I agree with Cfred ... this was our rule when we were kids as well and it worked wonders because kids learn fast it is better to suck it up and go to school when you just have a case of the 'Monday school sucks blues' ... we had to stay in our bed and 'rest' ALL DAY LONG and we got 'BRAT diet of bananas, rice, apples, toast and MAYBE some soup .... if we suddenly started 'feeling better' mid day our options were to either 'stay in bed and make sure you are truly rested' OR we got assigned CHORES to help around the house since we were missing school my stepmother felt we could learn about 'home economics' instead and if we were better 'after supper' than we got HOMEWORK to make up from the lines ... both were incentives to only stay home from school unless you were TRULY sick and prepared to sleep all day long and enjoy a BRAT diet