Chicken pox - is my DD OK to return to nursery?

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

We realised on Sunday morning that DD had chicken pox. On Saturday she had 2 red patches and I wasn't sure what they were. By Sunday morning they had developed the obvious blister and more spots appeared over the day.

She has only got about 30 spots in total and has not been very itchy (only really at night) and is otherwise well. Today all the spots look dry / crusted over.

DH is looking after her today and tomorrow and it would be my turn on Friday (when DH goes away for 2 weeks). I am coming down with a cold, so I am wondering if she is likely to be OK to go into nursery on Friday. My concern is that, if I am suffering with a cold and DD is well, she will be climbing the walls with me not feeling like doing much. Also I will be on my own with her over the weekend and would probably do better with a 'day off sick' on my own first.

What do you think? Could she really have got over chicken pox after only 3 or 4 days?

[Gracie123]

I think you should ask your doctor, not have a guess based on whether you have a cold or not.

Whether or not she is contagious to other children has nothing to do with you spending a weekend alone with her.

[missmapp]

At our nursery they have to have a week off if they have chicken pox. Ds2 has recently had it and they said the spots not only needed to be crusted over but starting to fall off. Ring your nursery and see what their policy is, also wait to see what she is like on fri, my ds started off well and then became more tired as the days progressed , this didnt help my plans to go back to work!!!

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

HPA guidlines state they have to be off for 5 days from appearance of first blister so she could go back Thurs if she is well in herself.

However it has been known that some childcare establishments will have their own guidlines.

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

I will not send her back if there is a risk that she is contagious to other children! I am not that stupid. The reason for my question is that I had assumed it would take at least a week for the spots to have all crusted and I was expecting her to feel ill.

However I do not want to keep her at home feeling bored because I am not up to doing loads of fun things with her, if she could be having fun at nursery. DH is away for several months of the year so I am well used to having weekends alone with her, but I know that they are more fun for both of us if I am not tired and diving for the tissues every 2 seconds.

Missmapp, thank you. I think I will talk to the nursery tomorrow afternoon, if DD still seems to be as full of energy as she is today.

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

Thank you Haunted. A call to the nursery seems to be the way to go.

[EustaciaVye]

Kids all experience chicken pox differently. Nursery are unlikely to want her back tbh so soon. Check their policy. I would keep her off.

[BarbaraBar]

Def call nursery (I assume they already know she has it) and check their policy re going back. As others have said it's up to the nursery. Some ask you to wait longer than the 5 day thing because it freaks out other parents to see chicken pox covered children at their child's nursery.

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

Thank you Eustacia and Barbara. I called the nursery on Monday to say she had it. I will call the nursery tomorrow, depending on how DD is and how my cold is. The last thing DD needs is to catch my cold straight after having chicken pox.

[Gracie123]

Sorry if that came across all judgey running I didn't mean to suggest that you didn't care whether or not she was contagious, I just meant that it would be worth finding out if you hadn't thought of it already.

My kids haven't had the pox yet, so I don't know how long someone would be considered contagious for.

[dribbleface]

Hi,

Its not unusual for the spots to come in crops so she may well get new ones evey couple of days. If she hasn't though and all are dry (hair and nappy ones are the worst) then no reason she should not return.