DD3 has a snotty nose and a bit of a cough but is otherwise fine (not tired or feeling sick). She has a swimming lesson this morning that is the highlight of her week, and is quite determined she wants to go. I don't want to be the mean mummy and not let her go, but would it be better to keep her at home this week? Or should I take her just for the lesson and get he warm and dry asap?

If she's happy, wants to go and it's not a bad cold then i'd let her go.

I don't think she should go. She could pass on the cold to all the other little ones in the class. That doesn't seem fair to them.

I agree with PP that she will risk making everyone else sick and herself sicker.

Its not being mean its being sensible - you're the adult.

Yep I wouldnt be taking them

I personally would keep her home, it's better for her and the others in her class

Keep her home, it's not fair on the other kids in the class (or their Mums) to be passing colds on to others especially since it could be easily avoided.

There are germs everywhere, a cold is unlikely to stop anyone from swimming lessons in their tracks. I say go.
It's only a cold peoples.

As a former swimming teacher I can tell you it gets old VERY quickly when you pick up your fourth cold in as many months, thanks to some little tacker coughing/sneezing on you. The teachers are in really close proximity to the kids at most centres, so this happens often, and they don't get sick leave.

It was the most miserable aspect of that job. If you wouldn't want your other child's/your own face within 40cm of your sick child's face while they're coughing/sneezing, I'd say keep the kid home!

If I kept my kids home from swimming lessons every time they have a snotty nose or little cough they would never go. They are at childcare and carry a mild cold for all of winter, it is just a part of life for us. I do keep them home if they are feeling unwell, running a temperature etc but a snotty nose and a little cough really is no big deal to me. Sorry to other parents, but I would be going.

I've had to keep DD#1 at home for the last 3 lessons because of a cough & cold that just won't go away. More to not make her even sicker. I've also taken her out of swimming lessons for next Term because I know she'd be missing so many lessons. My kids get colds a lot in winter.

Having a cold = no swimming in our family. I don't want to pass it on or risk them picking up something else while they are already unwell.

Also I have to say that seeing a child with a green snotty nose in the pool is the most disgusting sight ever! If you must take her, please be vigilant and have a tissue handy to save the poor teacher from having to look at it.

If it was just a bit of a clear snotty nose, I'd still take her. Not because I buy into the "clear snot = ok, green snot = infection" therory but just because a kid with an obvious green snotty nose looks awful out in public, let alone at a swimming lesson.

The cough is more of a worry for me though - if it was a chesty cough or a nasty bark, I'd definitely be keeping her at home.

My girls have a runny nose every other week here in winter, without actually getting a full on cold. If we were still doing swimming we'd be having a lot of time off if I kept them home for every little runny nose.

I personally wouldn't. Not only so that my child's cold doesn't get worse but to avoid spreading it to anyone else if they by some chance are still contagious. I'm actually surprised at the comments that it is just a cold. Unfortunately for some people (elderly, newborns, immuno-compromised, those suffering chronic illness and disease) a cold can be fatal so I wouldn't be risking them spreading it to anyone else in those high risk groups, especially when it isn't essential they go swimming.

On the occassions that my daughter has had a cold, I have kept her home from swimming.