3 year old ill again

[flickeringflame5]

Dd3 had a nasty viral bug a few weeks ago - temperature of 39.5 at one point and very lethargic and unhappy. I had to have 3 days off work which didn’t go down particularly well with my employer. Yesterday morning she woke up with a cough and was very downbeat and clingy all day. She had moments of play but no energy and just wanted to cuddle. Much the same today. I kept thinking she was perking up but by bedtime she is exhausted, whinging and her temp was 38.9. She is alert, drinking and weeing and no breathing issues.

Im so worried that by Monday she is still going to be like this and I’ll have to ring in work again. Dh is away with work and we have nobody else to help.

How long are this viral things lasting with kids? It’s not the symptoms I’m particularly worried about - her cough isn’t horrendous - but she’s just so sad and clingy by the time bedtime rolls around.

Bump

Poor you OP, I’ve been through this with my kids (and am still going through it - the last week has seen a sick bug, the continuance of a perma-cold and hand foot and mouth).

You may have to apply for annual leave, if you work from home and have an understanding employer you could work while DD sleeps or in the morning/evening when she’s a little happier and might watch TV. It’s very hard, there’s no answer and I was on the verge of handing my notice in at one point in despair.

I think the reality is that often a virus wipes a young child out and makes them more susceptible to more viruses within a short space of time.

This is also a bad time of year for bugs.

Genuinely that’s how feel at the moment. I hate having to ring in and hear the disappointment. I also hate having to leave my child when they are not 100%. I would never send her in if she was unwell but I keep questioning whether she’s actually too unwell to be off or if she can power through. Also don’t want to be infecting any other kids before Christmas but let’s face it, the childcare settings are in total germ factories at this time of year.

It’s so hard when you have no help. A colleague of mine has 4 kids who’ve been ill lots too but luckily for her she has very supportive parents who will help her.

Are you sure she doesn’t need antibiotics?

If she is feeling ill and miserable keep up with the regular paracetamol and hopefully by tomorrow night you will have seen an improvement.

At this stage I don’t think so but of course I will monitor her and take her to the GP if I start suspecting something else is going on. At the moment it feels very typical of a viral winter bug like she had a few weeks ago which cleared up on its own within a few days. But it was very miserable during that time.

If it's a viral illness, children often perk up during the day and start flagging again early evening. I would keep her off on Monday if she has a temperature but if she's just a bit less energetic, try and send her in. The activities and routine might distract her 🤞

Yes this is how it’s been. Temperature seems to go down during the day too but spikes just before bed when she’s at her most grumpy and irritable. The joys.

I assume you've had a good check of her throat with a torch? Tonsillitis/strep season is upon us 😅