The Basics: When Should My Sick Child Stay Home from School?

Children do not learn very well or get much out of school when they are sick. It is in your child’s and their classmates’ best interest to keep them home from school when they are not feeling well. But what body temperature is a stay-home-from-school temperature? What if your child only has a mild cough? Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD, talks about how to know when to keep your child home from school, and when it is safe for them to return to school after recovering from an illness.