God dam winter and it's bugs

[Buttonsandroses]

I feel like since I've become a parent I spend six months of the year dealing with Calpol, tissues and cancelling stuff.

We had an awful year last year. My daughter had her first winter at preschool. 2 colds a month and tonsilitis and sick bugs thrown in. It was grim. Her sibling ended up in hospital with a chest infection after she brought home bug after bug. I started to count and she had 19 bugs in 11 months.

She started school in September. I was anxious about her attendance and dreading this winter. She's just begun her 5th cold since September. Compared to the year before this is at least half better. But it stresses me out so much when she starts with them. The last four she's had a day off with. One of them she had two days off with. She also has had a day off due to getting travel sick on the way to school. So basically she has had six days off. One of her colds I sent her in and was called to collect her an hour later. Now she's laid on the sofa in her PJ's and has asked for calpol. She's starting with a cold. I absolutely hate the first 48 hours because she's technically run down and feeling awful. She's five in a few weeks. I absolutely hate the feeling off forcing her to go in poorly but I am worried about her attendance. She can only have 4 more days off over the year before she goes below 95%

I try so hard to keep her healthy. She has school dinners and pudding daily. It contains veg and fruit most days. I also give her veg for tea 6 out of 7 nights roughly. She walks 2 miles a day. She drinks water. She has probiotics and haliborange multi vits. I put sterizar on her hands before school and after. Only in norovirus season I do this. This is my first winter of doing this too. She swims. Yet she's still picking Colds up most months.

Is this how life will always be? I can't drive and my partner works away alot in the week. I was hoping school would be healthier compared to nursery.

When did you see an improvement in your child's health. I fully expect we will get a sick bug in the next month or so too. Do your kids get yearly sick bugs?

[Nogodsnomasters]

First thing I'd like to point out is that school is not compulsory until they're 5 years old so because all her days off so far she's been 4 you cannot get in any trouble with welfare officers etc until her birthday so try not to worry about that side of things.

It's totally normal what your daughter is going through. My ds did 2 years of nursery/preschool based on where his birthday fell and both those winters in a row he was very poorly, every 10-14 days something new came along and so depending on length of each illness he was really only well a few days each month, it was very stressful.

This is now his 3rd year of being in a school setting and I must say it's a lot better, from sept to now he's only had 2 colds and had a total of 3 days off school between these due to fever. I think it's a combination of his immune system getting stronger and secondly he's old enough now to properly wash his hands before eating etc and thirdly I was recommended a children's vitamin called sambucol which contains black elderberry and it's really honestly helping, it's not cheap around £8 a bottle in Holland and Barrett or Asda but I literally don't care if it helps keep him healthy so if you want to give it a try it could help. Make sure she washes her hands as soon as you bring her in from school every day with proper soap and water and that she gets plenty of sleep too as that helps immune system fight things off.

Sorry that was really long.

[Awkward1]

Dd was fine last yr just colds. This year at preschool 3 d&v in less than 3m. And a fever/flu.
Starting to think something underlying is wrong as he hasnt grown as much either.
Maybe worms/uti.
Dc also swims so thinking it could be that too, as chlorine doesnt kill all germs

[Courtney10891]

Hi, my son turned to the end of August. Since he's been born no joke he's probably had about 50 colds. Since he started nursery last September I don't think he's had a full week where he's been okay. He'll get better and then a few days later have another cold. Really stressful because I have a three month old as well so constantly trying to keep them away from each other LOL. I do agree with what the previous poster said about Sambucol. Been giving it to him since the beginning of the year and surprise surprise he hasn't had a cold yet fingers crossed! Roll on summer x

[Junipertree]

My daughter is 10 now, but the first few years of nursery she was constantly ill. Everything from constant colds, hand, foot and mouth, sick bugs, flu, chicken pox... by the time she was 5/6 she was much better and less ill than her classmates. I hope for you too, that her immune system will become more resilient ! Also - we stopped having as many sick bugs when we stop swimming at the local pool. Which was a shame...