Kids get sick a lot. Especially toddlers. They are exploring, putting things in their mouths all the time, sometimes they even like to lick things like shopping carts. It's terribly challenging to keep a kid from catching something. But there is something we as parents can do to prevent other kids from getting sick. You know, help another parent avoid a week of sleepless night, Stage 4 clingers, and crusty booger snot stains all over everything in the house. And that's to keep your kid cooped up in the house for the entirety of the sickness, and even however long after they may still be contagious.
And yet it's something so many parents don't do. Because that's damn near impossible. But the worse offense is actually letting your sick child play with other kids. Why, parents, why?!
It's clear we can't keep our kids quarantined for every little illness. I've taken my kids food shopping with me when they had colds. Yes, runny noses and all. There are just times where I have to do something and have no one to watch the kids. So they must come along. Of course if they had Chicken Pox or something extremely worrisome I wouldn't expose them to the outside world ... or rather expose the outside world to them. But for the times they are only a little bit of sick, they have been out and about with me. This is why I am now vigilant about cleaning off the part of the grocery cart where kids sit. I bet you'll be more careful now, too, if you weren't already.
One of the worse offenses a parent can make against another parent and perhaps even more than putting down their parenting style is letting your viral little hotbed of disease play in the sandbox with the other kids, or visit the children's museum or the library or actually set up a playdate and spent time coughing, sneezing, and drooling the germs all over the place virtually guaranteeing the other kids will get sick, too. Might as well just bring the tainted lollipops so we at least get a little serving of candy with your plague.
Put down my parenting style all you want -- I can ignore you. Pass us whatever's going around because you're letting your knowingly sick kid play with others is not something anyone can ignore. Like I mentioned it's basically a sentence of sleepless nights, Stage 4 clingers, and boogers boogers boogers everywhere.
It happens, though. I know. I can't get angry. I'm not. There have been times I was in complete denial my child was sick -- boogers and fever and unexplained tears and all. And that's because of how awful it can be when our little loves are not feeling well. I may have even been guilty of spreading our sick to undeserving playdates. So for the times we have oops! accidentally done such a thing, the only way to make up for the crime is *drum roll* offer to babysit so those parents get a deserved night out. Or make them your best banana bread. Or both.
Have you let your kid play with other kids at the playground or elsewhere even when your child is sick? Does that make a bad mom or dad?
Image via Pink Poppy Photography/Flickr
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Comments 135
My life aside, my point is that kids are meant to catch viruses so their antibodies get stronger and it strengthens their immune systems. This post makes me think (the author perhaps?) wastes time constantly freaking out about germs and spraying Lysol on everything in a vain effort to 'protect' you and your family from illness, Protect them from things that matter, such as the Boogyman, Closet Monsters, Clowns, *Actual* potentially dangerous or deadly diseases and I dunno,,,, harm, perhaps?
*end rant*
Dude a runny nose and a cough is not SICK, being SICK is when your child spends 8 months in a fucking NICU. Big difference folks. NO child has ever died from a runny nose or a cough and if your child gets Whoopeing cough its because your vaccinated ass gave it to them. Do some research on how the body works and how it kills off germs..
This is ridiculous. Most kids at my sons school were sick constantly with runny noses, coughs, some sort of 'cold'. If their parents quarantined them every time they were sick and potentially infectious then they'd only be at school like 3 weeks out of the year.
Kids get sick. Deal with it. If you can't deal with your child getting a cold then parenting probably isn't for you, you perfectionist. *facepalm*
kidsare contagious before they actually show any symptoms. I forgt how soon before then up to 10 days after. It depends on what your child has before I decide if they can play or not. I mean if my child has a little cold then I let them play, but if it is them throwing up or strep, chicken pox things like that then no I don't let my kids play. My kids have never had chicken pox, but if it is your child that is sick a little cold I don't care about (how do you think they build their immunity), if they were throwing up or diarrhea then no because who do you think that cleans that up (lol), if they have chicken pox I would let my child play because I honestly rather them get it now then when they are older. My kids are 7, 4.5 and 1. Moldest had the chance to get chicken pox when she was younger, but I saidno because she was only a few weeks old. When I had her I use to babysit for 4 kids and they came down with chicken pox she was actually telling me that they werent contagious anymore cause they were all crusted over but I wanteed to wait to make sure because if she missed one my dd would have gotten it and I felt she was to young at a few weeks old. So it depends on what they have
i find it humorous that i.heart.my.boys has even posted what she did...smh...im gonna use a page out of your book.....why should we care about the safety of your child?...really..humor me...