Sick Days

It's Monday morning once more and it brings with it not only the wind and the rain, but some sickness too. The kiddo was awake and ready for school but the coughing and spluttering was consistent. And so I told him to go back under the duvet and have a day of rest to see if the dose might shift.
I came downstairs and then contemplated my decision. I know I've made the right one but I didn't always do such. When the children were young I was adamant that they couldn't miss school. I didn't want them falling behind with that all important school work.
Now I still think it's important to keep up with that all important school work but I think it's much more important to keep on top of your health. The kiddo might just have a bad cold and cough but I'd much rather know he was under his duvet, warm and comfy, than troopsing through school all day and passing around his germs.
Next week he has his final set of 'house exams'. His next exams will be the Mock Leaving Cert in February and then of course it's the 'big one' in June.
He's been given some instructions (by me, mother of course) to read over some revision notes, after he's had an extended morning sleep, and stay warm for the day.
Maybe this makes me a bad mother encouraging him to stay off school when he's really not falling apart at the seams, but I've learned with experience that having a healthy family far outweighs the opposite.
Everyone who knows me will be aware that I place my children's educatioin at the core of their development but their health and well being is so much more important.
So it's a sick day for the kiddo today. I'll be getting a mid-morning text message from school saying he's been marked absent. I'll make the call to explain he's sick and all will be well.
I've learned over the years that a clean sheet of attendance is nice to get, but not at the price of my kids health. Sick days, we all need them!

GMcC