Disney School Trip-Sick Child-School Policies ??

[because]

So, my daughter's dance team is at DW as they competed in Nationals this past weekend. Yesterday, my daughter woke up sick, throwing up. I am also on property, but staying in a different resort. Kids were allowed a park day and dd said she felt better and wanted to go to Magic Kingdom with me. We went and stayed a couple of hours until she started feeling bad again. We left the park and went to my room at another resort on the property. She took a nap and said she wanted to try the park again. We did and the same thing happened (sick). Around 7:00 pm, DD sent a text to her coaches and asked if she could leave with me, her mother, and I sign her out from the trip. She was told no. I then texted coach. I was told no, that is was school policy she stay with the team, but she could stay with me or I was welcome to stay with her until 10:00pm. Unfortunately, I returned the rental car and staying in a room together was not an option. Our only option was to stay in the park and wait until a group the proper size (4) or an adult was going back to DD's resort. Finally, a couple of hours later, a dance mom was able to take DD back to her resort. I find it unacceptable that my daughter was made to sit, feeling extremely bad, and wait at a crowded theme park instead of being able to be in the care of her mother in a quiet hotel room. This meant she went back to a tiny room with four girls, slept in a small bed with someone, and risked getting them all sick. Not only that, but when someone is sick, laying in bed with someone they are not totally comfortable with is not something they'd like to do, especially when there is the option of being with their parent and sleeping in a bed of their own.

I have requested the school policy on this and will not allow my child to travel with the school in the future if I find the policy unacceptable.

Disclaimer: I'm a teacher, different district and this is my third child so I'm not new to all the politics surrounding this kind of mess.

This doesn't pass the sniff test to me. A child is well enough that she can spend at least 4+ hours in the parks between "vomiting events" and then at 7pm all of a sudden is too sick to back with her team till 10pm and needs to leave with her mother. It is not like this illness came on suddenly. I would think the OP would have had a very different answer if she had told the school after the first vomiting episode in the morning that her daughter was sick and they were staying in at their hotel. Instead, they spend the day at the parks while the child is sick.

While I think it outrageous that a truly sick child would not be released to their parents, I also have a hard time believing that the school would not release a truly sick child to their parents. I think there is way more to this story than the OP is presenting.

My Disclamer: I am coming from a very jaded perspective of being on the other side. On our team, Parents are given very strict rules very early in the season about when they can leave. I have heard every imaginable excuse and frankly some big lies from our parents who have scheduled different flights home or different arrangements than what was told to them very early in the season. Not saying this is what happened, but the perspective I am looking at this from.

If I were on the other side and a parent called me and said Suzy was vomiting all day, but we were at the parks all day, but she needs to be signed out early, I might also have said "no, if she was well enough to go on rides, she is well enough to spend the last few hours with her team." By that time, I would also have heard from numerous other parents about the offending parent's travel schedule and how they were trying to scam me. Again, not saying this is what happened, but it happens enough to make me question the real reason the coaches would not allow the girl to sign out early. And OP does say the rental car has already been returned 3 hours before the official release time. Why, if she knew her daughter was not to be released till 10? Why could Mom not go back to All Stars to watch over the daughter as invited by the coaches? Why was this not an option? Being a jaded coach, way, way too many inconsistencies with the story.

 

[mjkacmom]

I would have taken her to a Disney on site medical care station and then on to an urgent care site nearby; too much vomiting for me but of course I've no idea if this is a regular problem for your DD or if she was just eating too much junk food.

Stomach virus’s can have a lot of vomiting, it’s normal. Our schools have rules that parents can’t take their kids without permission given in advance, but DH was at a xc meet where dd got violently ill, the coach gave him permission to take her home.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Agree you shouldn't have taken her to the parks when she had been vomiting. That isn't considerate to other guests you exposed to her. It is really selfish to your daughter to take her to the parks. As a parent even if she said she felt better you should have said no-

I understand the being upset you couldn't take her with you but I'm sure there is a liability issue for the school. You should have just taken her with you and dealt with consequences later. I'd be dealing with talking to school and finding out what is wrong with my kid rather than posting here.

 

[because]

Stomach virus’s can have a lot of vomiting, it’s normal. Our schools have rules that parents can’t take their kids without permission given in advance, but DH was at a xc meet where dd got violently ill, the coach gave him permission to take her home.

Then why was she ok enough to be at the parks all day with just a nap in between? She didn't text her coaches till 7pm. Why? Why did she not text her coaches at the first vomiting event in the morning to let them know she was sick?

Sniff, sniff....Sounds way too familiar to me. In my jaded experience with a few of my parents, this would mean that they had made travel arrangements outside of the allowed schedule and thought calling in sick would get them out early so they could make their arrangements. But got caught by the other parents that they were in the parks all day so had to make up some strange story like taking the athlete to the parks all day vomiting.

 

[mjkacmom]

Then why was she ok enough to be at the parks all day with just a nap in between? She didn't text her coaches till 7pm. Why? Why did she not text her coaches at the first vomiting event in the morning to let them know she was sick?

Sniff, sniff....Sounds way too familiar to me.

Oh, I wouldn’t take a sick kid out of the hotel room, heck, my kids don’t get solid food until 24 hours of being vomit free.

 

[because]

Oh, I wouldn’t take a sick kid out of the hotel room, heck, my kids don’t get solid food until 24 hours of being vomit free.

Exactly. The more I read the OPs post, the more I don't believe it for a second based on past experience at out of state competitions.

She doesn't call the coaches till 7pm, 3 hours before sign out time? Why didn't she call at first vomit? Car has been returned? Athlete was out in the parks all day but all of a sudden she is too sick to go back to her team right before check out time? Mom has all sorts of reasons she can't go back to All Stars and take care of her daughter? She has to wait for another parent to take her back? That really doesn't make sense. My Coach/spidey senses cry foul, foul, foul.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

You did 2 things wrong. First, you took her to the parks in between vomiting episodes. That wasn't fair to any of the other guests. Second, you should have gone with your motherly instinct and told the coach you were taking her to stay with you.

I really can't get passed the fact that this mom took her child to the parks sick. We aren't talking about the sniffles, sick. No, this child is throwing up.

Maybe it was good that the child couldn't stay with the parent. Hopefully the chaperone will make the girl stay away from others and get some rest.

 

[Hikergirl]

This doesn't pass the sniff test to me. A child is well enough that she can spend at least 4+ hours in the parks between "vomiting events" and then at 7pm all of a sudden is too sick to back with her team till 10pm and needs to leave with her mother. It is not like this illness came on suddenly. I would think the OP would have had a very different answer if she had told the school after the first vomiting episode in the morning that her daughter was sick and they were staying in at their hotel. Instead, they spend the day at the parks while the child is sick.

While I think it outrageous that a truly sick child would not be released to their parents, I also have a hard time believing that the school would not release a truly sick child to their parents. I think there is way more to this story than the OP is presenting.

My Disclamer: I am coming from a very jaded perspective of being on the other side. On our team, Parents are given very strict rules very early in the season about when they can leave. I have heard every imaginable excuse and frankly some big lies from our parents who have scheduled different flights home or different arrangements than what was told to them very early in the season. Not saying this is what happened, but the perspective I am looking at this from.

If I were on the other side and a parent called me and said Suzy was vomiting all day, but we were at the parks all day, but she needs to be signed out early, I might also have said "no, if she was well enough to go on rides, she is well enough to spend the last few hours with her team." By that time, I would also have heard from numerous other parents about the offending parent's travel schedule and how they were trying to scam me. Again, not saying this is what happened, but it happens enough to make me question the real reason the coaches would not allow the girl to sign out early. And OP does say the rental car has already been returned 3 hours before the official release time. Why, if she knew her daughter was not to be released till 10? Why could Mom not go back to All Stars to watch over the daughter as invited by the coaches? Why was this not an option? Being a jaded coach, way, way too many inconsistencies with the story.

I understand where you are coming from but if you ever told me "no that my dd was well enough to spend the last few hours with her team" there would be issues. You don't get to decide whether or not my child is too sick to do something, I do. If you are going to assume everyone is lying that is your problem, but if a kid is sick then you aren't in any position to tell their parent what they can do.

 

[DopeyDame]

I'm so confused by the series of events and what the options were and what you wanted to do. You say that ". I was told no, that is was school policy she stay with the team, but she could stay with me or I was welcome to stay with her until 10:00pm." and I don't understand what the rental car has to do with anything if you were staying on property - there's Disney transportation and uber available easily. "She could stay with me" - what does that mean? Why was that not a good option? Was this the very last day of the trip? Were you planning to just leave early? With or without your daughter?

I definitely agree as a mom that if my kid were truly sick, no coach or teacher would prevent me from taking my child, regardless of the situation. But I also understand that on a travel trip, coaches or teachers have to be really careful to ensure every child is accounted for and gets back safely. I'm also surprised the coach doesn't have specific policies for what to do with a sick kid - which would surely involve a visit to the first aid and a call to their parents.

Finally, as others have said, I can't imagine taking a kid who threw up in the morning to the parks just because she napped and said she felt better.

 

[because]

I understand where you are coming from but if you ever told me "no that my dd was well enough to spend the last few hours with her team" there would be issues. You don't get to decide whether or not my child is too sick to do something, I do. If you are going to assume everyone is lying that is your problem, but if a kid is sick then you aren't in any position to tell their parent what they can do.

As a parent, you have the right to do whatever you want with your child. You would be free to take them home. I should clarify that I would tell them that if they did not return, under the circumstances presented, I would also be free to remove their child from the team. Nobody can force a parent to do anything with their child. But choices do have consequences. This would be their choice.

And no, I do not believe every parent is lying. But in my experience, the truly sick children with responsible parents would have texted the coaches right away to let them know that a member of the team was sick. Mainly because the team members have spent the entire weekend together in close quarters and to give a heads up to keep a watch on the other members. There is a certain team etiquette that is usually followed by both parents and coaches. And I clarified more than once that I was looking at it with a jaded perspective of some of the parents I have run into. I also said I would be horrified if a truly sick child was not released to the parents. We have excused many, many sick children. It is not in the team's interest to have sick children in the mix. I said "this" particular incident does not meet the sniff test.

 

[Hikergirl]

As a parent, you have the right to do whatever you want with your child. You would be free to take them home. I should clarify that I would tell them that if they did not return, under the circumstances presented, I would also be free to remove their child from the team. Nobody can force a parent to do anything with their child. But choices do have consequences. This would be their choice.

So even if a child is really sick you'd boot them from the team. Nice.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I understand school liability and policies, however, if my child was barfing all over the place at WDW, I would be:

1) taking child to Disney First Aid station (with CM assistance for extra documentation bonus)
2) emailing/calling/messaging the coach with steady updates
3) notifying coach and coach's superior/school principal/etc. that child is SUPER SICK (here are documented examples from Disney First Aid) and you are taking her back to hotel
4) taking care of my child
5) deal with aftermath later

being in the Parks while vomiting? EWWWWWWW no fair to everyone else!!!

 

[Action City]

So even if a child is really sick you'd boot them from the team. Nice.

I wouldn't want my child on a team with a petty coach who has a personal vendetta against me as a parent, or one who thinks they have more power than they do. I'd let the coach know I was at the airport with my child and we'd be discussing it with school admin at the first opportunity.

 

[because]

So even if a child is really sick you'd boot them from the team. Nice.

I didn't say that. Nice twist.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I wish someone would tell me what I can and can't do with MY child.

I would've left with my kid. And I would've dealt with the consequences later. Even if those consequences meant no more traveling with the team/school.

Now if my kid just wanted to come with my because her room was too crowded or this or that I would make her stay with her team. But for a legit reason she would be coming with me.

I wouldn't bother with urgent care for documentation either. I never take my kids to the doctor for a stomach bug, unless they've been vomiting for 48-72 hours and showing signs of dehydration which only happened once in my 18 years of being a parent.

 

[Hikergirl]

I didn't say that. Nice twist.

No you didn't actually say that, but you did say that "as presented" you would. So while you didn't say that, you make it clear that you feel you know "the truth" about how sick someone's kid is in your post upthread, and you will make a decision based on what you think, not what the child's parents actually knows.

 

[neverlandsky]

Being with the team whether sick or injured is in support of the team. It's harsh, yet it's how it goes with these type of things and is well known upfront and in advance. The school would be liable if anything were to happen on their watch, including letting a parent take a child out in the middle of a school trip. Not only that, I saw so & so at the park, she was fine earlier, she must not be that sick or just wanted to come only for Disney with her mom. Believe me, they are indeed judging.

We stick to "day only" trips. No overnights. So we can have control as parents and our kids rather be with us. Maybe something to consider in the future. Hope DD feels better.

 

[because]

I understand school liability and policies, however, if my child was barfing all over the place at WDW, I would be:

1) taking child to Disney First Aid station (with CM assistance for extra documentation bonus)
2) emailing/calling/messaging the coach with steady updates
3) notifying coach and coach's superior/school principal/etc. that child is SUPER SICK (here are documented examples from Disney First Aid) and you are taking her back to hotel
4) taking care of my child
5) deal with aftermath later

being in the Parks while vomiting? EWWWWWWW no fair to everyone else!!!

That is exactly the way a responsible parent would act. Even just a single text in the morning saying "hey, heads up, Suzy just vomited, I will keep you updated" would be the courteous thing to do when Suzy has been with an entire team all weekend.

The response, at least from our team, would be: "Thanks for the update. Tell Suzy to get better. See you back in xyz." No further discussion needed.

And of course, everything is looked at on a one on one basis. Just sayin' the OP's story does not pass the sniff test. On every team my children have been a part of or I have been a part of, there is a common courtesy between parents and the team leaders, especially when the team leaders are responsible for the child. Taking an actively vomiting child to the parks till 7pm with no notification to the coaches or team till then and then saying that Mom cannot go to the hotel (was she banned from All Stars?) with the child would raise eyebrows. But I am also coming from a club perspective where contracts about absence and notification policies have been signed by the parents.

 

[because]

No you didn't actually say that, but you did say that "as presented" you would. So while you didn't say that, you make it clear that you feel you know "the truth" about how sick someone's kid is in your post upthread, and you will make a decision based on what you think, not what the child's parents actually knows.

Nope, not at all. I mentioned I would have already heard from other parents more on the story. And now you are assuming you know exactly what I would be thinking. You must be getting dizzy by now with all the .

 

[Hikergirl]

I'll give the OP the benefit of the doubt here. Maybe the dd did feel better, maybe they didn't know she was really sick, maybe she thought it was due to over indulging while at WDW. They go to the park, and it turns out she really is sick and now they know for sure.
Not every parent is out to screw the coach and the team.