A plea to that parent whose child has a cold: let him recover first

Along with children come bugs – it’s inevitable. Cold bugs, flu bugs, tummy bugs, you name it, your child will probably get one or all (or more!) of these at some point, at least until he’s older and his immune system is in top fighting condition.

I get that kids getting sick is unavoidable because I’m a mum too and have had my fair share of dealing with little dripping noses, aching tummies and sore throats.

It’s actually worse in my home because I have two kids – and mums of more than one kid, you know why.

My heart sinks -- right down to my feet -- when one child starts sniffling, sneezing and coughing because I know that soon after, the other child will start doing the same. It’s a vicious cycle, really.

We all know that these common infections are no big deal health-wise, and that doctors say it’s actually good for children to get a cold once in a while to help build up their immune system.

But all mums and dads know that they are in fact a big deal, in a different way. Because the moment a child gets sick, his and his parents’ normal routine gets turned on its head.

It’s dealing with the poor appetites, the sleepless nights for everyone because of nocturnal coughs and congestion, the vomiting, and the clinginess. It’s the doctors’ fees and the days lost at work.

It’s just the stress of seeing your child sick.

So, if you are a parent, you will understand what it’s like to have a sick child. And here’s my plea to you.

If your baby, toddler, pre-schooler or primary-schooler has a cold, the flu or any other bug, please keep them at home until they get better.

I understand that this may not be convenient for you. You might have a really important meeting to attend, or you may just need to get your little one out of your hair.

But when you send a coughing, sniffling, sneezing child to school or even to a play date, you’re putting your own child’s health at risk, and committing a great injustice to other parents and other kids.

We all know that germs are everywhere, especially at schools and other public place. We don’t have control over this. But we do have some control over our kids, at least when they are small, and their safety and wellbeing always needs to come first.

So, keeping basic courtesy, common sense and even friendship in mind, let your little one get better before you send him out again.

By doing this and ensuring he rests at home, you are helping his little body fight that nasty cold, flu or tummy bug, thus preventing a relapse of the same infection.

You might even be preventing a more serious condition like bronchitis or pneumonia from developing by letting him recover fully before he starts his normal school/ play routine again.

Also, importantly, you are helping to keep other kids from getting the same infection, and thereby sparing both them and their parents from a potentially stressful situation.

So please keep these points in mind the next time you are tempted to send your little one to school or to a play date, before he fully recovers from a cold or other infection.

You have my word that I’ll forever be grateful to you for doing this, and so will many other parents.

Parents, what do you feel about other sending their sick kids to school, or even to your own house for a play date? Share your thoughts in a comment below.