Why are my dc always ill?

[l4k]

I am fed up with it. All 4 have been ill at least twice this winter. Since new year ds 17, and dd15 have had the flu badly.Ds lost nearly 1 stone in weight and dd had 5 days in bed and they both took over 2 weeks to feel nearly better.Then ds age 5 got his 4th ear infection of the winter. Now dd age 11 has tonsillitis and ds has his 5th ear infection after only 2 weeks of being well.
The dd's strict school have been complaining about their attendance and ds must have shocking attendance too, I can't see that he's made any progress this winter really.
I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I know that's selfish but I'm really sick of it now.
Anyway, Why is it that my kids are picking up everything? I cook fresh food every day and they all like fruit and veg. Is there anything I can do to improve their immune systems?
Do I send them back to school too soon ? I usually wait till they haven't had a high temp for a day and can get through the day without sleeping. So, often I will send them to school with 1 or 2 days of anti-biotics left (if they have them) and they usually miss between 2 and 5 days of school for a proper infection. I would still send them with a cough or cold or sore throat with no raised temp.
Any advice?
thanks.

[ethelb]

Honestly? Because there are four of them. I was one of three and always much, much iller than only children. Even if I wasn't 'ill' I was fighting off something that one of my sisters had 'brought in'.

Maybe start being draconian about hygeine?

[Ragwort]

That's interesting, my DS is an only child and in twelve years he has only had about five days off sick in total (and one of those was skive-itis I am sure) . I have always felt he has just been very lucky when I hear friends complaining about their children being 'contantly ill' or 'picking up every bug', perhaps there is something in ethelb's comment.

Sorry, not particularly helpful to the OP.

[IDismyname]

Give them all a really good multi vit (not cheapo stuff from Sainsburys) every day and arm yourself with some Hibiscrub which you should be able to get from chemists.
www.medisave.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=hibiscrub

Leave it by basins or at the sink.

It will kill all know germs dead on hands. Its good gear :)

[ethelb]

@ragwort yes I know its not a particualry helpful comment. My mum was also a primary school teacher so that may have made things worse as we also picked up everything she picked up at her school!

But I would try and be v hygeinic. I had a chat with a derm nurse last week (unrealted issue) who said to make sure floors are cleaned 2-3 times a week, bed linen twice, towels twice (60C plus) and all surfaces twice a day if someone has something infectious. Door knobs v frequently too.

Hard with four kids though! You have my sympathies.

[DeWe]

I think once they've had something then they're laid low for the next illness to attack.

I've got 3dc. Dd1 is very very rarely ill. She's had about a week off school since year R and she's in secondary school now. Dd2 isn't often ill, and has had perhaps 6-7 days off with illness since year R (year 4 now)
Ds has had 8 days off (in batches!) this term (year 1) and over a week (in 2 batches) last term. He missed the whole of February last year barring one day with one thing after another.
He's no less careful on hygene than the others, probably better as I still supervise! Just tends to get things, and when he gets them, also tends to be ill with them rather than vaguely not quite right, which is what the others tend to do.

[l4k]

Thanks for the replys.
Regarding hygiene , I'm trying to tone it down at the moment as last autumn when they all had various versions of sickness and diorrhea bugs, I went on about it do much that ds2 had a hand washing obsession for a while and was washing his hands 8-12 times a day. Its hard to stop them cuddling because ds2 is only 5 and they all can't leave him alone.
I must do the doorknobs though, have been forgetting them but floors(2-3 x week),surfaces (2-3x daily) and beds( weekly) are done.
So multi vit? Health food shop?
Thanks again.

[Lovemynailstoday]

Honest, I think it's just bad luck. With my two DC one of them picked up everything going and the other hardly at all. The one who got sick was the healthy eater! Go figure. Many a week I have spent waiting for the latest "bug" to pass. It is really mind bendingly boring, I know. Sorry.

[50shadesofvomit]

It's bad luck.

I'm a domestic slattern if 3 and 1 has had 1 day off while the other 2 have 100% this and last school year.

[HDee]

You are just having a run of bad luck I think. I have five children, and I'm always amazed at how rarely any of us are ill. In fact, I'm struggling to remember whether my daughter has actually ever had any time off school at all.

I don't think there is much you can do about it. Over the year it will probably even out.