It has been exactly three weeks since Isaac and Eliza went back to school.
Like many schools the kids are positively encouraged to get 100% attendance over the school year with not only house point rewards, a teddy presented to the class with the best attendance on a weekly basis, but also the promise of an end of term treat at Sprinkles, a popular ice cream parlour in Bournemouth and Poole.
Both Eliza and Isaac had good attendance last year, but both were hit with the dreaded tummy bug which demands that they are kept off school for 48 hours after the symptoms finish which meant they didn’t get to go to Sprinkles. Like a lot of their friends, they were most disappointed.
They went back to school with a fresh determination that they would get this treat this year, but Isaac went down with the dreaded sickness bug within two weeks of being back at school and Eliza was hit overnight, which has meant time off for them both.
It is very frustrating as a parent seeing them upset that they are missing out on school because they are not well. When they go back to school, kids are constantly picking up bugs because they don’t worry about germs like grown-ups, so they tend to touch more surfaces such as the playground, soil or even each other more often than adults. This makes them efficient little germ carriers. Children collect, transfer and carry more germs and bacteria than adults, and at a faster rate.
Their little immune systems aren’t as developed as adults, so when you combine this with playtime it increases their chance of getting sick more often which is why I think having such a focus on 100% attendance is unfair and an added pressure for them.
That said, I understand why the school has done it. They have their own targets, it has shown to work with double the amount of children getting a treat last year compared to the year before and it sets kids a good understanding of how the world of employment works when they are older………but for now, we are disappointed!
I will just have to treat them to Sprinkles at the end of term!
While it’s lovely to have a 100% attendance in school, I think it’s a bit too much to ask especially with young children and this is obvious when winter comes. It’s like they play-tag with germs/bugs/colds among their friends. T was already off school for two days last week because of a high temperature due to a bad cold. I don’t think she’s ever had the 100% attendance. Hopefully she will! x
I can understand 100% attendance but don’t think it’s fair on kids who are genuinely poorly to be denied a treat, it really isn’t their fault xx
Kids pick up so many coughs, colds , stomach bugs and other illnesses when they are in school. Such a shame that they have been off, they obviously know how important it is not to miss any time. Sounds like they are lovely children and a credit to you Kara!
I don’t think 100% attendance in school is very realistic. Kids get ill quite often during winter months.
This is so unfair!! I don’t think 100% attendance is fair at all. Every year at primary school my daughter missed out as she had 1 day off school being poorly. So many bugs go around quickly at school and the kids really do want to get their full attendance. They just punish the children who do try. Yes you should make you own sticker chart and treat them at half term 🙂 Mine use to love charts when they were younger.
That’s definitely a good incentive to get students to attend 100% but as you said you can’t help if the kids get sick, plus at that age when they can pick up anything and from anyone (and they socialise lots!) I agree, just treat them yourself as an appreciation of their attendance in their mummys eyes 🙂
100% is something to strive for but I am not keen on the bribery aspect with the promise of gifts and treats x
Kids pick up all sorts of bugs in school. I am dreading having to deal with all that.
The 100% attendance thing winds me up! I wrote a post on it several months ago in fact as like you, I get it, but when the kids are so young they are always picking things up and you’d want to encourage kids to then stay away until they’re well, rather than make them feel they should struggle in and then of course pass things on. At my girl’s school it is just a certificate so it’s not too big a deal, but missing out on a trip is hard!
It helps when schools have incentives for children to have good attendance. We never miss school unless the children are ill.
Aww poor things. My daughter got a stomach bug within 2 weeks of starting school so had to have the day off. She was so upset x
You are completely right, and I had exactly the same conversation with my wife about this a week or so ago. It’s like penalising a child for something completely outwith their control. Reward their abilities or achievements, for sure, but don’t make a child feel like they’ve done something wrong when they had no role in it.
How cheeky bribing people with teddies and ice cream! Wish that did that when I was at school because I basically never missed school!
I don’t think kids being sick should also go against there attendance record. It’s bound to happen