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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it ok to take a dc with chickenpox to the park?

50 replies

Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:23

I was enjoying an ice cream with dds in the park yesterday when a mum turned around and told me that her dd has chickenpox. My dd was playing next to her in a little play area.

Of course I immediately called my dd back. Dd asked me why she had to stop playing so I said loudly that the other little girls had CP. The mother looked a bit annoyed about that (was I stigmatising her dd?)

Anyway, we are going away on holiday in a couple of weeks so cp is the last thing we need right now.

Was the other mum bu by taking her dd out and mix with other children albeit outdoors?

OP posts:
spookyskeleton · 17/05/2014 12:25

No it isn't - tough as it is, you need to stay indoors/back garden.

Damnautocorrect · 17/05/2014 12:27

No, you don't know whose around you that's pregnant / on chemo or has any other immune deficient illness. Massively irresponsible.

TheDudess · 17/05/2014 12:29

No.Never.

I'd have had strong words.

TidyDancer · 17/05/2014 12:32

Absolutely not okay.

Damnautocorrect has said why.

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:33

Thanks for the responses I thought I was bu feeling annoyed about it. I didn't say anything other than calling my dd back and saying loudly that the other girls had CP. The mother also had a small baby with her who apparently didn't have cp. She seemed very casual about it all, which made me wonder if it was the 'done thing'.

OP posts:
ICanSeeTheSun · 17/05/2014 12:36

Being very very UR, this is why my friend doesn't take her son to the park ect as this could put him in hospital.

He was born very premature 26 weeks I think, has heart problems in which the Meds he takes makes he auto immune.

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 17/05/2014 12:37

Yanbu. I would have been livid.

Greyhound · 17/05/2014 12:39

I once saw a woman bring her CP ridden toddler to the baby clinic Angry

Irresponsible.

zoemaguire · 17/05/2014 12:40

Was the child scabbed over though? My Ds had a hideous case of cp and looked like a gruesome plague victim for about a month after the last spot had scabbed over. We got some seriously dirty looks when out and about, but he wasn't infectious!

drinkyourmilk · 17/05/2014 12:40

Yanbu at all. Unless it's just a cold I keep children away from others regardless of the illness. Nobody wants d&v, slapped cheek, chicken pox etc. Plus any illness is potentially dangerous to those at risk.
I understand the need to get out-but be responsible! Stay away from others!

Hoppinggreen · 17/05/2014 12:43

Yanbu.
On another matter why do people always " turn around" and say things?
I have visions of people doing a little ballerina style twirl before speaking.
Sorry, slightly off topic.

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:44

The child was infectious and had visible spots. Her mother told me to keep my dd away from the play area as the child was infectious Hmm

OP posts:
Loverofpeas · 17/05/2014 12:45

Id only let chicken pox kids play on equipment other kids are not using. An empty park would be ideal. Or pop to a friends house where the kids have already had the pox and the mum is happy about poxy play date

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:46

"On another matter why do people always " turn around" and say things?
I have visions of people doing a little ballerina style twirl before speaking.
Sorry, slightly off topic."

Haha, that made me laugh Smile. In this case the mother did in fact 'turn around' as she had been sitting on at a cafe table in front of me with her back turned toward me Smile.

OP posts:
Theonlyoneiknow · 17/05/2014 12:47

If infectious no way, if all spots have scabbed over then no longer infectious. Sometimes they can be scabbed for ages.
Our first day on hols DD got CP. Even still we stayed away from public places and basically bundled her up in the bike trailer for a week

Hoppinggreen · 17/05/2014 12:47

Well a physical turn around as opposed to a metaphorical one is an entirely different matter :)

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:48

When I called my dd back the woman told me tried to educate me that the children would have to "touch" for the cp to be passed on.

OP posts:
teenagetantrums · 17/05/2014 12:48

No its not, although to be honest I took my son to the Dome in 2000 with chicken pox, he wasn't ill in himself as such just spotty, but in my deference no one had ever told me that chicken pox was dangerous I only found that out a few years ago, didn't even occur to me to worry about other people at the time I thought it was just one of those things that all children get, so maybe she didnt realise how dangerous it could be to some people.

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:53

Hoppinggreen I know! It's as if to add a bit of 'drama' as in " she turned around .

OP posts:
Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 12:56

"I'd only let chicken pox kids play on equipment other kids are not using. An empty park would be ideal. Or pop to a friends house where the kids have already had the pox and the mum is happy about poxy play date"

Well this woman was sat outside in a cafe in the park. Because her dd had cp, I had to ask my dd to stop playing with the equipment. That in itself was ok as we are about to leave anyway but it's the principle.

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 17/05/2014 12:59

She told you to keep your child away from the play area; so her pox ridden child could have the run of it? Shock
That's a whole new level of entitlement stupidity, isn't it?

Isn't there some sort of park ranger person you can call? There is round here (London); I called once when some idiot brought a big staffy into the fenced off kids playground at our local park and effed and blinded at anyone who asked him to leave.
They were there within 10 minutes, and escorted him not only out of the playground, but all the way out of the park itself.
I'd have almost been more furious at your situation.

Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 13:03

"I'd have almost been more furious at your situation."
She was just so casual about it which is what threw me. I hate confrontation with strangers because it can escalate and mostly doesn't change anything for the better. I sued to be quite outspoken when I saw something I thought was wrong but since having dc, I try to be polite and pleasant, especially to star edgers with dc. I guess in this case I should have said something...

OP posts:
Original poster
Mycathasflees · 17/05/2014 13:04

*especially to strangers with dc.

OP posts:
6cats3gingerkittens · 17/05/2014 15:55

Once had a mum bring an infectious CP ridden child (who looked as though she was finding it difficult to stay on her feet) into (my) library. Other customers included the very frail and elderly, new-borns and toddlers. Having never had CP myself I stopped serving the child and asked them both to leave. And I don't think I was too polite about it either. Very satisfactory.
We had some incredibly silly customers who treated the library like a recovery/entertainment centre for their sick children, even to the extent of expecting the staff to provide drinks, snacks and lunch for their usually unhappy children. So please be kind to your local library staffas it can be a tricky job sometimes.

creampie · 17/05/2014 16:01

Just FYI, children are no longer infectious 5 days after the last spot appears, irrespective of how scabbed over they are