If you toddler had a cold when would you take them back to nursery/indoor activities?

[Fruitteatime]

My toddler started with a cold over a week ago. They developed a cough over the weekend, which got tested and was negative. Would you take them to indoor activities even if they were still coughing and slightly snotty? I probably would have taken them to activities whilst still snotty pre-covid but I'm doubting myself (and wondering if I ever should have done).

I'd go when snotty but not if they were coughing regularly.

If a negative, well in themselves and nursery are happy to take them back so I could return to work I would do that. I’d avoid activities until the cough had gone because it limits the spread of germs and many are still anxious about covid and wouldn’t want to make others uncomfortable when there are plenty of others things to do instead.

He's still coughing I know I shouldn't take him gut equally it's hard keeping him home when he's still so full of beans.

Toddler coughs can last weeks (mines got one one which started late April). My doctor told me (pre covid) this is very normal in young children. So, we did a covid test and she was back as soon as I got the result (to childcare, obviously there were no indoor activities available then). She didn’t have a temperature and didn’t seem unwell. I can’t have 6 weeks off work unfortunately.

Argh OP I am in this situation as well and it's driving everyone nuts!

As DS2 is still sniffing, runny nose and coughing I am not taking him anywhere. But he is so full of energy. I think he will go back to nursery on Monday - he has been off 2 weeks now and he's not really ill.

My DD has had a cold with cough for 4 weeks now, although I’m not sure if it’s hay fever now. She has been at the childminders throughout. I think part of the reason she became unwell is the lack of exposure to normal viruses over the past 15 months.
On the other hand you have to keep in mind that if another child becomes symptomatic with a cough that’ll mean testing and isolating for them which is a PITA for their family.
It’s such a minefield. Pre-Covid it wouldn’t have been an issue for a simple cold. I don’t think there’s any right answer so it depends on nursery policy I guess.

Toddler coughs can last weeks and in my experience nursery age children seem to have colds more often than they don’t. Given he has tested negative and is well in himself I’d hands down send him back to nursery but I’d probably avoid other activities with strangers e.g. soft play because the cough is likely to worry people.

So long as DS has tested negative and is well in himself, I've been sending him to nursery (and they've happily taken him). He tends to have coughs that linger for weeks (DH is the same)

Sorry, I realised my post wasn't clear - with a negative test I would send back to nursery as soon as well in themselves. Toddler groups/soft play then I would avoid with a regular cough because as a pp says, it limits the spread and also the potential of other dc needing to be tested/parents take time off of work. Especially at this time of year as there are a fair few outdoor activities like going to the park/for walks etc

Yes. I had this last week. Got a Covid test, was negative and cracked on. I’m glad he still went to nursery after the day off waiting for test results. The nursery told me all the children were snotty and coughing so I’d have kept him home for no good reason, as certainly wouldn’t have prevented it being passed on. If he was home I wouldn’t be able to effectively work either too.

Since the schools have gone back he’s had a mild bug every 2-3 weeks. If they’re fine in themselves and have a negative Covid test then carry on.

another child becomes symptomatic with a cough that’ll mean testing and isolating for them which is a PITA for their family.

It doesn’t. Only the symptomatic family member needs to self isolate. Each Covid test I’ve done has been back in less than 24 hours. Nobody else has needed testing in the house. It would be much more disruptive if everyone isolated and couldn’t go to work than got tested each time.

Yes I would. As long as they haven’t had a temperature for 48 hours. Cough often linger for long after the cold has gone.

@Fruitteatime

My toddler started with a cold over a week ago. They developed a cough over the weekend, which got tested and was negative. Would you take them to indoor activities even if they were still coughing and slightly snotty? I probably would have taken them to activities whilst still snotty pre-covid but I'm doubting myself (and wondering if I ever should have done).

Yes, I would and I work in a nursery. Kids get coughs and colds, it’s a part of life, and as long as you’ve had them tested for covid then you have done your best at mitigating transmission.

Put it another way, if I as a nursery worker, kept my son at home with a cough even when he had a negative pcr test, then the baby room where I work would have to close on those days & I’m sure plenty of parents would have something to say about it!

@DinoHat

another child becomes symptomatic with a cough that’ll mean testing and isolating for them which is a PITA for their family.

It doesn’t. Only the symptomatic family member needs to self isolate. Each Covid test I’ve done has been back in less than 24 hours. Nobody else has needed testing in the house. It would be much more disruptive if everyone isolated and couldn’t go to work than got tested each time.

That might be what you've done, but the rules are very clear that if one household member has symptoms, the whole household must isolate until the negative test result is back.

@DinoHat you do have to self isolate if someone in your household had symptoms; it’s very clear on the nhs website about that and without meaning to be unkind I don’t know how you’ve missed that. You don’t all need a test though unless you have symptoms.
Unless DD is unwell I don’t keep her off nursery and after a cough I send her back if she’s had a negative result. Coughs and colds are so frequent with children that I wouldn’t be able to work pretty much ever if I kept her off while a cough lingered.

I would take them when they look & feel well enough.
I know my kids so I recognise the turning point when they are coming out of an illness and are better.
then I give it another day to observe them so I can make sure they are their normal selves before releasing them into the wild.

That's my standard procedure for anything, BUT DD (9) had 2 sets of something viral with sore throat, dribbly/stuffy nose, feeling crap and coughing for over a week.
despite testing negative I kept her home after discussing it with school.
we agreed that she just wasn't well enough and
a, I wouldn't want her to catch something else while her immune system is slightly weakened fighting whatever she had
b, I wouldn't want her to pass on to others whatever she had!!
just because it's not Covid I still didn't want her spreading it

I'm in same situation OP, tested negative but DD been off since last Thursday, I called her nursery to ask what they think I should do and they advised to keep her off till Monday as that would be 10 days isolation and it covers us all. I'm feeling bad she is missing nursery and she is fine in herself other than runny nose and cough.