As students across the U.S. prepare to head back to school, parents are being warned that a handful of common back-to-school mistakes could be helping illnesses spread through classrooms as CDC data found on average more than two-thirds of children miss at least one day of school a year.
Healthcare staffing platform Nursa reports that demand for nurses spikes by over 8 percent during the back-to-school period. According to Miranda Belcher, a registered nurse at Nursa, knowing when a child is well enough to return to school is one of the most important decisions parents can make.
From sending children back while they’re still contagious to using medication to mask a fever, these well-intentioned decisions can increase the risk of classmates, teachers, and other school staff becoming sick during one of the busiest times of the year for school health professionals.
Sending children back before they’re no longer contagious
According to Belcher, this is one of the biggest mistakes parents make during the school year. “I completely understand the pressure parents feel to get back into routine, but sending a child back just one day too early can result in several more children becoming sick,” she says. “Waiting until they’re genuinely ready often prevents much bigger disruptions later.”
Masking a fever with medication
Fever reducing medication should be used to help your child feel comfortable, not to help them get through a school day. If medication is the only reason they’re able to attend school, they probably need another day at home.
Not informing the school
Keeping the school informed about contagious illnesses allows staff to track outbreaks, monitor patterns, and inform families if multiple children become sick. That communication plays an important role in preventing larger outbreaks.
Forgetting medications and emergency information
The beginning of the school year is a great time to double-check that inhalers, EpiPens, daily medications, and emergency contacts are all up to date. It only takes a few minutes but makes a huge difference if your child becomes unwell at school.
Expecting antibiotics for every cough
Many of the illnesses children pick up after returning to school are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work against viral infections. Taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed won’t help your child’s recovery and contributes to antibiotic resistance.
According to Belcher, the first few weeks of the school year are always incredibly busy because children are coming back together after spending the summer apart, bringing viruses from different households into one place. Classrooms, cafeterias, and school buses allow germs to spread quickly, particularly among younger children.
“Parents naturally don’t want their child to miss school, but sending them back before they’re fully recovered can lead to more children becoming sick, creating even more disruption for families and schools,” she says.
The illnesses children should stay home with
Some illnesses are far more likely to spread through schools than others, making it important for children to stay home until they’re no longer contagious.
- Vomiting and diarrhea- Stomach bugs spread rapidly through classrooms and shared bathrooms, with viruses able to linger on surfaces.
- Fever- A fever is often a sign of the body fighting an infection, even if medication temporarily brings the temperature down.
- Strep throat- Children should stay at home until they’ve been taking antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
- Hand, foot, and mouth disease- Particularly common among younger children, this illness spreads easily through close contact and shared surfaces.
Parents can often feel under pressure to get children back into school as quickly as possible, but returning too early can allow illnesses to spread rapidly throughout a classroom. Giving them enough time to recover not only helps protect others, but it also gives your child the best chance of making a full recovery.
When children can still attend school
While some illnesses require children to stay home, others can usually be managed without missing school, including:
- A mild cold without a fever
- Seasonal allergies
- A lingering post-viral cough
- Eczema
- Non-contagious skin rashes
“Parents sometimes keep children home because they don’t want to take any chances, but not every sniffle or skin condition is contagious,” says Belcher. “Mild colds without a fever, allergies, and conditions like eczema generally don’t require children to miss school. Knowing the difference helps reduce unnecessary absences while still protecting other students from genuine infectious illnesses.”
Back-to-school season is much more than coughs and colds. School nurses and health staff are supporting children with chronic medical conditions, helping students manage anxiety, responding to asthma attacks, administering medications, and dealing with illnesses all at the same time. “Parents can play an important role by making sure medical forms are completed, medications are up to date ,and children stay home when they’re genuinely contagious,” says Belcher. “Those simple steps make a big difference for everyone in the school community.”
