No judgment here—I get how challenging motherhood can be. Each day, you face countless decisions that impact your child’s life. The pressure to get it all right can be overwhelming, and I completely understand the responsibilities that come with caring for other aspects of life, too.
I know there are reasons that might push you to send your child back to school while they’re still recovering. Maybe you’ve been absent from work so often that you fear for your job security. Perhaps it’s your child’s birthday, and they’re eager to celebrate with cupcakes. Maybe they insist they feel fine even if there’s still a slight fever. Perhaps it’s Science Fair Day, and they’ve put a lot of effort into their project. Or maybe it’s Spirit Day, and they’ve been planning a special outfit with their best friend for ages. You might even question their sincerity because they’ve feigned illness before.
There are countless seemingly valid reasons to allow a child who’s just a bit under the weather to return to school. I can easily think of several, and I can imagine feeling compelled to make that choice myself.
However, I urge you to reconsider. Here’s my perspective: I’m a mother of a child with Type 1 Diabetes. While there is treatment available, managing it requires constant monitoring—checking blood sugar levels multiple times a day and administering insulin to keep her safe. This condition is a nightmare for us. When my daughter falls ill, even slightly, it complicates everything.
During her third-grade year, we found ourselves in the hospital three times, all due to the flu. The same flu that you might have sent your child back to school with when they were “almost” better.
The flu kicks off like it does for anyone, but for my daughter, her blood sugar goes haywire. Suddenly, managing her diabetes becomes a Herculean task. She swings from low to dangerously high, and then she starts feeling nauseous and eventually vomits—not from the flu, but due to diabetic complications known as ketones. Dehydration sets in quickly, and I’m racing her to the hospital even in treacherous weather conditions because, without help, the situation can become life-threatening.
In the emergency room, they rush her for treatment. Each attempt to insert an IV fails, and after several tries, they finally succeed. Meanwhile, my daughter is in tears, and so am I. It’s heartbreaking.
After a few days in the Pediatric ICU, where she was unable to eat or drink, we finally stabilized. However, our ordeal took an unexpected turn when a social worker visited us, explaining that she had to investigate our situation because my daughter had been hospitalized twice for diabetic complications. I felt a mix of indignation and despair, realizing that my daughter likely contracted the flu from school, where other children might have returned too soon when they were “almost” better.
After a month of scrutiny, we were cleared of any neglect. We were just parents trying to navigate a tough situation in a world where keeping a child healthy is beyond our control.
I don’t harbor any ill feelings. I understand that unless you’ve lived through something similar or have a child with a compromised immune system, you might not grasp how severe the flu can be. For some children and their parents, these illnesses can lead to lasting trauma, akin to a mild form of PTSD. If you were aware of the potential consequences, I believe you would think twice before sending your child back to school too early.
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Summary
In conclusion, sending a child back to school before they’re fully recovered can have unforeseen consequences, especially for those with compromised health. It’s essential to weigh the risks and consider how it might impact not only your child but also others in their environment.
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