The 24 Hour Rule......AKA Don't Infest Me With Your Nastiness

It's Back-to-School Season. Yay!!!! Quickly followed by sneeze, cough, booooooooooooooo.........

As a mom to a five year old, I was pretty psyched for the first day of Kindergarten. It's a huge stepping off point in a child's life to start school and as a mom a mini-celebration of "I got'em this far, I'm not a complete failure as a parent!" Side note--I fully expect to keep having these mini-celebrations all throughout my child's life.

I bet if you think back, all of those childhood memories come flooding back from shoe shopping, to school supply shopping (God help me that's a whole blog post in itself), to stepping on the bus, and that first intimidating step through those glass doors and finding your classroom, wanting to fit in, loving your TrapperKeeper no matter what the coolest (read nastiest) girl in class said about it, and loving recess. However, I am willing to bet you don't remember your first school sickness. Now ask your mom if she remembers. Because the trauma of your child's first school day sickness is truly scarring.

Think back, I distinctly recall taking Kleenex boxes to school as part of the supply list all the way through elementary school. So much so, that I had bought a 3-pack before the lists came out, and actually had to deliberately think through why tissues weren't on the list. Now, maybe you have deduced that there's a real reason for this, and a subliminal message of don't send your sick kid to school. In case you haven't figured that out, let me be more direct...DON'T SEND YOUR SICK KID/S TO SCHOOL!

I know it's awful when your child is ill. It's horrible. Doctor's don't always get it right, and as parents we have to use common sense, which really isn't so common. It's frustrating to explain to your boss, your co-workers, etc., that you need to be home with your sick child, again, but that's part of responsible parenting. If you or your child haven't been fever-free for at least 24 hours don't return to work or school. It starts a never-ending cycle of illness in the school and workplace that infects the kids, the parents, teachers and never stops. And if you come near me sick, I will spray you with Lysol, like a jogger with mace in Central Park.

Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, stay home when you hack and sneeze, and keep it to yourself, please, please, please.  All of this said, my Kindergartener came home Day 1 with Hand, Foot and Mouth virus and is just miserable. And, as a result I'm sick too. Missing a day of work, and yet again postponing my To-Do list. Why? Because you were too selfish to keep your kid home from school. Thanks, Thanks a bunch.

And, no, it's not the same as Foot and Mouth Disease. Humans don't get that.