One of the most frequently asked questions for the school nurse is, "When should I keep my child home from school?" A good guideline is to think about whether the child will be too uncomfortable to learn or whether he/she might be contagious to other children. As a rule, these are our recommendations:

• Fever of 100 or greater - keep your child home until there is no fever for 24 hours and no medicine has been given for fever for 24 hours.
• Vomiting more than one time - keep your child home until they have not vomited for 24 hours
• Diarrhea
• Pain examples: earache, sore throat, stomach
• Rash
• Illnesses that are contagious to other children. Examples: Pinkeye and chickenpox

The best defense against childhood illness is hand washing. When you teach your child to use good handwashing techniques before eating and after playing or using the bathroom, it goes a long way towards keeping them healthy and in school.

For more information on common childhood illnesses and when to keep your child home, click on the documents below.