Last Thursday, my kindergartener's school called and said that I needed to pick him up. He had a little crust around his eyes and, according to the nurse, were a little red. Pink eye has been going through the class and they were just being cautious. So, I picked him up and brought him home. His eyes didn't look red to me, or even a little pink, and I figured his allergies were kicking up. But, since he had off school on Friday, I decided I'd wait and see if the "symptoms" got any worse.
I sent him to school today, after a long weekend with no symptoms, and was called right away. I didn't know he wasn't allowed back to school without a doctor's note! The nurse said his eyes were still a little pink and I needed to get him checked. I took him to the doctor this morning. She took one look at him and said 'Why are you here? There is nothing wrong with his eyes.' I told her I thought the same thing, but my word doesn't count. I realize that the school has to follow protocol, but what a pain in the butt for me.
Oh well, live and learn.

By Kittycat_26 on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 02:51 pm:

We go through this with daycare as well. It drives me insane to take a kid to the doctor when I know good and well that there is nothing wrong with them.

By Missmudd on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 03:25 pm:

OH poo, what a pain in the buns, sorry that you had to make a special trip to have someone tell you something you alread know.

By Momoffour on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 03:53 pm:

poor little guy I had to take my son this morning he has it in both eyes. plus a broncil infection and allergies which are real bad. he isn't a happy camper the eye drops burn and he throws a fit and don't want me to use them. It will eventialy go around all of. Yeah

By Crystal915 on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 04:36 pm:

Aw, isn't that a pain?! I'm glad he's ok!

By Alberobello on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 05:05 pm:

But what do you mean about live and learn? they will do it again if it happens. I really don't understand why are they so worried about everything. My son once was in a nursery where they didn't change nappies (diapers), the children were all over three and toilet trained, but if a child did poo by accident they would call you home or work to come and change him! I just think they have lost all spontaneity and common sense for fears of being sued. In my son's school they don't let the children play in the play structure after school because there is no one to supervise them... Sorry that is a bit off topic but it does make mad that everything has to by the rules and so perfect. It's worse than bureaucracy

Sorry that you had to go through this.

By Melanie on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 05:11 pm:

How annoying!!! The doctor should have sent a note saying your sons eyes are fine but maybe the nurse needs to have hers checked. LOL.

By Sunny on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 05:37 pm:

But what do you mean about live and learn? No matter what, when the school says one thing and I say something else, it will still end up costing me money! Just kidding. I'm not sure what lesson I learned from all of this, but I like to use that expression when I'm feeling aggravated. I should have known the policy for conjunctivitis, but since I didn't think that's what it was, I never thought to follow through with the doctor last week!
The doctor who saw my DS told me that she volunteers at her child's school as a nurse/health professional occasionally and one time a teacher sent a child down to her to be checked for pink eye. When the doctor sent the child back to class saying that the student was fine, the teacher still would not let the child back in class. I guess it's one of those ailments that make everyone very nervous.

By Karen~moderator on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 05:45 pm:

Yes it is, and very often a doctor's note is required for kids to go back to school.

And then, on the other side of that coin, in some day care settings and in schools, kids are allowed to be there when they are CLEARLY too sick and should be home or at the doctor's office, and nothing is done about it. Then all the kids get sick.

This has always been one of my pet peeves - they send a kid home/they don't send a kid home. Just seems like sometimes there is no consistency and the teachers/nurses/caregivers choose when they want to enforce the rules based on the kind of day they are having...........

By Alberobello on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 05:50 pm:

Sunny, I was going to post something about the cost of going to the doctor. I mean, in the US i believe you pay everytime you go to the doctor. Shouldn't the school know this? And shouldn't they be on the parent's side. It's so annoying because they should also trust the parents insticnt, well that is JMO. But you said this happened on Thursday and today is Monday and you were told that he is not allowed without a doctor's note! that is just outrageous, i mean it looks like children are guilty until proven innocent by a "professional". Can't they see that your son is fine? isn't his education more important than a letter from the doctor? I mean if he had obvious symptoms of infection such as impetigo or conjuntivictis with green stuff coming out of their eyes, those infections are pretty visible and a mother wouldn't send the child anyway. So what do they mean that they cannot take the child without a doctor's note!

I am sorry, i get like this with these situations where policies and rules are more important than basic common sense!

By Bobbie~moderatr on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 11:27 pm:

Same issues here. Thing is we have one nurse for three schools (elem, jr high and high school) when she isn't in the building the kids are looked at by office workers... Meaning they have no clue..

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 07:41 am:

Bobbie, that's how it was here when mine were in school - one nurse split between several schools - certain days a week at certain schools in the mornings, and others in the afternoons.......and quite honestly, I don't think our nurse had much of a clue!

By Kittycat_26 on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 07:53 am:

I have to say that though it is annoying when I get a call to come and get Timmy for something that I know he doesn't have, in a way, I sort of appreciate the fact that the workers are paying attention. If they think his eyes are red and watery, even a little bit, that means that they are paying attention.

I'd like to think that all parents would have common sense to take their kids to the doctor for things like pink eye. However, one bad parent gives us all a bad name when it comes to daycare around here.

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 12:51 pm:

That's the bottom line - there's always one who doesn't......

By Kaye on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 01:51 pm:

My son had an issue with the back of his legs, we don't really know what it is, but we know what it isn't. So on occasion he has sores, think eczema looking on his legs. Well during the winter, not a big deal, but once the kid puts shorts on, his legs look bad. He got sent to the nurse from the pe coaches and we got a note that he has ringworm, complete with bandaids on each spot. UGH. Well that is not what it is. What we think is it is an allergic reaction to something (possibly the nickel on the chair legs at school), my doc siad you want me to call and tell them it is an exotic rare form of contact dermatitis? I am so glad school is out!

By Kim on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 - 07:47 am:

We are required to send children home for the health and safety of the other children and the workers! I hate calling parents, believe me and I always apologize. We are smart enough to watch the child though if they suddenly start a funky rash. If it starts spreading we call the parents. If it stays the same we continue to watch it. I have a child that had what I thought was ringworm on her face. The doctor said she could see why, it looked exactly like ringworm. It turned out to be an eczema patch on her cheek. And it shows up every now and then. We don't send kids home just to get rid of them. Our first priority is safety of the children, period. No vomitting or fevered child can return until 24 hours after they stop and parents lie all the time. When the tylenol wears off there is the fever againa dn they have exposed all of the other kids.

I guess all I am saying is that it is for the protection of your child and the other children as well. Yes, its a pain in the rear. Kayla was so sick her last year in daycare. But I see the other side of the situation.

By Colette on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 - 08:08 am:

Ditto Kim. If we have any question about a rash, it is better to be safe and send the child home than risk infecting other children (and adults). There are things like conjunctivitis, coxsackie, etc. that spread like wildfire in preschools or kindergartens where most of the kids have their fingers in their mouth, up there nose or down their pants half the time.

By Sunny on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 - 08:44 am:

I don't have anything against the teacher or nurse for being cautious. I can see the other side of the situation, too. Every parent has at some point sent their child to school thinking their child was fine only to get a call telling them that their child is really sick. I've had many 'courtesy calls' from the elementary school nurse telling me to keep an eye on this or to let me know that my child was at her office for that!
I picked my DS up when they called me the first time and I made a judgment call of my own. The aggravation for me comes from knowing that my opinion doesn't mean squat (even when I'm right)!