When is a child too sick for school?

In the 1980s cult flick “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Ferris (played by a young Matthew Broderick) earned a day off from school by feigning illness. His “performance” was so convincing that his schoolmates were convinced Ferris was actually on his deathbed. In actuality, he was gallivanting around town with his girlfriend and best friend.

Each day, kids put their parents’ sleuthing skills to the test when they say they’re too sick to go to school. After assessing the symptoms and pulling out the thermometer, Mom or Dad determines if an absence is warranted. After all, a day home for a youngster...