PHOENIX - It’s that time of year: the flowers are blooming, the temperature’s getting warmer, and children are coming down with spring sickness.

But does this mean that you should be keeping your child home from school at the slightest hint of a runny nose? You don’t want to send your child to school only to receive a phone call from the nurse saying he or she needs to be picked up.

Then again, you don’t want to waste a PTO day when your child is really fine. So how do you tell the difference?

Dr. Michael McQueen from Good Night Pediatrics weighs in to figure out when to keep our children home and when to send them off to hit the books.

First up is influenza or more commonly referred to as the flu.

Michael says to look for a high fever with temperatures ranging over 100 degrees F or 38 degrees C. Vomiting, sore throat, and body aches are also symptoms. In this situation, kids should be kept at home. When keeping your child at home, make sure they are getting rest and drinking fluids such as water or diluted juices. Also be sure they get plenty of rest.

A cold is a little bit different. As long as the child has no fever and is acting like him or herself, send them to class. Although there is no cure for the common cold, there are ways to prevent it. Teaching your children to wash their hands often and covering their coughs and sneezes can go a long way. Also make sure and feed your children a balanced diet so they get all their nutrients. Lastly, the most common way to catch a cold is by being around others who have it, so limit the time your children spend with other kids who are sick. That is the one of the biggest concerns we have as parents. So what are some illnesses that kids definitely need to stay home for in order to not infect others?

Michael says strep throat is highly contagious and children with it need to see a doctor. Children should be on antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Kids with pink eye or skin rashes should consult with a doctor before heading back to school.

But what about if something shows up after hours? Last time I checked, there wasn’t a doctor available at 2 a.m. Is the emergency room a good option? Michael says the ER should only be visited in extreme cases. Cases such as poisoning, seizures, severe bleeding, broken bones, or burns should be treated at the ER immediately. Those with asthma, minor broken bones, earache, or rashes are usually less serious conditions but still require immediate treatment. Therefore, Michael recommends going to an Urgent Care.

It’s almost an inevitable fact of life that our children will come down with some form of spring sickness. However, treating it in the correct fashion can make our lives as parents much less stressful.