Every night my high school freshman son says, “Do I have to go to school tomorrow?”

Every night I say, “Yes.”

I suppose he gets?‚? A for effort,?‚? since if history were to repeat?‚? itself, I’d say no just about every time.?‚? Now I?‚? just stand firm and off. he. goes.

We’re in the process of retraining ourselves to overcome the drudgery of sniffles and some?‚? undeniable lifetime obstacles, and just tally forth. Each and every day he is getting to his first class at 8:32 a.m.

But, “Is he too sick for school?” is?‚? a question every parent?‚? struggles with now and then, because sick takes on many connotations.

In preschool, it’s pretty clear cut. Where I teach if a child gets in under the radar with a green runny nose, we phone home. Heck, chances are we don’t let Mom out the door.?‚? If anything arises where someone between the ages two and four?‚? is just not?‚? acting like him or herself, they go home.

When my kids were in elementary school, if the nurse would call, we’d figure out if there was really a problem or not.?‚? I don’t leave sick kids at school, but sometimes it’s like deciphering a riddle to figure out what’s wrong and what’s not.?‚? I learned that when my daughter was in kindergarten.?‚? She would go to the nurse not feeling well.?‚? The nurse would call with the report of a low-grade fever. I’d zip around the corner and pick up my daughter, take her home, take her temperature to find it a resounding and normal 98.6.

By the time my son was in junior high?‚? there were?‚? extenuating circumstances that warranted extraordinary measures. For all intents and?‚? purposes, I homeschooled 7th grade. I don’t remember 6th grade, and 8th grade was a free-for-all.

Which brings us to the land of the Freshman.?‚?

So, attempting to lend credence to my new and improved stance on attendance, I?‚? searched for backup.

In a recent USA today article it states the primary rules for keeping a child home from school…

???‚¬?? Vomits twice or more over a 24-hour period.

???‚¬?? Has an oral temperature higher than 100.

???‚¬?? Coughs almost constantly or has difficulty breathing.

???‚¬?? Repeated bouts of diarrhea or bloody stools.

???‚¬?? Exhibits abdominal pain for more than two hours.

???‚¬?? Has open sores on the mouth.

???‚¬?? Displays a skin rash or red eye, and you don’t know why.

???‚¬?? Is infested with lice or scabies.

???‚¬?? Shows symptoms of contagious diseases such as chickenpox, German measles, hepatitis A, impetigo, measles, mumps, shingles, strep throat or whooping cough. Children can get vaccinations against some but not all of these.

Dare I say? Duh.

But there are parents who pile their kids onto the bus when they shouldn’t, no matter how old they are.?‚? And I get it. Parents have to go to work to keep their kids in the latest jeans and gym shoes and to keep food on the table. ?‚? And in the case of single parents, well, school is when our kids are safe, and technically under lock and key. It’s the only time of day I get to take a deep breath because I know that my children are under, at the very least, adequate adult supervision.?‚? I will admit that a kid home from school disrupts my schedule, my work, and most importantly, my peace of mind.

So sick days are doled out very carefully around here nowadays.

There are also parents who keep?‚? kids home for little more than the sniffles.?‚? For the record, I read in that same USA today article that children with colds can go to school unless their symptoms prevent them from participating in normal activities. Colds are most contagious very early in the illness, sometimes even before the symptoms appear,?‚? it said, quoting?‚? Jeff Sperring, a pediatrician at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.?‚?

Kids at all ages exhibit symptoms that might warrant a day at home, if there is someone there to care for him or her. But with the onset of adolescence and the high school experience looming in our household?‚? new light has been shed?‚? on things.?‚? Times change, and rules change.?‚? And often that’s actually a good thing that teaches a life-long, not just a high school, lesson.

Unless you can’t go, you go.?‚? And sometimes you go when you really don’t think you can.

And that’s like teaching two not-so-old dogs new tricks.

This is his job. To go to school,?‚? to do his school work to the best of his ability,?‚? and to save his “sick” days for when he’s really sick, or we face some undeniable emergency.

So far, so good…and only about 140 more days to go.

This year.

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