Do you let your......

Kids outside to play if they are sick??

Just curious - mine had fevers overnight, horrible coughs, J was throwing up this morning but once around 11 hit they were asking to go outside and were generally fine other than the coughing so I have rugged them up and let them play for a bit before they have a rest. Funny how they self regulate - normally would run around like mad and ride their bikes and trampoline etc. but they are playing quietly in their tree house and in the mud pit making cakes instead of bike riding which would make them cough.

So do you let yours out when sick?

Yep. Rugged up. I figure if they are not overdoing it then it's ok.

If they are well enough that they actually feel like going outside then yeah, I let them. I always make sure they are warm if it's a cold they have. The sunlight will do them more good than staying inside will.

Totally! I like being in the sunshine - always makes me feel better when I'm sick. Plus, I'd rather them outdoors than inside breathing germs all over each other (or me).

If the air is cold and they have a cough, then no, because cold air tends to aggravate a cough and makes the whole area more inflamed which leads to even more coughing.

But if it was a sunny day, and the air was relatively warm, then they might go outside for a little while.

MD that was my concern too, it's that catch 22 with a cough, air is fresh here in Melbs today with a breeze but the sun is in and out and it's not freeeeezing. If I hadn't of let them out they will be climbing the walls later but I wonder if I will pay with more coughs later... ugh I hate winter!

If it's warm and sunny, yes. But generally no. DD is only 19mos and an ex prem. I can't risk her getting sicker.

Absolutely! If they're well enough to be asking for it, they're well enough to go outside. I find that with my guys, when they're really sick they don't want to be outside anyway. DS2 is still little enough to rug up & pop in the pram for a walk, so even if it's not playing outside, we often get out & about, which he always enjoys, regardless of how crook he is. He's a good sleeper in the pram too, he'll generally sleep longer when he's in there than if he's in bed, so it can be a bit of a win/win.

Bhoysgirl, I figure that too because if they are feeling really bad they won't get off the couch but today as I said they were up and about within a few hours and asking to go out, I just worry about their coughs. Both are tucked in bed snoring now after the minuscule lunch they had and their little play outside. The cold looks like it's setting in for rain now so Im glad they got half an hour of fresh air. So tricky balancing it all!!

It depends on how sick they are and what sort of sick. My two have to be really, really ill before they will actually choose to lie down so I have to use my common sense rather than theirs. If they're sick as in stomach, head etc then I tend to let them do whatever they want on the basis that they will just stop when its too much. We've had beautiful sunny days over here lately but the nights have been freezing bringing lots of fog and frost, so I have been keeping them inside earlier in the morning and then towards the end of the afternoon when the air is starting to get damp because they've both had nasty coughs that just won't go away. I definitely prefer them to have some fresh air though when they're sick - I think its very underrated as a healing thing

If they were asking to go outside I would.

Yep me too, but the days here are generally warmer than anywhere else and that sun is good for bugs.

No I don't always. My kids don't always know what's best for them. That's my job. So it's case by case and child by child.

It depends how sick they are... it's actually really unhealthy to have virus infected air circulating the house so opening up the windows and doors if the kids are in bed is a good idea. But I'll also have them nice and warm and do this through the day if they are very sick. People think the cold air makes them sick but it's just the fact that peope spend more time indoors and breath the same air. Then again when it isn't as humid a sneeze will travel futher in cold air. Cold air on it's own doesn't make you sick (unless of course you have something like asthma, it can irritate it).
If my kids are well enough to be outside I just tell them no running around and over doing it. The sunlight and fresh air are good for them though :)

Yes. Just as long as they are dressed appropriately and not overdoing it. I'm a big believer in the value of fresh air and sunshine. If I spend a day indoors without getting outside I have banging headache by the late afternoon even if I'm healthy. When I'm sick I like to take a blanket outside and laze about on it or lie on my sofa/swing thingy so I assume that the boys would like that too.
It's also nice to reduce the amount of germs in the air inside the house.
Cold air doesn't make you sick - germs make you sick.

Same as Rouge, I judge it case by case and child by child.

I think fresh air and sunshine is good for them as long as they are dressed appropriately but not always for DD. Cold air sets off her wheezing and can bring on asthma so I have to be a bit careful with her going outdoors if she has a cold etc. I've found out the hard way that even 15 mins of cold air when she isn't 100% results in coughing/wheezing ALL NIGHT. So yeah, it depends! I also prefer to send them out early/mid afternoon rather than in the morning or late afternoon when it is usually colder.

The cold thing doesn't bother me too much unless there's wheezing. People in cold climates get sick too. It's more the fact that my DD is the type of child who will rest when she's really sick. DS on the other hand will push his body to the point of over doing it. So if he'd be the kind of kid who would lie on a rug outside and read a book. Sure no problems. But alas no. So bribing him with a nest of pillows and doonas and some quiet time with an activity of his choice is often the only way to get him to recuperate. You can't catch a cold from the cold. And staying inside during the winter months where it's warm is the best way to catch it.