Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To enforce pre Xmas lockdown with my family next year

38 replies

Frostysnowlady · 22/12/2022 19:45

I have a 1 and 2 Yr old. We are hosting Xmas this year first proper family Xmas since the pandemic.

We had a playdate in the week I was a bit hesitant but mum said kids were fine.

We are all now so ill. Toddler spiking a huge temp sleeping and crying on and off all day. 1 Yr old isnt sleeping I have chills cough snot the works.

We have spent an absolute fortune on food, booze, snacks, Christmas centre pieces, tableware etc to make it extra special to compensate for previous years. Not to mention all the presents for the kids that I have spent so much time choosing and wrapping to ensure it magical as first year toddler knows what santa is and has been counting down the days, now they will now be too poorly to even open them.

I'm so fed up. I know these things happen but what do we do? We can't cancel as our family have no food in for Xmas themselves but how can we host when we can't get out of bed and feel like absolute death.

Advice please.

Anyone so done pre Xmas lockdowns and do they work?

OP posts:

autienotnaughty · 22/12/2022 19:47

Wish I had, 2 theatre visits, seeing Santa, Xmas lights, 2 nights out and I helped out at school disco. Of course I'm ill now

TruJay · 22/12/2022 19:48

I’ve been ill as you describe op, it lasted 4 days. Fingers crossed you are better for Sunday. I’m still a bit snotty but feel pretty much better. I spent all last weekend in bed!

It absolutely sucks but hoping you’re better by the big day 🤞🏻

Greydogs123 · 22/12/2022 19:52

Have you told family how ill you are? And they still want to come? If so, then ask them to do the cooking. Dose everyone up - adults on day nurse and kids on calpol and do the best you can, then go to bed early. There’ll be other Christmas’s and you can choose to stay in for the week before Christmas to try and stay illness-free.
One year, thankfully before we had our child, my partner got flu and I had a hideous cold. Christmas Day was spent dragging myself upstairs periodically to check dp had taken paracetamol/had a drink and me lying in the sofa downstairs watching crap tv! Our neighbours, bless them, brought over two plates of dinner which we both ate 2 days later when we felt less ill.

Changethenamey · 22/12/2022 19:52

It’s early days, kids bounce back so quickly so chances are they’ll be able to enjoy it, even if you still feel a bit shit. I do know how you feel, I have 3 DC and 2 of them have come down with the most horrendous flu type bug which has wiped them out. I just know third DC and/or me will pick it up in time for Christmas Day 😫

I would also add that it would need to be longer than a week to be sure you’ll all be clear. We haven’t been anywhere since my dd fell ill on Friday (assume she picked it up from school) but it’s being passed around us at home now.

BakedTattie · 22/12/2022 19:53

We’re all ill. And have been every Christmas since the kids were born. They are 7 and 9 now. Every single flipping year.

Jellyjam36 · 22/12/2022 19:56

It's not ideal but would you be able to move to a different day if you're still sick? Then hopefully not much goes to waste?
So sorry you're poorly. We had it a few weeks ago and it's awful.
I do wish I had done less and understand trying to limit contact before Xmas so it isn't ruined.

minidancer · 22/12/2022 19:57

Your family still have time to go and buy food. I would cancel and rearrange for when you feel better. We've had it happen to us. Parents are ill so we can't go. I just went and got the food we needed rather than risk getting ill and putting pressure on my parents. It's one day. Your kids aren't old enough to know if you move Christmas Day by a few days either, wait till you feel better to give presents too.

Original poster

Frostysnowlady · 22/12/2022 19:58

Oh @BakedTattie nooooo. Don't say that 😭

OP posts:

TumbleFryer · 22/12/2022 19:58

Of course you can cancel. The shops are all still open and fully stocked, no one is going to go hungry. Just postpone a few days until you’re feeling better. Stick the meet in the freezer etc.

35965a · 22/12/2022 20:00

It’s luck of the draw, my dc have been at school til last week, where strep A was running rife, then play dates and germy soft play this week. No illnesses here. Sure you could go nowhere at all next year but what would that achieve? They’ll just get ill another time or before or after your lockdown. It is shit when you’re all unwell, believe me we’ve all been there. But life needs to continue.

35965a · 22/12/2022 20:01

Also when you’re kids are small you can just swap what day you do Christmas, honestly they won’t know or care.

Ch3wylemon · 22/12/2022 20:02

Your DC will be fine. I promise They'll bounce back really quickly & will be super excited with bags of energy. If only mums could recover as fast. Merry Christmas- however it is and I hope you feel better soon.

Grapewrath · 22/12/2022 20:02

It’s just life.
My kids are more or less adults now and every year one or two would be ill for Xmas. While they’re little I suggest doing things simply and not getting too caught up in ensuring everything is perfect and magical. It’s a huge pressure and will cause you massive anxiety
The few days before Christmas we’d do parks and woods walks etc as opposed to soft play or play dates, but getting viruses is still likely

RitaSueandBobtwo · 22/12/2022 20:02

Its a good idea fortunately we aren’t having any Christmas visitors.

I hardly do anything as I was on the shielded list so I am still pretty careful (also had flu jabs and up to date with covid jabs) but have a teen DD in 6th form who kindly brought this horrible heavy cold thing to our house (over two weeks ago, we all have it now).

TheMagicDeckchair · 22/12/2022 20:04

I think you just need to possibly pre-warn your guests of the illness, and that you might need to postpone. But you might all be feeling better by Christmas Day, young kids can get sick and recover very quickly. There’s three days to go yet.

Young children getting poorly is just part and parcel of having babies and toddlers. Sometimes plans have to be adjusted for it, and your family will understand if you’re too ill to host.

StephanieSuperpowers · 22/12/2022 20:04

What do you mean by lockdown? No work, no school, no events for anyone in or coming to your house before Christmas?

BiasedBinding · 22/12/2022 20:05

I have to work and children at nursery until just before Christmas. I could never make such a thing work even if I wanted to. I guess if you don’t need to go anywhere then you could, but most of us don’t have the choice and just crack on. You’ll likely all be much better by Sunday I’m sure.

Brenna24 · 22/12/2022 20:06

DD did the most spectacular, exorcist style vomit at 12.45am this morning. I am due to pick my mum up tomorrow evening to stay with us for a wrek. Thankfully nothing since then but I was sweating what we were going to do if she carried on the gastric pyrotechnics through today and maybe tomorrow. At least I was pretty sure that she would be better by Christmas as most of those things only last a day or 2. The joy of children and Christmas. What I am terrified of is that their nursery had their Christmas party yesterday lunchtime. Normally they have a morning session and an afternoon session and shut for lunch, so she only has contact with half the children. They had all the children in late morning so as to just have 1 party. If she was infections then and the incubation period is a couple of days and it gets passed to other family members then we have potentially infected twice as many households. I think that generally tummy bugs aren't infectious until they are sick and right now I am praying this is the case.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 22/12/2022 20:06

I came down with this last Friday, feeling a bit gritty all day then late afternoon started shivering uncontrollably and had a temp of 39.8. Sudafed and fluids, temp was gone by Sunday, still have the cough and have lost my voice but felt better enough to do stuff by Monday.

AkoraEdelherb · 22/12/2022 20:09

Family can still go buy food, or stop by and pick some of yours up if they don't live too far. I'm sorry, it sucks to be ill this time of the year. I usually manage to avoid it over Christmas (touch wood) but always get something by New Year's which is really inconvenient as it's the busiest few days of the year at work and I'm always forced to push through and can never enjoy it.

Xmasbaby11 · 22/12/2022 20:11

I don't think you can pause life for a week or two before Xmas - you would miss out a lot of festive fun and normal life as well. It's just life to get ill often with toddlers around. There is never a good time to be ill, and if it's just close family, they can help surely and all pitch in.

I think it gets better as kids get older. Mine are 8 and 10 - they still get colds and viruses but can carry on with them and are rarely off school.

I hope you feel better in a day or two and can face Xmas or rearrange things if not.

WillTryNotToBeGrumpy · 22/12/2022 20:11

I think it's just a life thing, my kids always seem to manage to be ill at these key moments. I think it just feels so momentous this year after so long of restrictions.

RegularNameChangerVersion21 · 22/12/2022 20:13

I was feeling like death for two days OP. Now I'm snotty but much better. If you have loads of lemsip and calpol in stock you should be able to dose up Christmas day and hopefully still have a great day. Your family will help too presumably. It's bloody annoying but fingers crossed you'll be over the worst by the big day.

HappyAsASandboy · 22/12/2022 20:25

If you don't think you can host at the weekend, then cancel. I was in Aldi this morning and they were fully stocked, hardly busier than usual (though people had fuller trolleys so checkout took longer).

Christmas is meant to be fun. If hosting is too much because of illness, then don't host. Cancel now, and enjoy a quiet, slightly snotty, small family Christmas

SnackSizeRaisin · 22/12/2022 20:31

Illness is just part of life with young children. If you lockdown it would need to be for 2 weeks and be really strict. Personally I'd rather be ill at Christmas than stay home for 2 weeks with 2 preschoolers. Anyway if they're ill today chances are they'll be much better by the big day. Most of these things don't last that long. I would cautious if you have elderly relatives coming though. Maybe postpone the big do till the 27th and have a quiet day on the 25th in that case?

Flip

1 2