To think it’s weird people wanting to cancel Christmas plans over colds and other little ailments?

[Newsername]

When I was younger I remember occasions when I (or one of my siblings) was ill with flu, diarrhoea or something else but gatherings in our house ALWAYS went ahead. I was just confined to my bedroom and food/medicine was brought to me. My parents would never ever cancel plans over minor ailments like this.

If we had to go somewhere and we were ill, one of my parents would go and take remaining siblings with them, or sometimes (my mums aunt would always do this) everyone would prepare food and bring it to ours and we’d have Christmas at our house.

Even now, if I’m not feeling up to it, I get picked up by family member and get given a blanket at their house and I sit and rest whilst they fuss over the kids, but enjoy time with my family.

I don’t understand why people are prepared to cancel plans over a cold or something else minor and not be willing to swap things around? Colds and winter bugs aren’t contagious if you follow appropriate basic hygiene and confine the ill person to a room.
The only exception is if someone in the family is immunocompromised, then keeping away is completely understandable.

🔥🔥🔥

I think that sometimes people are desperate to cancel plans, and the first sign of a sniffle is the perfect excuse.

From some of the threads I see on here, you musn’t leave your house if you even feel a sniff coming on, incase everyone else dies of the plague.

it's just for the excuse....i'm hoping to catch a cold for boxing day as it's SIL visiting day ;-)

Depends. I'm on immunosuppressants so I'd rather not get anything, although I can make allowances for a cold. But vomiting? Or other such illnesses? No thanks.

People are knackered at Christmas, the year rattles towards it and there’s so much prep...if people feel like shit and want quiet time, it’s perfectly natural.

I think that sometimes people are desperate to cancel plans, and the first sign of a sniffle is the perfect excuse

This. I also know people who say yes to every invite and decide on the day who they will visit. Always looking for a better offer. The runners up get an apology phone call or text bigging up the excuse "remember I sneezed in august? Well..."

I’m severely at risk (I have leukaemia) but don’t even attempt to keep myself away from colds (too much of it about).

I would keep away from all D&V bugs, regardless of what hygiene precautions are taken.

Different people have different attitudes to infection risk - OP’s is fine, so are those who prefer to cancel.

I’m knkd with an autoimmune compromised condition. DH has a cough that’s kept him up all night. We’re taking it hour by hour. We’re not people pleasers nor do we wish to spread our germs and expect other folks to nurse us. Let them get on with the festivities and we’ll catch up when we feel well enough. (I sound like the grinch, I know) 🙄

If it'd d&v then I wouldn't host at my house I'd send the food and whoever isn't poorly up to my mums and equally I wouldn't go to a house with d&v. The last thing you need is loads of people rushing to the loo.

Colds are fine though

I am one of those who have had to postpone Xmas - two family members down with diarrhoea and were due to host DF (late 80s) and DM (early 80s). A tummy bug is not just a tummy bug if you are elderly and frail. A cold...hmm, just a cold, no I would cancel for that. A cold that has everyone laid up in bed and feeling rotten and fluey, yes I would postpone.

Norovirus - I would cancel. If we cancelled things any time one of us had a cold, we would never go anywhere!

Norovirus yes cancel, anything else minor colds etc no.

@XmasHolly "Remember I sneezed in August"

When my daughter gets a cold it makes her asthma horrendous. So yes, we would expect people to let us know or cancel.

Fortunately we only ever go to close family who understand fully.

My post didn't say once that we just had the sniffles, Ds has been ill for 6 days and has barely managed to stay awake for more than hour and a half at a time. Dh and I have headache, sinus and muscle aches. What you consider the cold is different for everyone. So no if I had a runny nose and a cough I would never consider cancelling but otherwise it's only natural to consider staying quiet.

P.s I did apologise about the keyboard warrior thing.

Funnily enough, I've just phoned round my family to tell them we've all got colds, to ask if they still want us to come. Personally I think it only courteous!

There's a thread on here asking if they should cancel as hosts for Christmas Day because she suspects her husband has got norovirus and she obviously thinks it will pass to her.

Almost everyone who added to the thread said yes definitely cancel!

A cold (like Iv had for a bloody month) or something similar then no I'd not but I would prewarn people so they had the option to avoid me and no hugging etc
I was supposed to see my uncles a couple of weeks ago (when I still looked and sounded like death warmed up!) and they decided to not see me because they were going on holiday the next day, I was fine with that.

Mumsnet brings a whole new level of being ill though.

A sniff = flu

Sickness bug = norovirus

The slightest sign of either sends them flocking to the GP, or A&E for a sneeze plus sore throat!! Also the amount of people that get rehydration salts as standard when there is sickness about amazes me. They are for people who are dehydrated, not someone who spewed a couple of times!!

We just crack on, always have. Of course I am aware to be cautious around anyone who's system may be compromised, but within our family, we just keep on going.

If there is Norovirus or Flu I would so cancel, they are nasty bugs which spread very easily and can make even the heathy very unwell. A cold no, show would go on.

Depends what the illness is and who is going to be affected.
If you have norovirus I do not want you in my house or to be at your house.
If you have a cold then I'm not bothered.
For someone else though like my niece who is just out of hospital with a collapsed lung a cold is going to be to much risk.

There's no value in making everyone ill or running yourself into the ground just to keep Christmas plans. It's only one day, I don't want anybody thinking they have to martyr themselves just to keep Christmas plans.

I think it's weird that you start a thread like this, OP. Can you really not get your little head around the stress that some people are experiencing now? At this time of year? For whatever reason?

Myself and family are fit and well . If though I would get a cold it changes everything. I have man-flu and then some. Full on sneezing and spluttering. I wouldn't inflict that on anybody else.

Some people are really struggling, for whatever reason and whilst I get that it's not ideal to cancel, sometimes it's the least bad option. I don't think I'd ever want to a guest where my host was going through the motions, trying to put on a brave face when they'd rather have nobody there but feel obliged to for 'form'. I think most cognisant people would feel like that, mild disappointment aside, they'd get over it.

... and not start snitty, shitty threads to get other teeth-suckers making posters feel like crap at Christmas.
Seasons greetings to you.

Noway would I go to a walk in clinic for norovirus or flu, unless I was immunosuppressive. Rehydrate and keep inside until it passes.

p.s. I'm in a lot of pain today due to RA but I'm trying to soldier on before anyone accuses me of being a snowflake. That's on me though because I don't want to spoil DD's Christmas none of the adults would mind if I said 'actually I can't manage a visit'.

Totally depends. You mention the flu in your post, definitely not a ‘minor ailment’- it can and does kill.

I have an eight week old who hasn’t had his vaccinations as yet (just turned 8 weeks today so his vaccination week falls at Christmas) and I would not risk taking him into a home with flu or any kind of stomach bug. I wouldn’t willingly take my older children into a home like that either tbh despite them being fully vaccinated. I don’t want a sick child over the Christmas period, sounds abysmal.

A lot of the posts about this lately have been about norovirus, or protecting very tiny babies. It's different from needlessly bailing at the first sneeze.

My mother is on chemo and my gran is bloody ancient - I'm hosting them this Christmas but if there were even a HINT of something going round that would be inconvenient for a strong, healthy person but possibly disastrous for them, I definitely wouldn't want them to take the risk for the sake of one day. IANBU.