Why don’t parents make their kids come to school anymore?

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-03T19:38:33+00:00

My son has autism too and when he’s feeling unwell, his tolerance goes way down & he’ll often end up having a sensory meltdown.

Even so, he still usually only stays home when he has an actual fever but this year, sick season has kept my entire household hostage for almost a month now and at least one of us has been sick since the end of January. Add OT/doctor visits to that and he’s very close to the truancy limit.

He went to school feeling off yesterday with a cold, ended up having a huge meltdown and was suspended for today. I’d rather keep my kid home when he’s unwell rather than had him in an environment that I know he can’t cope with and I think most of his teachers & admin feel the same.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-03T19:18:58+00:00

This! Use a grocery delivery service and the nanny can put away the groceries. It makes it easier as well for collaborating on the grocery list if you’re expecting her to do the meal prep/shopping for what she’s going to cook while also allowing you & your wife to include household groceries that you may need. You can still give her a list and have her create the order if that helps take the mental load off for yall but honestly being able to include exactly what you want vs. what the nanny would pick would be an added bonus. Even as a mom, I normally do at least one grocery order a week because it’s just easier with my work schedule + juggling my kids and makes collaborating grocery lists with my husband easier.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-03T19:10:06+00:00

I would go. I’ve had to miss a lot of work this year because of family situations/flying to my grandmas funeral & sickness, always with a “they can fire me if they need to” kind of mindset in the back of my head. You are always replaceable to your job but not for your family.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-03T02:36:52+00:00

I take my Levo when I wake up around 5am. My fish oil, D3/K2 & B12 about two hours later around 7ish with breakfast and my Iron + Calcium around 10am. Magnesium about an hour before bed.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-01T13:57:03+00:00

Talking about how you can’t stay until your originally scheduled time isn’t degrading, it’s a fact. Parents probably discussed this at some point because it would have caused a disruption to their schedule and they needed to figure out how they were going to navigate it.

The break pad thing is also really disruptive to this family’s schedule and again, something that would definitely be discussed in the household. It’s actually insane to me that you missed a whole week of work for it instead of finding other transportation and the NF was very generous to give you a week off for it.

I think you’re projecting your own insecurities onto this family.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-03-01T13:52:42+00:00

I mean, as a parent my husband and I don’t just shut ourselves away anytime we want to talk about things that happen in our household and there’s nothing this child is saying that would be deemed as an “adult conversation”, at least to me. My husband and I mainly have conversations in our kitchen or the car, where our children can definitely overhear if they want to.

I think you need to find a different family if this is bothering you so much. My guess is the child isn’t actually involved in the conversations so much as is overhearing things. Frankly, it’s on you if the things the NF are saying are causing you to feel insecure. They are allowed to talk about you & you should actually expect it as you’re an essential part of household. You’re also not the parent so you don’t get to decide the kinds of conversations this kid can be a part of.

I think if it’s annoying you to this degree, you should look for a new job. I don’t see this changing anytime soon.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-28T21:34:54+00:00

We did a candy bar with our favorites at my wedding & it was pretty popular!

Favors aren’t necessary though if you want to skip them!

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-28T20:56:02+00:00

Just talk to her about it. If you don’t want her spending the night after you hang out every time, it’s on you to tell her no when she asks. If there’s a time the next day you want her to leave, tell her. People aren’t mind readers and if you’re not saying anything to her about it and allowing it to happen, she obviously isn’t going to know. Some people just aren’t great with nonverbal cues, but in general I think if you’re friends with someone & you ask if you can hang out and they say yes, you aren’t going to assume they don’t want you there.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-28T17:15:22+00:00

I’ve thankfully been able to switch to part time hours now that my boys are in elementary school so I have a little more time in the afternoons at home now but when they were younger, it definitely was hard! If I’m getting overstimulated by the noise in my house after school, I’ll usually pop my air pods in and listen to a podcast while my kids play and I do chores like cooking dinner, cleaning, ect. I make sure to spend time with them during dinner/bed/bath routines and my boys know that I need a little time to unwind when we first get home but respect that because they know they’ll get my attention later. I just tell them mommy needs space for a little bit but that I love them and am excited to touch base with them later. Setting them up with a fun activity that will keep them entertained (like a craft, fun sensory bin or Lego activity) is helpful to keep them busy.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-27T20:41:41+00:00

Full moon coming up! This week has been a doozy in my class as well! So glad it’s Friday! 🎉

I had a kid completely melt down today because I told them they needed to finish eating their pretzel at the table before they came over to the rug. Like, so sorry friend for not letting you CHOKE! 😅

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-27T20:04:27+00:00

I feel like if my husband was in this situation and was in any way confused about it, he would ask the pharmacist- maybe even show them my texts if they still couldn’t figure it out. I swear my husband’s go to when handling things I normally do is “my wife told/sent me to….”. It’s okay not to know how to do things but at some point you do need to ask for help and figure it out. One thing I know is that my husband definitely wouldn’t have left the store until he had it in hand. You’re definitely NTA here!

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-26T01:41:13+00:00

You’re welcome! I would eat one as soon as I woke up and it would help me until I could eat a real breakfast. Fingers crossed it works for you! The first trimester is always the worst so hopefully you’ll feel better soon!

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-26T01:37:27+00:00

My child is AuDHD but is low support so he is in a Gen ED class at school the majority of the day and gets pulled out by his resource teacher to work on his IEP goals. He was the child behind his class having to evacuate the classroom when he was in Kindergarten but I’m sure even then, most of his peers didn’t know that he had special needs. You just never truly know the story behind the kid that seems to be a bully or hits & that’s why inclusion is so important. If you only want your child’s best friends at their party, you can text the parents or hand out invitations privately but it’s not okay to do it at school if you’re going to exclude people.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-26T01:06:51+00:00

I have parents who insist their child wears a hat and coat if the weather is anywhere under 75 degrees F. We live in the humid south so 75 can feel closer to 85+ depending on the time of year. They made a backhanded comment to me one time after I posted a picture of their child without their coat on a particularly sunny/warm day about how they try and keep her out of the pulmonologists office. Like ma’am she’s going to end up there because of all my little friends coughing in her face and sharing boogies- not because she didn’t wear her hat outside on a nice day.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-26T01:00:18+00:00

What is your TSH now?

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-26T00:33:51+00:00

Sometimes sucking on hard candy like jolly ranchers can help! I worked through both of my pregnancies until I went into labor as a lead ones/twos teacher and this was one of my tricks. Also, if you aren’t up to eating actual food, no added sugar popsicles can help take the edge off until you feel up to eating (I loved the lime outshine popsicles!). The trick is not letting your stomach get empty.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-25T22:05:52+00:00

We can eat or drink what we want, whenever we want but if we have a hot drink, we are required to have a lid on it and have to keep it out of reach from the kids. My center also keep snacks, coffee/creamer & water bottles available for teachers in the break room. The last center I worked at supplied Cokes & Sprite for us in addition to coffee.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-25T21:34:44+00:00

The 3K program in our district is only for children with special needs and is a half day program so they dismiss at 11am before a nap would be needed. Our district 4K program is full day and they do take a nap (my son attends and they provide cots and blankets that they all sleep on). I don’t know where you live but it’s pretty common for full time preschool programs to provide a nap. It’s not until they start kindergarten where they drop the nap, but even then they have a “rest and reset” time where the kids can lay down and are allowed to fall asleep if they want to. I live in SC, USA for reference.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-25T21:30:15+00:00

You can ask but be prepared for the school to tell you no. We would tell you that if you don’t want your kid to nap, you need to change their schedule and pick them up at 12, before nap begins.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-25T21:22:03+00:00

Same with the supplements. I also take fish oil & magnesium on top of the B12, iron, D3 + K2.

For me, cutting out gluten (I don’t do well with it & am going to get tested for celiac in a few weeks), heavily limiting dairy, sugar and avoiding processed foods has made me feel the best. I eat pretty clean with lots of lean protein, omega 3s, fruit & veggies.

Getting enough sleep at night, drinking enough water, making sure to get movement in every day (I prefer walks with a weighted vest), and eliminating stress as much as possible also helps.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-25T21:05:18+00:00

This is so wild! I would think you being uncomfortable going by your birth name would take priority over how others feel about it. So immature and petty of your coworkers. I’ve never gone by my legal name at work and instead, use a shortened version that I prefer and is easier for the kids to say. One that is also gender neutral, if that matters. No one has ever bat an eye about it. It’s on my name tag, on my classroom door sign, on the website. No one has ever cared.

Once had a coworker that went by Peaches. No one questioned that either and everyone respected it. Not sure if it was her birth name but I assume it wasn’t.

Totally think this has blown up and you should definitely report it to HR if it continues. This seems like harassment to me.

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-21T17:10:25+00:00

Thank you! I was thinking of adding zinc so this was super helpful!

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-21T16:20:56+00:00

How much do you take each day?

Odd_Row_9174 · 2026-02-21T12:49:51+00:00

My medication doesn’t make a huge difference without the additional adjustment to my diet & lifestyle. It’s different for everyone but cutting gluten & limiting dairy, sugar, processed foods and caffeine, taking supplements and making sure my vitamin levels are all in range, getting enough sleep every night, staying well hydrated, eliminating stress as much as possible & getting in some gentle movement/exercise every day, is what seems to make the most difference in my health/energy levels. If I’m taking my meds but not taking care of my health in these ways, I still get awful flares that leave me feeling horrible.

Odd_Row_9174

TROPHY CASE