"Rules" for going out with a sick child

Hi all,

I know it is common courtesy not to take your child to play dates/creche/daycare if they have been sick recently. I was wondering what your "rules" are for what constitutes infectious symptoms, such that you would keep them away from other kids?

I've heard that green snot stays home but clear is fine. Also I've heard that if they've vomitted in the last 24 hours you should keep them home. What about temperatures?

DS1 had a temperature last night and a clear runny nose, but is fine now. We've got a social play date this afternoon - go or stay home?

I'd see how he is during the day. If he's well then I'd go.


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See how he is feeling and ask the mum if it's ok to still meet up, I would be fine about it if it was me but prefer to know about it.

I would be the same just see how he is and ask the mum, if he has a clear runny nose and seems fine then i wouldn't worry at all.
The only time i keep my girls in is if they have green yucky snot, constant high temps or are coughing on everyone :)

I usually let the other mum decide!

Temperatures, vomiting, green snot or gross cough usually make me cancel playdates and not send to school. But if they're on the tail end of sickness or look like they might be coming down with something I just let the other mum know and leave it to them if they want to be exposed or not.

I agree with the other black_rose and Liz... Let the other mummy know and then let her decide. I'm usually pretty chilled about it all, if the other kids snot is clear and the mummy thinks the kid is doing ok then I'm all up for a playdate. However, I have a mummy friend who will cancel things if she knows that my DS has been sick or has a runny nose or whatever because she is super paranoid about her DD getting sick. I accept that, no biggie :)

Ditto to everyone above. A temp and clear runny nose could be teething??? So definately not contagious or anything like that. Go with your Mummy gut.

Same as PPs, I usually let the other mum know & see how she feels.

Yeah, I agree. I would see how he goes today and let the other parent/s know and let them decide.

In my case this happens quite often when either my boys or my friends children have got colds but we usually go ahead with the playdate. We only cancel if its something worse like gastro (of course) or something they require stronger medicine then panadol/nurofen for (eg one of my friends child gets bad tonsillitis alot when we arrange meet ups or my DS2 had croup for a recent arrangement....so we postponed).

Hope your little one is ok (could it be teeth? my boys get like that when teeth are coming)

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I usually cancel if they have green snot, a cough and grumpy....if they are at the start of coming down with something I play it by ear, like if it's a play date at the park and the weather is a bit cool/wet I'll skip it. If they are at the end of their cold, I'll let the other mum know and then it's up to her.

I tend to be a bit more cautious, but it does depend a lot on the circumstances as well.

If I'm going to be in an enclosed space (small room) with people then I will be more careful about possibly spreading bugs. There are also some families among my friends where even minor illnesses can have major consequences. A little girl with CF, a young baby with a serious heart condition and a family who are getting close to bringing home their 10 weeks early prem baby. For any of them, a minor cold can have serious consequences. Any sign of illness developing, even if it is just clear snot to start with and I will stay home. So many serious and contagious illnesses start with clear snot and look like "just a cold" to start.

My personal rules - clear snot at the end of a bug, ok to go. But clear snot with a cough, grumps, fevers or other signs of being unwell, do not go. If it's me with say clear snot and a sore throat (no cough), I will go, so long as we aren't going to be in close quarters with people. Gastro, I wait until at least 24 hours have passed since the last spew or icky nappy, and even then I'm still completely vigilant in terms of hygiene. Just in case.

Having seen my friend's little girl end up in hospital with heart failure because someone else saw a cold as "no big deal", I'm paranoid.

I am also more cautious about hanging with sick kids, when i know that i will be seeing other families where sickness will really affect them (similar to BWs examples) and i don't want to be the person who brings the illness to their door. So, it's always best to gve your friend the info and let her decide if she wants to meet up.

I agree with BW. If hte clear snot is at the end of the bug, and he seems well and no other symptoms, then that's ok. But if it's just started it could be something else, so we stay home. Definitely if any other symptoms also.

I agree with BW and MadB, like they said anything starts with a clear runny nose. A clear runnynose at the end of an illness is fine. If they have a yucky sounding cough after a cold I let the other parents know and let them decide.

I too would go with checking with the other parents, and if they are ok, then go ahead. If my daughter had to 'miss out' every time she had a cold she would never leave the house!

I agree with the other girls speak to the mum.
I am one of those paranoid mothers, only because a simple cold can still very easily put my two very early prems in hospital.
For my other kids I was a lot less pedantic because it would not effect them as severely.

Temperatures 38 and over, I wait 24 hours before taking them around other kids because they are still contagious. If it is just a low grade temp (37.9 and under without panadol) then as long as it comes back down, I am okay taking them out because low grade temps can be caused by teething and other non infectous things.

Clear snot and no other symptoms we go out but green snot or more than just a runny nose, we stay home and away from other people.

Anything gastro, we wait 24 hours until the last symptom (not just for the sake of others but it's not fun to clean up when we are out either).

I guess most of it depends how the kids are feeling as well. Symptoms are one thing, but if they are feeling miserable, it is not fair on them (or the people we are going to meet) if they aren't feeling well because they are cranky and out of sorts and don't enjoy it anyway.

Having said all that, while I don't take them to playgroup and the like while they are unwell, they don't cope with being cooped up for too long so often we will go to the park or for a short walk late in the afternoon just to get them out a bit which seems to help them get better sooner. We tend to steer away from playground equipment and stick to open spaces, but it does do wonders for helping them feel better.

I never take a sick child without giving the other parent the option. I don't understand why people make the distinction betwen the clear or green nose - I have never had a green nose (even with very nasty flus), nor has my son, it depends on how the individual's body fights the infection/virus. And yes most things, including whooping cough, start with a clear runny nose. And even with a cold, the most contagious time is at the onset of symptoms - usually a clear runny nose.