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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Bugs caught at CM vs Nursery

12 replies

bigwellylittlewelly · 13/02/2014 20:49

I do understand that this is slightly 'how long is a piece of string' question but dd2 (8m) has been in nursery four weeks.

she picked up flu, which she gave to me and she ended up nearly admitted to hospital for severe dehydration and I have pleurisy. Then she went back after a week off and got a nasty nasty cold. Day off. Then back this Wednesday and has spent this evening being sick although whether its the cold she has or a bug I'm not sure. Either way she'll be off tomorrow.

Dd1 has weathered the storm three years in but I'm constantly ill. I'm FT and have managed two and a half days in three weeks. Luckily my manager also has a small child but even so work is becoming a joke. DH will have to cover tomorrow as i have a meeting i simply cannot cancel. So along with other factors (cost and inflexibility) I'm wondering if my DC are less likely to be ill if I move them to a childminder?

Tia.

OP posts:

HSMMaCM · 13/02/2014 21:00

Less children, so less bugs in theory at CM, but maybe if the CM does school and pre school pickups then bugs from different places might be a problem.

TheGreatHunt · 13/02/2014 21:08

I was incredibly ill many times after returning to work with DC2 - I think it was being so run down. The DCs got very ill as well. We have a nanny! I think it is just unlucky sometimes :(

pussycatdoll · 13/02/2014 21:11

My two caught loads at nursery but the bonus as been excellent immune systems now
1 dc in yr 5 has had 1 afternoon off school ( last week ) so no sickness for 6 years nearly !
Dc2 ( yr 2 ) has had 1 day off !

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/02/2014 21:19

I think as more children at nursery then a higher risk of child being ill then with a cm

Piddlepuddle · 13/02/2014 21:23

Yeah just reiterating pussycat's post really - I had this so much with DS1, who was at nursery 3.5 days a week, but again he is in year 2 and hasn't yet had a day off school sick. So it really does get better. Hang on in there (easier said than done I know)

MyNameIsSuz · 13/02/2014 21:24

I can't compare either, but in the 5 months mine has been with his childminder, he's had two colds (as have I) and hand, foot and mouth, though none of the other children had that so he could have got it somewhere else. They go to a lot of play groups and sessions though, and do the school run, so he's actually in contact with quite a lot of children.

TheScience · 13/02/2014 21:27

DS has picked up a lot more illnesses in nursery than he did at a childminder - at the CM it was him and the same 2 other children every day whereas at nursery there are more children doing different days, more adults, cover staff, lunchtime staff etc and they had more contact with children in other rooms.

OutragedFromLeeds · 14/02/2014 00:36

It works in theory, not sure about the reality of it...I think it probably depends on the individual circumstances.

Your best option would probably be a nanny, they may not get ill any less, but at least you won't need to take time off work to look after them! Pricey though.

LingDiLong · 14/02/2014 09:36

Although in theory the childminder might pass less bugs on you do need to bear in mind that if the childminder themselves get ill (and/or any of their children) they won't be able to have your child. I say this as a childminder who is recovering from a nasty tummy bug and had to shut for 2 days this week.

Last time I had to shut was back in the summer though so it doesn't happen a lot.

Sounds like you've had a particularly terrible run of bad luck though you poor thing. Hope you're all fit and well soon.

eeyore12 · 14/02/2014 10:13

I am a nanny with my own little boy, I started back at a new job 1 full day and 3 after school afternoons last sept when he was 10 months, since then he has had two ear infections, throat infection and croup plus I have lost count the number of colds. Before we went back to work he was never ill not even a runny nose and we did go out and about bit it just seems he is now getting the day nursery and school germs the children I care for pass onto him (without having more than a runny Nose and cough themselves) so it is the luck of the draw and as others have said it does build their immunity up for later in life.

Just waiting for the nursery chicken pox to come home now!!

Karoleann · 14/02/2014 13:32

I had the same issue when I went back to work after DS2 was 6 months old, he or I (or DS1) were constantly ill and in 3 months I had more time off than I went into work.
I actually then asked to go back on leave when DS2 contracted chicken pox - which turned into pneumonia and he was in hospital for a week. I am self- employed so didn't affect maternity leave though.
I went back again when he was 1 and his immume system just seemed a bit stronger by then.

Anyway, it will probably depend on the ages of the other children the CM cares for and if they go to a pre-school/nursery too and how many after school children she/he has.

Both my DS's are rarely ill now, neither have had a day off sick this academic year so far. DS2 has had a duvet day though!

TwittyMcTwitterson · 15/02/2014 10:39

You're probably through the worst of it now. DD caught a few illnesses in first month and we were constantly run down but not enough to not work as we both have to be on the verge of death.

DP and I caught a very extreme Norovirus before she even went there from a show around visit and the girl who had it had already been sent home that was the worst illness I've ever had. Somehow DD escaped it.

Anyway, apart from chicken pox and a bit of a cold I swear she's not been ill for over a year so it really does help in the long run

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