Should Jordan example rule if kids are ill?

  • By John Keilman Chicago Tribune
  • Friday, September 25, 2015 6:50pm
  • Life

Michael Jordan’s legendary “flu game” is an enduring inspiration in my house, though not for the reason you might think.

Jordan scored 38 points in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals despite being so weakened by flu-like symptoms that he needed teammates to prop him up during timeouts. Most people consider that game to be the epitome of MJ’s unrelenting competitiveness. I consider it an endorsement of my belief that kids shouldn’t call in sick for any reason short of a severed limb.

This has led to a few regrettable incidents, such as the time I encouraged my son to play a basketball game when he was paler than Casper the Friendly Ghost, and the time I dragged my nauseated toddler daughter to the office so I could do some work, only to see her upchuck in a colleague’s trash can.

But for the most part, I think this attitude teaches children to tough it out when they’re not feeling their best. The world is going to expect that when they grow up, so why not learn it when they’re young?

When it comes to sending a sick child to school, though, there’s no denying that parents get something out of it, too.

For working moms and dads, a child’s unexpected illness can be anything from a minor irritant to a job killer. So we have plenty of motivation, character-building aside, to give little Timmy some Children’s Tylenol when he’s warm and hope he makes it through the school day without his head bursting into flames.

Most districts have policies meant to keep the truly sick kids at home, including those with contagious illnesses such as strep throat or pink eye, and those who, within the last 24 hours, have experienced vomiting or a fever of 100-plus degrees. I grudgingly go along with those rules, but there’s still plenty of wiggle room that can be exploited by a harried parent.

Consider the common cold: School guidelines sometimes call for kids to stay home when their symptoms interfere with their ability to learn. Well, what does that mean?

Junior here learns just fine when he’s coughing up his trachea — quiet, Junior — so it’s off to school he goes. Besides, I’ve got a 9 a.m. flight to Newark that I can’t possibly reschedule.

I’ve pushed the limit enough to know I’m not the best authority on when to keep a kid home, so I asked a couple of experts about where parents should draw the line.

Beth Mattey, president of the National Association of School Nurses, said parents should be especially cautious with younger kids, who aren’t as vigilant about preventing others from getting sick by covering their mouths when they cough and washing their hands regularly.

That said, if an older child is warm but still below his district’s fever threshold — the Delaware high school where Mattey works has a cutoff of 100.4 degrees — it’s probably fine for him to go to class if he otherwise feels OK, she said.

“Parents know their kids the best,” she said. “They know when kids are generally not feeling well. We certainly don’t want to encourage kids to stay home willy-nilly. … As long as they aren’t running a fever or show obvious signs of an illness, certainly we need to encourage them to go to school.”

But Mary Anne Wesoloski, president of the Illinois Association of School Nurses, said there’s also a bigger picture to remember.

“You have to look at the endgame,” said Wesoloski, who works as a school nurse in Barrington, Ill. “(Keeping ill children home) comes back to benefit them. If they’re not at school getting their friends sick, they’re not getting it back a week later. … In the long run, everybody wins when these guidelines are followed.”

In the short run, though, parents still have those pesky work commitments to manage, which sometimes leads to kids going to school when they shouldn’t.

Wesoloski said she understands the pressure of making that “go/no go” decision quickly in the morning, especially for single parents or those in non-salaried jobs, where taking time off means less money in their paychecks.

“Sometimes parents feel they have no choice but to send their kids,” she said.

I’m fortunate to have understanding bosses and a job with some flexibility, so generally I’m able to make that choice. So while I’m still strict about having my kids go to school when they’re not feeling tip-top, I’m trying to ease up a little.

After all, not every school day should be treated like the NBA Finals. Just most of them.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.