain.
They seem to be ok with everything, tg. Thanks for the replies

goingagain

My son missed somewhere between 20-25 days last year. I have never heard from anybody. I always sent school an email explaining his illness, there may have been one instance where we went on holiday.... bad mammy.

He hasn't missed a day so far this year.

michdee

Well I'm hoping she'll go back Monday and please God there Will be no more sickness for a. While!! Thanks I've explained to school what's going on and they seem fine, so that's a weight off my mind

byhookorbycrook

goingagain wrote: »

My son missed somewhere between 20-25 days last year. I have never heard from anybody. I always sent school an email explaining his illness, there may have been one instance where we went on holiday.... bad mammy.

He hasn't missed a day so far this year.

Legally ,the school should write to you once a child misses 20 days and also notify the NEWB.

happywithlife

Saw you've already started probiotics I was gonna suggest that - and a good vit D tonic too

D9Male

Consisering it is a multi-billion dollar industry, there is remarkably little evidence of positive health effects of probiotics.

happywithlife

D9Male wrote: »

Consisering it is a multi-billion dollar industry, there is remarkably little evidence of positive health effects of probiotics.

But with a child who spent months on antibiotics and vomiting I'd stand by probiotics as helping him - agree not curing him but they certainly help. My other daughter just spent a day off school this week with a dodgy tummy and a couple of days on probiotics avoided vomiting (imho anyway)

Rhinohippo

For as long as I remember all the way back to my own days in Junior Infants the first year is always the year when kids pick up all of the childhood illnesses so if a child is sick once you notify the school there is not much more you can do.

byhookorbycrook

We have 11 out from one room today and 9 from another. There are lots of different bugs going around, it seems. Infants are really tired by this part of the term and often get ill more frequently than other children.

heldel00

There is a lot of illness hitting children the past 2/3 weeks. I was missing 5 today. Couldn't tell you when I last had everybody in. It's a bloody nightmare to try and get this bloody Christmas show rehearsed!

Rhinohippo

It's the time of the year for it. Children and adults who are never sick are being struck down at the moment. Doctors' surgeries are packed and lots of kids out in various schools and preschools that I have heard of.