AIBU to take toddler with chesty cough to baby group?

[mueslimuncher]

My 17 month old son has developed a chesty cough over the past few days. He seems fine when he wakes up, it's worse in the evening. Otherwise he's happy and seems fine. AIBU to take him to toddler group tomorrow? Not sure what the deal is with poorly kids and mixing with others. I've noticed other kids there with colds.

YANBU

I would however keep an eye on a cough that is fine during the day and worsens at night. Have fun at toddler group and hope your ds is feeling better soon.

Thanks helibee!

YANBU, but if you take him and he's coughing all over everyone else's children, you're not going to be popular. He probably won't do the other kids any harm, but the he's going to cause a lot of annoyance for the other parents!

Does it worsen at night because he's laying down do you think?

I'm just thinking out loud but if it's not that bad in the morning (which chesty coughs usually are first thing) and still worsens at night it might be some kind of allergy/irritant?

That is of course if it's not just a plain old cold

Yes I think it's worse due to lying down. His dad has had a cold, think he's just picked it up from him. He loves the baby group, would be a shame not to take him as he seems fine otherwise. Don't want to piss the other parents off though!

Oh I'd take him if it's just a cough/bit of a cold.

The other parents have to learn that life goes on and certainly when he's old enough to go to school they won't encourage you to keep him home for that sort of thing

YABU, I wouldn't like it at all if your baby coughed all over my child, esp if it's a cold he's caught from your DH. Different if it's an allergy.

If you have to take him somewhere like the docs or supermarket, that's another thing but toddler group is not a necessity.

School age children, I wouldn't send mine in if they were really poorly with a hacking cough but if I did, they'd be old enough to cough with their hand over their mouth and not spread so many germs around.

I'd take him, it's just a cold. I didn't really mind mine getting colds at that age, because I figured she was getting it all over and done with. I mean, I didn't seek it out, but as long as it was nothing serious I wouldn't worry about exposure. And sure enough, by around 18-20 months she stopped catching everything that went around, and hasn't had a cold in almost a year.

If he is not coughing much during the day, maybe take him. depends on who the other children are? are there any really tiny babies?

YABU. It is unfair to the other children and their parents.

He's probably ill with one of those super-common germs that we all carry masses of already, all over our bodies. As long as he's up to enjoying the group I'd plan to take him.

Well apparently our doc says they are not infectious when displaying symptoms-but the rule i use is if there is green snot we stay home. Others don't and you can't help feel irked when people show up with really snotty kids- my son comes down with one 2 days later. He has had one cold after another now for 5 weeks and ended up in hospital 2 weeks ago( asthma) as when he gets a cold it really means he struggles with respiration. I now kind of avoid the parents and kids who seem to just consistently come to playgroups with those really early stages snotty colds- but I don't think a post cold cough is that.

YABU. All very well to say it's probably a common bug that everybody gets but if your child has just had 3 months of back to back illness and is finally back on her feet, the last thing you want is someone else's child coughing all over them. I tend to do something else with mine (shops/park) when they're obviously coughing/dripping like taps just to avoid any unnecessary cold-sharing.

There are so many colds around I really wouldn't worry. Unless your child has a high temperature, runny bottom or vomiting I would take your child along regardless. Coughs and snotty noses are part of life and all children need to build an immune system up before they go to preschool/school!