The School "Nurse"

It has been one of those weeks.  You know the one where it seems like it is one thing after another.  We have had a bunch of sick kids this week...  My baby has croup and an ear infection :(  But my boys have been sick too.  Monday morning both boys complained that their heads hurt, and that they didn't feel too good.  I knew that they had stayed up after we had sent them to bed reading/playing, so I was not too sympathetic.  In fact I had no sympathy for them.  I gave them some meds for the head ache and MADE them go to school...

Imagine my surprise when I was called within 15 minutes of them getting to school, and it was the school.  It seems that in the Whole 10 minutes Ben had been at school that he had not FELT good enough and had been sent down to the "nurse".  The "nurse" said she had him lie down and rest for a few minutes (really, because he had only been in school a few minuets???), and then she had taken his temp.  And on her magic thermometer it was 100 degrees even.  The school HAS to send kids home from school when they have a temp of 100 or above...

I was SO happy to go and get Ben...  And the "nurse" was sure to tell me that sometimes kids get sick as soon as they get to the school.  So much for teaching my kids NOT to stay up late playing/reading...  The "nurse" also made it a point to tell me that Ben could not come back to school until he had not had a fever for 24 hours.  And that was 24 hours of no fever and no MEDS! 

Ben's temp was not 100 on my thermometer when we got home, but it has gone up and down a lot this week.  It is now Thursday, and Ben has not been to school yet.  And he has had a fever, and a little cough.  But that is it.  No runny nose, no ear ache, no soar throat.  Just a fever and a very little cough (all though it seems to be getting worse today).

This morning I made the obligatory call to the school to let them know that Ben would not be there again.  For some reason the "nurse" picked up (it has been going to the machine so I could just leave a message).  I told the "nurse" that Ben would not be there again today.  And she asked if he had been to the doctors yet.  When I told her no she went on to basically "HINT" that he would need to be seen before he could come back to school!  Really???  You sent him home!  And then you told me he couldn't come back until he had gone 24 hours with out a fever!  And now you are going to tell me that I have to take him to the doctor before he comes back???  Is he getting paid to go to school???  Really???