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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 15 and 5-year-old Kian - and says that she doesn't want to be the parent of the kid who gets the whole class sick. She does admit, however, that she has sent her children to school with some sniffling, but never with a fever or cough. In most cases, parents know exactly when they need to keep their child home. "My kids aren't sick very often - even if they have colds they're over them in a day or two - so when they're lethargic I know they're sick enough to stay home," says Byrons, whose children attend school in the Washingtonville School District. "I wouldn't send my kids to school with a fever or if they're sneezing a lot and have a runny nose." The struggle for working moms Byrons also understands that as a stay-at-home mom it's easier for her to keep her kids home when they are not feeling well. "Even though I get annoyed with parents who send in kids who are coughing and sneezing and obviously should be home, I do understand why working parents feel torn about sending a sick child to school," says Byrons. "That must be a difficult decision when you have a limited number of days to take off from work." Lisa Johnson has a special compassion for those parents who are raising their children solo and who have no choice but to send their sick child to school. "Single parents have it especially rough because they need the salary to support their kids and pay bills," says Johnson, who was once a single parent. Today, she is raising her 15-year-old grandchild, Angel, who attends Middletown High School. "Sniffles are not really serious, like fevers and viruses are," says Johnson. "Many kids have sniffles a lot during the school year and would miss too much school work if they stayed home every time they caught a cold." Specializing in children from infancy to teens Children with special needs welcome Sedation Dentistry available Child friendly environment with video games, Netflix TV and playhouse Most insurances accepted as full or partial payment. (Continued on Page 16)