As a single parent it is hard to take off work when your child is sick. You save your days up just in case there is a real emergency. But how can you tell when you should really keep your child home from school or daycare? Should you keep them home even if they have a cold? Here are some rules to live by when it comes to your child being sick.
Is your child’s fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit? If your child’s fever is 100.4 or higher that usually indicates that their body is trying to fight some kind of viral infection, so they could be contagious. You can give your child Tylenol or IB Profen to help bring the fever down, but it is important to keep them away from other children until they have had a normal temperature for at least 24 hours.
How long has your child been sick? A cold can stick around for as long as 10 days. If your child has been sick for longer than that it is important to take them into their pediatrician. They may need antibiotics in order to kick it. Once they’ve been on the antibiotics for a few days they should start feeling significantly better.
Are they complaining that their ear is hurting? For many children, what started off as a cold, often turns into an ear infection. While these are usually not contagious it is still important to get them into a doctor. Some ear infections will clear up on their own, but they will heal much faster if they are able to get an antibiotic. You may want to ask your child’s pediatrician about getting some ear drops to numb the pain as well. These were a life saver for us.
As hard as it is to take a day off of work, you can’t always control when your child is sick. It is better to take the time off so that you can take care of them. Make sure that they get plenty of rest, have them drinking lots of fluids to flush out the infection, and take advantage of the extra cuddle time. It isn’t often that you get some one on one cuddle time with your baby, don’t let it pass you by!