Chicken pox in the school run?

[WhereIsMyHat]

My middle child who is ore school age has chicken pox. I have a 1 year old and a child in Y1. My pony child has been walking and holding my hand or the pushchair on the school run. We don't have a double and the baby is unable to walk the distance to the school. Our car is in the garage and in the boot of our car is the sling I would have been able to use to sling baby while my poxy child sat in the pushchair.

MIL, our only local family member not at work is looking after my nephew while my BIL and SIL work.

AIBU in continuing to do the school run like this and if so, can you offer any suggestions as to an alternative way to do it?

[DIYapprentice]

You don't have much alternative if you don't have a car.

Can another parent help by dropping past and you send your child out to them?

Or ring the school, and go in a little earlier or a little later for drop off, to make sure your poxy child doesn't interact with other children/adults.

[Mim78]

Do you mean is it unfair on child with pox or on other children? If he seems OK walking then I would carry on with it. I don't think you can avoid exposing other children to chicken pox entirely as they are bound to come across it somewhere and they all have to have it (or it's better if they do).

[noblegiraffe]

I'd be furious if I saw a poxy child in the playground. Please make other arrangements for drop off. You could go in later to avoid other children.

[noblegiraffe]

Mim - what about pregnant women and people with weak immune systems? It's not just about the children.

[HopAlongOnItsOnlyChristmas]

I don't think it's ideal, and would maybe ask about earlier or later drop off or a mum friend taking your DD to school, but if none of those are options, I don't see what else you could do?

[WhereIsMyHat]

I meant is it unreasonable to expose others. He's at a new school so we know very few people. You couldn't make it up, usually we'd have a car a sling and three weeks ago plenty of people to help. I've been warning anyone who comes close and as we're new we don't know many people.

Poxy DS is on pretty good form and has a very mild dose.

[HopAlongOnItsOnlyChristmas]

Has your older child had the pox?

[WhereIsMyHat]

Yes, when he was around 18 months. The baby hasn't.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I think a late drop off might be a solution for now.

[Knittingnovice]

As someone currently going through chemo i would appreciate it if you made alternative arrangements, either contacting the school so you can drop off at the office rather than playground or with another parent. If I got chicken pox the worst case scenario is I end up with meningitis, which most people are ignorant off.

DS school had emailed me twice since I started this round of chemo about infectious diseases in the school - once for HFM & slapped cheek in early years and today for three cases of HFM in y2. I am now dropping him at the school office to avoid the playground.

DD1's pre school also has chicken pox, so I am dropping her 10 minutes early and picking up 10 minutes late to avoid exposure to that.

But yes it us unreasonable to expose people. To look at me you would not know I was seriously ill. People generally comment on how well I look when they find out about my cancer and chemo.

[witchremix]

I think it's something everyone gets at some point so I would think it's ok to do the school run. I think coming into contact with children with chicken pox gives adults a "booster" against developing shingles so good from that point of view!

[HopAlongOnItsOnlyChristmas]

witch that isn't really the case for anyone who is pregnant, has a compromised immune system or is particularly vulnerable.

OP I would ask about alternative drop offs; either avoiding the playground or at a later time. They've probably dealt with this issue before.

[WhereIsMyHat]

I'm back from pick up. I called the school on the way and they offered for him to be picked up from the office which does minimise exposure but doesn't completely avoid people especially on the very busy walk into and out of school. Presumably lots of open space I.e outside will lessen the risk of transmission.

[kilmuir]

Thought they were more contagious before spots appeared

[WhereIsMyHat]

Kilmer, you're right, he posed more of a risk two days ago than he does today. Warped perspective.

I guess now that I am aware I should lessen the risk of transmission, before the spots appeared I didn't know so there was nothing that could be done.

[sOODdragon]

Generally, I wouldn't take a poxy child on the school run but I wonder how great the risk of transmission is given he's wrapped up from head to foot against the cold and won't be coughing/sneezing/breathing on anyone.

[Ghostsgowoooh]

I had a similar issue this week as dd3 came down with chicken pox last thursday caught from her older sister. I was able to to get someone to watch her on fri so I could do school runs, on monday her 11 year old ds sat with her so I could go to the school and on Tuesday most of her spots had scabbed so bundled her up and stood well away from everyone and got her teacher to send her out to me.

[foreverondiet]

It's fine if you don't have a choice, just don't hang around. It's most infectious before spots come anyway.

[intitgrand]

It's much harder to spread the virus outside, especially if you are not standing next to anyone.