DALLAS -- Parent have a few signs to watch for when trying to decide whether to keep their sick child at home or send them to school, television station KXAS reported.

Doctors advise parents to pay attention to how the child acts and feels. If he or she has been awake all night with a stomach ache or an asthma attack, or a kid who normally pops out of bed is sluggishly complaining, he probably is not going to perform very well in class, doctors said.

Fever is another big factor. If a child has a temperature, it is highly likely that she also has a contagious illness, Children's Medical Center's Dr. Joel Steinberg said.

"The child who wakes up with fever, whatever that fever may be ... even if you give him some Tylenol or Motrin and he feels better an hour after taking the medicine, it's going to come back," Steinberg said.

There are some general rules parents should follow before sending a child who has been sick back to school, Steinberg said.

If the child has the flu, he should be free of fever for 24 hours before heading back to class. If it was strep throat, parents should wait 24 hours after a child is medicated.

Children with pink eye may go back to school once they've been treated.