Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

What happens with kids if single parent or both parents become ill?

27 replies

Missanneshirley · 28/03/2020 09:27

Just planning in my head...DH is emergency services and therefore I'd imagine quite likely to catch it - at which point i know we all keep our distance, we've arranged he'll camp out in front room. But if both of us are ill, we can't then isolate from the kids, do they just take their chances then?

OP posts:
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 28/03/2020 09:35

Yup.

Rubbish isn't it?

Bridecilla · 28/03/2020 09:40

I'm very non stressy but thinking about this kept me awake last night.

Someone in the ext street over from us died yesterday from it and it got me thinking- who would ds go to if we were both critical / died?

Realistically our parents would be desperate to take him but couldn't. My brother has a dog which ds is terrified of. Dps brother has a demon partner who I really wouldn't want raising him.

My best friend lives 4 hours away...

Haworthia · 28/03/2020 09:45

This worries me too. We’re a family of four in a small 3 bed with one bathroom. If one gets it we all get it. The biggest worry is DH and I simultaneously being too ill to take care of the children.

mumme111 · 28/03/2020 09:48

I'm a single mum stuck in a flat with the 2 kiddies so I'm worried but I've done a list of things for my eldest (11) to help do while I'm resting/ill and a list of phone numbers a fully charged phone I've batch cooked meals for them and made everything food and drink wise easily in reach we have no help around I just hope if I get it I don't need hospitalisation x

EverydayLife · 28/03/2020 09:49

Yes I’ve been worrying about this since January (single parent, complicated family situation.)

OhClover · 28/03/2020 09:50

I don’t know. People say it can make you too tired to take a sip of water so how i could care for an active toddler with it I have no idea!

KenDodd · 28/03/2020 10:01

I've worried about this as well. Both me and my husband have asthma. Our mothers are both very elderly and have care themselves, I have no family, my husband has one brother (mid 50s married, no children) who lives three/four hours drive away. We very seldom see him. Our kids are 11, 13 and 14 and thankfully all in perfect health. I don't worry about them catching it because they'd just get better. I worry about what would happen to them if me and my husband both had to go to hospital or worse both died. I think if we both died their uncle would step in and take them, this isn't something he or his wife would want to do though, so a terrible situation for everyone.

If we were both in hospital, I don't know what would happen then. They would likely all have CV themselves, although I very much doubt they'd be sick much. I think the least worse option for them at that point would be to stay in the house together on their own. I've filled the cupboards and freezer with easy to cook food for them with this in mind.

It's all a real worry though. It must be even more of a worry for people with younger children.

Scottishgirl85 · 28/03/2020 10:04

My manager, husband and 2 kids all got it. Adults had bad flu, wiped them out for 10+ days. Kids have a cough. Hopefully kids symptoms would therefore be mild. If someone in household gets it, I imagine it will be almost impossible to avoid all others getting it.

Original poster
Missanneshirley · 28/03/2020 10:06

Mine are 9 and 12, would cope in the VERY short term, feeding themselves cereal etc! But beyond that i have no ideaSad

OP posts:
SimonJT · 28/03/2020 10:08

As morbid as it sounds since day one I have had plans in place if anything happens to me, I’m a lone parent, so that makes it even more vital.

megletthesecond · 28/03/2020 10:09

No idea.
If I went to hospital my dc's would have to come with me. They're not old enough to stay home alone although they would stay in one place next to me. My will states that my mum or sister have the dc's. But mum has health conditions so that's out for now.

GAW19 · 28/03/2020 10:32

Me and DP have both been poorly but we have a 9 month old so had no choice. She also ended up with a few symptoms but we are now all okay.
We all had high temp, vomiting, diarrhoea, bad headache, very achy and very sleepy.
It was hard looking after her when we just wanted to sleep but we just had to carry on

LefttoherownDevizes · 28/03/2020 10:40

DH, DD and I all came down over a week ago. Thankfully I came down with it 2 days later than DH so for the couple of days each we were poleaxed in bed the other one could hold the fort. Now, 10 days after DD got ill DS14 had woken ill. He has asthma so am a bit worried but DH are well enough to look out for him. And thankfully out off quarantine so DH can go to the shops (I don't feel well enough).

We were practising good hygiene but we have more people than bedrooms here and no family to escape to so it's inevitable it's spread

BizarreBizarre · 28/03/2020 10:43

I'm lucky. My mum and dad helped me when my ex wouldn't. My sister also is young and off work so in an emergency would help

Queenest · 28/03/2020 10:47

Agree this has been worrying me too. Shock

It’s very worrying and I’m thinking of actually sorting out a will, which has been in my to do list for ages. Blush

Afterhours · 28/03/2020 10:49

I assume social services have plans in place in emergency situations during this period. If I got ill in the middle of the night my dc would have to go into care as there is literally no one in my family who could step in.

TheABC · 28/03/2020 10:54

I suspect it would be foster care if you were a lone parent with no back-up.

Realistically, OP if you and DH had to go to hospital, your brother with the dog would probably have to step in and arrange a way to keep kids & pets separate.

The only saving grace is that this illness has not targeted the under-40s as the Spanish flu did.

helpfulperson · 28/03/2020 10:55

Surely it's no different from what would happen if loads of other things made you very ill or you died in an accident. Which is far more likely than this.

Bouncingbomb · 28/03/2020 10:58

It is very different - asking someone to take in a child who has been exposed to Coronavirus.

RuffleCrow · 28/03/2020 11:00

Unless you have other serious health problems you'll probably only get it very mildly and so would they.

Adelais · 28/03/2020 11:01

I worry about this too. I have a 7 year old who could at least make herself drinks and snacks in an emergency but I also have a newborn who obviously is completely dependent on us. Just hope if me and Dh do get ill at the same time it doesn’t affect one of us severely.

atrafiq1 · 28/03/2020 11:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

KenDodd · 28/03/2020 11:21

@atrafiq1
He's a bit good looking your husband! Are you sure he's a doctor and not some model you hired to do the videos?
Well, that's cheered me up from the depressing thought of my children becoming orphaned.

KenDodd · 28/03/2020 11:24

@atrafiq1

Why don't you start a new thread with your video?
Don't forget to shout GOOD LOOKING DOCTOR in the title to get more views :)

atrafiq1 · 28/03/2020 11:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.