Am I overreacting to Strep A ?

[glugluggg]

I have a three year old in nursery and 7 month old baby at home.

Both have been off nursery / crèche for going onto the third week now, as they both came down with illness around three weeks ago.

Now with the strep A thing, I'm considering staying home with both of them and avoiding crèche, nursery, softplay, play groups, play dates until the new year.

I'm on Mat leave, so I can do this. It's tough on me and I'm already exhausted, having them home all the time already for two weeks. But I am really worried about them getting really sick.

Is this OTT ?

I do understand your anxiety Op, I'm the same and currently at home with a sick 3 year old who seems to pick up every bug going. This strep A thing has worries me too. I'm going to continue sending my child to preschool as normal as long as they are completely well. So often they just get bug after bug as and never seem to fully recover. So may keep them here to rest if they have a cold (where I'd have sent them in before (so they get the chance to get better before getting the next bug!). I'm in a fortunate position where my work can be fairly flexible around this. Will take the same approach to play dates if they are well they will go to them as normal.

But that's different isn't it. You're accusing me of being selfish and mistreating my child. I was asking if generally people think an illness is a reason to keep children off nursery.

Everyone says it's OTT, but you're the only one calling me selfish.

I take everyone's opinions on board, maybe I am over reacting and I should send them. I think there's more at play for us. Christmas is the only time off my husband gets from work. We just want to have a nice time and reduce the risk of our kids being sick.

I probably won't send them. Not because I'm worried they'll die from strep A, but to preserve our only family time of the year where my husband isn't working.

I don't think that makes me selfish.

Well then great. You've made your choice. You are wildly over-reacting but you seem ok with that.

But no there isn't more at play for you than other families. We all cross our fingers and hope to get through without miserable or puking kids. But we mostly just keep going through normal daily life, because that's also important for a kids sense of stability, and their development.

I think there's more at play for us. Christmas is the only time off my husband gets from work. We just want to have a nice time and reduce the risk of our kids being sick no for most working parents it will be exactly the same.

I totally accept I am over reacting to the strep A risk. However, for our family it's about more than that. It's a personal thing about my husband's work schedule etc and our only family time. So the thread has made me realise that yes, keeping them home because of strep, is over reacting. Keeping them home to avoid them being sick over Christmas ( the only time of year we have together ) is probably reasonable for our family and particular circumstance.

I understand your concern about Xmas OP, but chances are that someone will be ill - someone is always ill at Xmas or New Year, because of the time of the year.

Look on the bright side, by next year your kids will probably have had everything, and will be OK for a while. Then they start primary, and you get another slug of illness, additionally nits and worms. Then they are OK for a bit. Then they start secondary, same again, another slew of nasties. Then they start "socialising" with the opposite sex, along comes glandular fever etc. Then they go to University and they all get ill again. The last couple of years of course fab, as they additionally had Covid a few times. Fun, fun, fun.

Sadly it is just part of life, and although it is shit, it just is. Have a lovely Xmas 😁

But if I could I would love to have my kids at home for a couple of days before Christmas to reduce the chance of bugs.

Most people get 20 days of annual leave. My husband does not. He literally has had no time off this year and works 6-7 days a week.

Maybe that should be something you need to change as I assume you have to cope with all sick days etc. How much time does he actually have with you and the DC?

Its dramatic to keep kids off to avoid them getting sick. Kids get sick, its part of building immunity. The fact we have kept them isolated for so long and the overuse of hand gel etc. Is the reason children are picking up so many bugs now. Scarlet fever is a normal childhood illness, we get texts every year regarding it doing the rounds. Along with hand foot and mouth, slap cheek, d&v and chicken pox. These things just spread like wildfire amongst children.

Yeah it's not great at all. He spends one day a week with us. That's why Christmas is extra important to us, as it's the only time off he'll have this year. Hopefully next year will be better:

Is it his own business? He should get annual leave

Ah right yeah thats tough then. Is it like an oil rig or something? I'd definitely keep them off before xmas

Self employed?

That's a choice, not a compulsion.

If he is only prepared to engage with you and the children for 7 days over Christmas per year and won't spend a moment more in your company than less than the legal minimum for employed workers, that's being a crappy father and husband. It's also affecting your child's experiences and development to be removed from their normal routine and special activities, just to be present for the few hours a year that he deigns to grace them with his company.

And clearly, you need a break.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Self employed?

That's a choice, not a compulsion

Well, it's a choice that cannot easily be changed quickly. It's the situation as it is at the moment, but we are working on changes etc. it's far too complex to get into on here. But working on more time off next year.

OP I understand why you feel this might be a sensible idea - but the thinking behind the rise in Strep A cases is that children haven’t built the same immunity because of lockdown, so short term this approach might help but longer term they could well be worse off.

Ah right self employed. Well either way yeah I agree christmas is pretty important if it's the only family time you get together. I'd let the nursery know on Monday so they can sort our staffing.

In order for a child to build there immune system they need to pick up germs and bugs hence why it's a bad time now children as they haven't been getting these bugs so there immune systems are low, putting your children in a mini lock down will not do them any favours in the long run. Just keep an extra eye out for signs of it. I know it's scary but there immune system needs to learn how todo it's job.

This is nonsense. That's not how immune systems work!

I’d usually be 100% for keeping everything normal and just being extra cautious if any symptoms appear etc but I’ve actually made the decision to keep my DS away from things for a few weeks too. He’s just turned 2 and doesn’t go to nursery yet though so I’m talking things like Playgroup/Toddlers and Softplay etc.
Huge believer in children needing to build their immune system etc usually but our small town currently has outbreaks of Scarlet Fever, Chickenpox & Hand Foot & Mouth. We keep getting notifications from the various groups he usually attends.
We have just got over Norovirus (DS then me 🤢), and an ear infection (DS) that saw us at the out of hours clinic an hour away at 3am with a temp of 40.2 that wouldn’t come down.

We have family coming in from the states this week to stay with us right through Christmas. It’s their first time home in 8 years and they have a 3 month old coming with them so if I can do anything to try and keep the house a little more bug-free then I’ll do it 🤞🏼

If he was school aged then he’d still be going.

Keeping them in will make it worse. They need to exposed to bugs and germs this is why strep is worse this year due to lockdowns.
Both mine have good immune systems because when they were little I took them everywhere to mix.

OP your entitled to feel the way you do. Only you know what's best for you and your family. I have a 2y/o who is immunocompromised and takes immunosuppressive biological injections daily. She has already caught a viral infection which we had to stop medication for a few days. I'm in the same boat, I'm contemplating not sending my children in for the same reason. My husband thinks I'm overreacting but I don't give a crap as last year we spent 5 weeks in hospital. Your not OTT 🤗

I understand your worries. You've has a lot going on and life with a toddler and a baby too must be hard.
I think social media/online articles haven't helped at all with everyone worrying. We've all just been through a pandemic so have heightened fear about this now.
I would send the 3 year old to nursery & just be vigilant about any of the strep A symptoms. The nursery will have been updated too and will be keeping an eye out.
Complications from this are still rare.
I hope you get some sleep soon OP. XX

Sorry and who are you exactly, there's no black and white correct answer here. It's completely understandable to have concerns when people's children have died, yes its a very small amount and yes it's unlikely to happen to you, but your patronising and rude response doesn't do anything other than make you sound like a moron.