The Answer Sheet - Stop Sending Sick Kids to School

I know that you had your excuses: Your son didn’t have fever when you dropped him off at school at 8 a.m.--even if the nurse says he has 102 degrees Fahrenheit an hour later... You thought your daughter was sneezing and coughing because of her allergies... It is sometimes hard to tell when your kid’s physical complaint is an excuse to get out of a test.

I believe all of that. And I also believe that some people will keep sending their kids to school sick even if the secretary of Health and Human Services personally comes to their door and begs them not to.

But for those of us who are capable of changing our behavior, this is the time. Here’s why:

--The government predicts that perhaps as much as half of the U.S. population could come down with the H1N1 virus strain, better known as the swine flu. That’s roughly twice as many people who usually get the flu during a regular season.

--The population most expected to be affected is between the ages of 5 and 24. That means, quite possibly, your kids.

--There is not yet a vaccine to combat this flu.

It is time—now—to plan for a situation in which your child stays home—either because of sickness or because his/her school has closed:

*If you work outside the home, find out what accommodations your employer is making; the government has asked businesses to be flexible.

*Figure out who can stay with your child if you can’t. Figure out who can take care of your kids if you get very sick.

*Ask your child’s teachers what plans are being made to allow students who are at home but not sick to do work.

*Ask teachers how they will accommodate kids who are sick and not well enough to do work.