Is it unreasonable of parents to send their kids to nursery when they know they have colds? And AIBU to ask this?

[TheCatsMeow]

I originally thought it was, but when talking to people, apparently it's fine because getting the time off work is a bitch and the old "it's good for kids to get colds, it builds their immunity!".

That may be true, but I have a baby with neonatal rhinitis, feeding difficulties and asthma. What might be a mild cold in other children ends up as a chest infection and possible hospitalisation. I know people will say "well that's your problem", but is it unreasonable to expect people to think that there may be kids who are vulnerable or in contact with vulnerable people, and that sending your germ ridden kid in could have real dire consequences? I don't see why my son should have to not go to nursery, which he enjoys, because of something he can't help.

I wouldn't send my son in knowing he was ill, because that's how germs spread. AIBU to ask the nursery to notify me if there are germs going round so I can decide if my son needs to stay home?

[TheBestChocolateIsFree]

I do think that an eight month old baby who doesn't nap at all is a long way outside the norm and can't be doing either of you any good at all - no wonder you're desperate for a break. What does the nursery say about it? I think I'd be focusing my attention on that - maybe start a new thread for advice.

[TheCatsMeow]

Swirling yes, crawling and walking holding hands and pulling himself up in furniture. As soon as he's fed he wants to get out the high chair. I do that with the pram.

Chocolate nursery can sometimes get him to nap, sometimes they can't. They love him, they say he's very happy and always laughing. Which is what he's like - he's just very curious.

[elliejjtiny]

My 9 year old stopped napping at 6 months, I feel your pain.

I'm always trying to avoid my 2 year old getting colds because he has frequent operations and the anaesthetists wont risk it if he has a cold. At his preschool there are a couple of vulnerable children who end up in hospital if they get a cold. So I try and avoid sending him if he's at the beginning of a cold when they are most infectious and if he has a temperature. I think most of the other parents do the same.

DS3 had chicken pox recently and I was asked to keep DS4 away from preschool while he was incubating it as well as when he had it so the preschool children didn't get it (3 weeks in total, would have been 4 but 1week was in the easter holidays).

This is a preschool though, rather than a nursery so people don't use it for childcare while they work, it's only open 4 hours a day. I think in a nursery where parents use it for childcare while they work there needs to be more allowances made and children going to nursery when they have colds etc. Not sure what the solution is except pay a local teenager to play with him while you have a break/do finances etc. I agree with previous posters who suggested highchair in the bathroom while you have a bath. DS1 used to go in the jumperoo while I did stuff.

[TheHauntedFishtank]

There's a child with health issues at DS's preschool. They ask that if a child has a cold but is well enough to be at preschool we let them know so they can tell this child's parents who can then decide whether to send them in. Could you ask your nursery to do similar?

[ImNotThatGirl]

What about a mothers help for a few hours here and there? I did this when I was in my late teens whilst studying at uni. It allowed the mums to get on with what needed to be doing. I often took the little ones to the park or to the shops.

[Janecc]

I used the Homestart scheme. The person I was matched with would come to the house and play with DD and chat to me. Once or twice when I was really bad, I went to bed for a little time. I didn't leave DD with her because I wasn't well enough to go out much at all. The help was to give me a break.