While families and school leaders alike agree that regularly attending class is vital to strong academic achievement, recent findings from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found parents weigh a number of competing priorities when it comes to keeping their high- or middle-school-aged children home due to illness, or for a mental health day.
In some cases, such as if the student is vomiting, has a high fever, or has a contagious condition that could spread to classmates or teachers, the decision is easy.
“In other circumstances, parents have to guess at whether their child’s report of ‘not feeling well’ represents a sufficient reason to miss school,” the report states. “When that child is in middle school/junior high or high school, these parent decisions incorporate a range of factors. For example, parents take into account whether their child needs rest and monitoring, or if they can handle the strain of crowded hallways and changing classrooms and teachers.”
Overall, in situations where it’s unclear whether their child is sick enough to miss school, 53 percent of parents surveyed reported they are most likely to keep their child home just to be safe; 25 percent would send their child to school and hope for the best; and 19 percent said they would let their child decide.
In making decisions about whether their child is too sick to go to school, parents say they take into account:
- Whether their child thinks they can make it through the day (59 percent)
- Whether their child will pose a risk to teachers or other students (54 percent)
- How their child is behaving (39 percent)
- If their child has a test or presentation (34 percent) or after-school activity they want to attend (12 percent)
- Whether a parent can stay home with the child (17 percent)
Parents also say their child factors in missing friends or school activities (61 percent) if they are absent from school, or express concerns about a negative impact on grades (65 percent).
“Grades often become more important in middle and high school,” according to researchers, who also noted that in addition to students, “many parents include academic considerations in their decisions about whether their child should attend school when sick. Typically, parents may view their child’s concern about academics as a positive indicator that they are striving to do well in school; however, in some cases, a child’s refusal to stay home when sick may indicate anxiety about school performance.”
However, the document states, “a child’s request to stay home on the day of a test may reflect their lack of preparation or anxiety about performing well,” meaning that “parents should listen carefully as their child talks about academic considerations to get a better sense of what may be prompting their child’s attitude.”
Mental health days
Close to 20 percent of parents surveyed said they consider whether their child needs a mental health day, reflecting the recognition of the increase in mental health concerns among children in recent years. However, researchers note that it is crucial to determine why students feel they need these days off.
“Allowing children to miss school any time they expect an unpleasant or challenging social interaction is unsustainable,” the report states. “In balancing their decisions about allowing their child a mental health day, parents may want to consider the purpose of the day away from school. It may be an opportunity to help their child plan how to handle interactions, practice strategies to stay calm and ease anxiety, and identify specific peers, teachers or staff who could be sources of support. For children who have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or another mental health condition, parents may consult with their child’s mental health provider for guidance.”
