Rant

I have a beef with those parents out there who take their contagious children out to public places. I mean sniffly, coughing, feverish, vomitting, or diarrhea-suffering. I acknowledge that on occasion, we parents leave the house with what seems a perfectly healthy child only to have that child vomit or spike a fever at whatever outting. I give those parents immunity from my criticism. I also give immunity to those parents taking their slightly sick kids on errands that must be run, or a sniffly kid to daycare when there is no other option (most daycares don't have rules against sniffly or coughing children coming to daycare). I even forgive the parents who take snotty kids to the park (a parent's gotta get out some time!).

My beef lies with those parents who take their snotty, coughing, feverish kids to those venues where there will certainly be other kids, namely playgroups, church nurseries, swimming lessons, library circle times, or any other enclosed area where a number of small children will be playing with, and placing into their mouths, common toys. It is not necessary to bring our children to those places: we do have the option of staying home, or taking a walk, or going to a place where the child won't be sharing toys or close space with other children. There is no question that at least one other child will catch whatever is going around. And that child, it seems, is usually mine. And I'm getting quite tired of it. When I bring my children to the nursery at church, I just assume they'll be in a safe environment. But then there's the lurking kid with the runny nose. I might as well just have Solanne lick the child because the effect is the same: she's gonna get sick.

And sick she got. Runny nose and two miserable nights of sleep (up every half hour on one night!). All because that kid's parents had to come to church and they just had to bring their kid to the nursery instead of keeping him with them. Why? I just don't understand it.

So this is the sign I would like to post in all children's indoor play areas:

IF YOUR CHILD HAS A RUNNY NOSE, PERSISTENT COUGH, OR HAS HAD A FEVER/VOMITTING/DIARRHEA IN THE PAST 24 HOURS, PLEASE CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF OTHER CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILD WITHIN THIS SPACE.
THANK YOU

Keep your little germ factories home!!