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Sometimes it’s a judgment call about when to keep a sick kid home or send them to school. Kids can’t stay home for every ache and pain, even though they might want to. But sending a legitimately sick kid to school could make matters worse. Here are some guidelines:

When to send them

• A common cold or runny nose.
• A cough not associated with a fever, rapid or difficult breathing, or wheezing.
• Pink eye after symptoms have faded or after 24 hours of treatment from a doctor.
• Watery, yellow or white discharge or crusting eye discharge without fever, eye pain or eyelid redness.
• A fever without any other symptoms. The AAP states: “A fever is an indication of the body’s response to something, but is neither a disease nor a serious problem by itself.” A fever is defined as a temperature above 101 degrees.
• A rash without fever and behavioral changes. (Exception: Call 911 for rapidly spreading bruising or small blood spots under the skin.)
• Lice, as long as the child has started treatment and has no live lice.

When to stay home

• A fever over 100° (Fahrenheit)
• For 24 hours after starting an antibiotic
• For 24 hours after symptoms of stomach flu have subsided (such as vomiting or diarrhea)
• A persistent cough or chest pain, or if your child is having a hard time swallowing
• An earache with persistent pain
• Crusty, draining and red eyes
• An unfamiliar rash, or a rash that hasn’t been examined by a doctor
• Any illness that prevents the child from participating comfortably in school activities.
• Vomiting more than two times in the past 24 hours.
• Abdominal pain that continues for more than two hours.
• Mouth sores with drooling that the child cannot control.
• A rash with fever or behavioral changes.
• Strep throat, until the child has two doses of antibiotic.
• Head lice, only if the child has not been treated or if there is live lice present.
• Chickenpox (varicella), until all lesions have dried or crusted.

See this source for more details. Our school nurse also has more information at her School Health website.

Originally posted 2020-01-09 17:03:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Have you heard of the Marshmallow Test? Here’s an idea of what it’s about:

Researchers at Stanford created this simple test measure self-control in a student. What they found is that two-thirds of the students couldn’t delay their gratification to wait for something better. But one-third of those students did show self-control.

And after many years, researchers checked-in with those students to see how they were doing. Every single one of them were successful! It seems that their ability to show self-control helped them focus on what was important and to delay gratification. That helped them focus on the “big picture,” persevere through difficulties, and to steer clear of negative choices.

So what can we learn from this? Self-control and waiting for what we want is important. It’s something worth trying to develop at school and home. See if you can find ways to help your student learn to wait for what he wants: TV shows, video games, playing, using technology, snacks. If students can learn to wait for small things now, they may be able to use this self-control in bigger more important issues later.

Here’s another video about this research.

Originally posted 2016-09-19 17:45:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2018-02-19 13:55:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It’s not too rare in 4th and 5th grade to come upon some students that are having a bad time and really wish other people knew about it. This usually involves the students talking, discussing, arguing, shouting, yelling, or name-calling in an effort to express their feelings.

What we adults know is that that method usually creates more problems than it solves. But we also know that even adults are tempted to speak harshly or lash out when we feel we have been wronged.

Love and Logic has a great, simple suggestion for boosting the chance that other people will listen to you. Phrase your concern like this:

“I’d like to share what I’ve been hearing and get your thoughts.”

This method gets the concern discussed without putting anyone on the hot seat. No one feels defensive, so the topic will get discussed and probably resolved.

This would probably solve a lot of problems for people that go to elementary school, or for anyone that has ever attended one.

The rest of the article is worth a read.

Originally posted 2018-09-06 17:22:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Has someone ever said to you, “Just try it, it’s easy!” and then you found out the task they coaxed you into trying was painfully difficult? Did this leave you feeling exceptionally capable or downright stupid…and embarrassed?

When this happens to the average adult, it doesn’t take long for them to conclude two things:

• This person who’s trying to help me is nuts…and definitely not to be trusted!
• Why should I try if I can’t even handle the easy stuff?

Quite frequently I overhear well-meaning parents and educators using the “Just try it, it’s easy!” approach in an attempt to urge a reluctant child into trying something they’re afraid of. When the child finds the task easy, all is right with the world. When they don’t, they’re confronted with the pain of seeing that they might be so slow that they can’t even do something really, really “easy”!

Originally posted 2011-09-22 16:57:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter