To think 4 year olds immune system is not ready for school

[cookieswirls]

Since my dd started school she has picked up every vomiting bug, cold or illness going round and I think it's because her immune system is not mature enough she has a daily multi vitamin and eats a very balanced healthy diet so not sure what else I can do. She loves school and is learning loads but I can't help but think 5 would be a better age to start. I'm sick of a new illness coming into the house.

I have to say this thread has completely freaked me out! I am a severe emetophobe that has got a million times worse since having ds! He is three and just started 2 mornings a week at preschool and I am totally freaking out about him getting sickness bugs! People always say they don't happen that often but looking at some of these replies it looks like they do??!

I catch something horrible every October.
I'm 48 and teach at a university.

Ames33 I wouldn't worry too much, I have an 18yr old and 11yr old and they've only had a handful of sickness bugs between them.

The coughs, colds, sore throats and random chicken pox or scarlet fever seem to be much more common here. It's the cold viruses that knock me on my arse.

It isn't that beer immune system isn't mature, it's that it hasn't been exposed to enough to build up more immunity so delaying would only delay the inevitable.

They're not that frequent Ames but they are probably inevitable in your parenting career. Have you been to the doctor to get treatment?

Another one with an 11 year old who has started secondary and caught lots of colds and bugs. I noticed last year as a childminder I got lots of colds when I had an influx of new kids too.

No

Thanks
Yes, I've seen doctors and many therapists about it, to no avail!
We have had a couple of nasty ones so far, and one was when we were admitted to hospital (he gets bad viral wheezes) and I'm sure he caught it in A&E.
it's the anticipation of it happening that's the worse, I go to bed EVERY night fearing that he will be sick. Bloody horrible phobia!

Sorry Ames33. That sounds very hard to deal with on a daily basis. It's mainly just colds and coughs that my dd comes home with and that's not to say all children will be the same

It's a natural process, and it will ultimately make her stronger. It's not nice at the time though.

30 years a teacher and every year I got throat infections, chest infections, flu etc. A good year would be no time off until January. Schools are unhealthy places, lovely warm air for germs to breed, 30 children all together, and children sent to school when they are ill because 'he wanted to come '. Sorry, but it is a fact of school life.
Since I retired I have hardly had as much as a cold (although I might regret saying that).

I'm afraid they still get plenty of bugs in Year 1, when they are 5-6...

When my DD started pre-school she picked up lots of bugs, whereas before that she had barely ever been ill. Because she had not had ENT infections as a baby and toddler she had a string ENT system which meant she threw the bugs off quickly. DC have to go through a phase in early childhood of picking up bugs and developing their immune system but, if possible, this should be delayed until they are 3 and their ENT system is reasonably strong.

It's got nothing to do with age. When I started teaching I caught every bug in the place and I was 23.

It will all pale into insignificance when he brings home the norrovirus (still have flashbacks a year later).

30 years a teacher too, used to get every bug going - now it's a bad year if I get even one. Small children are plague rats and I've obviously built up my immunity to them! 😂

DD started nursery a month ago at 10 months and it's been hell, a month of snot and vomit, she's yet to make it through a week.
I don't think it matters what age they start, mixing with other kids + winter = disease.

Booboo we have had norovirus it was horrendous we all caught it one after another. Very bad time

Putting it off for a year won't really do anything, to build up her immune system she needs to be exposed to the nasties. Since starting term in September ds(3) has had every bug/cough/cold imaginable leading to at least 1 day off on most weeks :( now the little delight has passed his most recent vom bug to me, and I seem to have got it 10 times worse than he did 😭😷

cookie I may have attracted the wrath of the norovirus just by typing its name...DS has just had diarrhea twice!

They don't get a magically developed immune system age 6

No, I'm afraid you are wrong.
Age has nothing to do with it.

My children (5 and 2) have been going to school/nursery for the past few years and have bare had any illness between them. (Of course now I've said this I'm sure they'll catch everything going...!). In contrast, another child at the same class as DD1 seems to catch bugs all the time. Everyone's immune system is different, regardless of age.

Ok, even more freaked out now! I really should stop following this post! I just want to curl up into a ball and cry
Seriously though, how often do your kids actually bring home sickness bugs? Not colds etc, but vomit bugs? Xx

And my phobia is so bad that we have actually decided not to have any more children. I am a very rational person, except for this

But if she went to school at 6 for example, she would still need to build up immunity to the bugs so she would still catch them. Kids having minor illnesses is not a bad thing...it's pretty much essential to building their immunity.

Also you want kids to get chicken pox as a kid because getting it as an adult is a lot more serious.