Sick-Day Swim Decision Card

Your child woke up with something and the lesson is this afternoon. This card is the symptom-by-symptom call — what means skip, what is usually fine, and how long to wait before going back in. It is general guidance for well-child decisions, not medical advice: when anything is unclear, keep them out and call your pediatrician.

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🧭 Ask These Three Questions, In This Order

1. Is anything here contagious through water? Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, pink eye, or a contagious skin infection. If yes, stop here — the answer is no swimming today, whatever else is true.
2. Would water itself make this worse? Swimmer’s ear, a ruptured eardrum, an open wound, stitches, or a cast that must stay dry. If yes, keep them out until it has healed or the doctor clears it.
3. Only now: how does my child actually feel? If both answers above are no and this is a mild cold without fever, energy level decides. Eager and breathing comfortably: a gentle session is usually fine. Worn out or struggling to breathe: rest.
When any answer is unclear, the answer is no. Missing one lesson is a minor setback. Spreading an illness or worsening an infection is not.

Most parents start at question three. That is why a cheerful, runny-nosed child sometimes goes to a lesson they should have missed. Contagion first, water-makes-it-worse second, how-they-feel last.

🌡️ Symptom by Symptom — Swim or Skip?

General guidance for otherwise healthy children — your pediatrician’s advice for your child always wins
Symptom	Swim or skip?	Why	Today’s call
Mild cold, runny nose, no fever	Usually okay	If your child feels up to it and is breathing comfortably	______
Fever	Skip	A feverish child needs rest, and cool water can worsen how they feel	______
Diarrhea	Absolutely not	The most important rule — germs spread to everyone in the pool	______
Vomiting or stomach bug	Skip	Stay out until fully recovered	______
Ear infection	Depends on the type	See the ear table below — three conditions, three answers	______
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)	Skip	Contagious — keep out until cleared	______
Open wound, rash or skin infection	Skip	Protects your child and everyone else in the water	______
Cough that makes breathing hard work	Skip	Exertion in water is not the same as sitting at home	______
Cast or stitches	Ask the doctor	Standard casts must stay dry; only a waterproof liner is designed to get wet	______
Not sure?	Skip	Keep them out and call your pediatrician. That is always a safe answer	______

Diarrhea is the one rule that never bends. Some germs, including Cryptosporidium, survive in properly chlorinated pools. The CDC advises that anyone with diarrhea should not enter the water, and for certain diarrheal illnesses recommends waiting two weeks after it stops. One accident from one sick child can sicken an entire pool of swimmers.

👂 Ears — Three Conditions, Three Different Answers

This is the question families ask most — the conflicting advice online is usually about different conditions
Condition	Usual guidance	Ask the doctor about
Middle ear infection, eardrum intact	Swimming generally does not make it worse; many doctors allow it if the child feels well enough	Whether your child specifically is cleared to swim
Swimmer’s ear (outer ear canal)	Keep out until it heals — water aggravates it	How to prevent the next one
Ear tubes	Most children with standard tubes can swim at the surface without ear plugs, per updated AAO-HNS guidance	Diving and forceful submersion, which are the exception
Ruptured eardrum	Keep out — water can pass into the middle ear	When it has healed enough to return

🔄 How Long Before They Can Go Back In

Write the return date down — it is the part everyone guesses at
After…	Wait until…	Our return date
A mild cold	They feel well	______
A fever	The fever has been gone a full day and they are back to normal	______
Vomiting or a stomach bug	Fully recovered	______
Diarrhea	Follow CDC guidance — for certain illnesses, two weeks after it stops	______
Pink eye	Cleared, and no longer contagious	______
Swimmer’s ear	Healed	______
An open wound or rash	Healed	______

Ease back in. Start with a shorter, lower-intensity session, make sure your child is well hydrated, and dry their ears thoroughly afterwards. Good post-swim habits speed recovery and prevent the next problem.

📅 Sick-Day Questions to Ask Your Swim School

“How much notice do I need to give to earn a makeup?” Often 24 to 48 hours. A fever at six in the morning rarely gives anybody that much warning, which is why this is the rule that matters on sick days.
“Does a same-day illness cancellation still earn a makeup?” Ask it in exactly those words. Some programs carve out illness; many do not.
“Does a doctor’s note change the answer?” Worth knowing before you are deciding whether a visit is worth it.
“How many makeups do I get, and when do they expire?” Commonly two to four per session, used within 30 to 60 days. A run of illness can burn through an allocation quickly.
“Can a sibling use our makeup?” Matters a great deal with two or more children enrolled.
“What is your own policy on sending a sick child to class?” A school with a clear illness policy is a school that has thought about the water everyone shares.

Settle this in month one. Sick days are the single most common reason a family misses a lesson. Ranges above are commonly published U.S. terms and are illustrative only — policies vary widely, so use the agreement you were actually given.

🚩 Call the Doctor, Not the Swim School, If You See

Difficulty breathing, or a cough that makes breathing hard work. This is not a swim-lesson question.
Severe ear pain, or swelling and redness spreading around the ear or face. Get it looked at rather than deciding about the pool.
Diarrhea that will not stop, or signs of dehydration. Fluids and a phone call come first.
Persistent coughing, extreme fatigue, vomiting, or behavior changes after swimming. These require immediate medical attention.
Any symptom you are weighing up at seven in the morning and cannot settle. Keeping them home costs one lesson. That is the cheap option.

Keep This Filled In — Before You Need It

Pediatrician: ______

Pediatrician phone: ______

Nurse line / after hours: ______

Swim school: ______

Cancellation phone / app: ______

Notice needed for a makeup: ______

Makeups left this session: ______

Makeup credits expire: ______

Known conditions (ear tubes, asthma): ______

Last cleared to swim on: ______

Created by WaterWiseKids.com — Free water safety education for families

General guidance for healthy-child decisions, not medical advice — always follow your own pediatrician for your child. Makeup-policy ranges shown are commonly published U.S. swim school terms and are illustrative only; policies vary widely. Health guidance: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Otolaryngology.

Back to the full guide · Can your child swim when sick? · Swimming with ear tubes

Sick-Day Swim Decision Card

🧭 Ask These Three Questions, In This Order

🌡️ Symptom by Symptom — Swim or Skip?

👂 Ears — Three Conditions, Three Different Answers

🔄 How Long Before They Can Go Back In

📅 Sick-Day Questions to Ask Your Swim School

🚩 Call the Doctor, Not the Swim School, If You See

Keep This Filled In — Before You Need It

More Related Guides

One Missed Lesson Is Nothing. Missing the Skill Is Not.

Sick-Day Swim Decision Card

🧭 Ask These Three Questions, In This Order

🌡️ Symptom by Symptom — Swim or Skip?

👂 Ears — Three Conditions, Three Different Answers

🔄 How Long Before They Can Go Back In

📅 Sick-Day Questions to Ask Your Swim School

🚩 Call the Doctor, Not the Swim School, If You See

Keep This Filled In — Before You Need It

More Related Guides

One Missed Lesson Is Nothing. Missing the Skill Is Not.

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