How do you care for kids if you have CV?

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Two DC (11mo and 3yo) no symptoms.

One thing that scares me is what DH and I would do if we were ill at the same time. I've heard you can struggle to get out of bed. How are you meant to look after DC?

Obviously if we could manage to stick them in front of the telly and feed them easy stuff we'd do that, but what if even that is too hard? Is there help for that or do you rely on family or friends being willing to risk helping?

I realise this would be even worse for LP, those with disabilities etc.

Answer is that you get in with it, you're a parent, sometimes it's tough. Most people have it mild (80%). There are two of you, so your chances of both being totally incapacitated are low.

If both parents were admitted to hospital, either your family friends or children's social care would step in to make sure your toddlers are looked after.

In meantime if you get very poorly at home, the same as other parents do especially single disabled parents, you force yourself out of bed, become resourceful and crack on with looking after your children whilst wearing a mask and constantly washing your hands. To be frank, If you're symptomatic then it's likely you'll have shared /or caught / virus with/from your young child anyway so chances are they'll be sleeping a lot too, like you .

CV isn't the only thing that incapacitates parents, many of us struggle with health problems & hospitalisations as an unpredictable part of our lives, but not contagious like this.

I really don't think you should worry, you aren't in a vulnerable situation.

I think it's going to be TV and lots of snacks!

I think that as with other poor health situations, you manage it because you have no choice but to step up as parents.

We have 3 DCs who are older than yours but birth had Covid at the same time. DH was about 2 days ahead of me so I was still up for the two days he's was in bed then when I was struck in bed he was able to be up. Thankfully I had prepared and had instant noodles/beans etc so the kids could fend for themselves.

It wasn't great but for both of us there were only two days when we were completely floored, others I spoke to have had similar.

That's reassuring, thanks! Obviously we're not just going to abandon them but if we're physically incapable then not much we could do - hopefully it won't come to that!

I've got a stock of super noodles and pasta pesto, plus penny sweets to act as bribes if need be. The worst thing would be if they get out of routine and then won't sleep...

I had it and was solo parenting half the time. Drugs. Cold and flu medicine and coffee and TV and just powering through it I'm afraid.

I have also thought about this. What if we are both hospitalised? (I know this is unlikely, but I need to plan for these sorts of scenarios) A local friend is sure she’s had CV-19 (and it seems likely to me for various reasons) so I would ask her. She seem the person I know who would have the least risk of catching it from the children. So if we were both hospitalised I would ask her to come and care for the children.
If, as is likely, we get it mildly, it’ll be tv snack and powering through!

Those of you that have been through it - did you attempt to isolate from your kids at all? Obviously not an option for you WanderingLost. Two of my kids (ages 1 and 4) still share our bed at night which I’ve read is an absolute no-no. It probably wouldn’t be so hard to get the 4yo to stay in his own room but the 1yo doesn’t even have his own room...

In the same way you would with a stomach bug and flu I guess. In my 10 years as a parent there's never been more than 1 of us ill at a time, we tend to transmit so there's illness for like 2 weeks in the house taking it in turns! I have been alone ill though if DH was working away, you just get on with it, if I was hospitalised normal rules don't apply and you call family etc. But what are the chances of both parents being ill and hospitalised same time? No point stressing.

This is something I have to deal with a lot as a single parent, you just have to get on with it I’m afraid. I have 4, it’s horrible but it is what it is.

If you couldn't cope between you you'd have to ask family/friends for help.

If you didn't have anyone to help and couldn't keep the children safe then social services would need to step in.

It is something I worry about (I’ve got similar age children to the OP). The 3 year old could cope watching tv for a day but that would be very hard with the baby. My nephew had it and couldn’t leave his bed for a few days and was totally wiped. In the past, we’ve never both been sick at the same time, had the option of nursery or help from grandparents.

I think we’ve had it and didn’t make any attempt at isolating from our 1 and 4 yr old, but I got symptoms shortly before then and DH never got symptoms, but he had to keep working at home. So there were a few shitty days where I muddled oh through with them, I was never so ill that I absolutely had to be in bed all day, I just wanted to, if you know what I mean.

Op I don't know what, you've got easy food stocks and lashing of TV
I've just had the most horrific migraine, I've been in bed feeling faint, sick, being sick, clutching my head in sheer agony... I wasn't able to do a thing.

Your dc are so small, obviously standard would just drop to keeping everyone alive!!

Maybes sort out now who would change nappies... Do food.. Take turns.

This is my biggest fear as a lone parent with my two. Luckily they are 8 and 6 so not tiny and I've been making sure they can make simple meals (just cereal / sandwiches etc) and get their own drinks etc in case I cannot get out of bed for a few days. It would just have to be unlimited youtube/tv time too and a request for family to order in take away food to them.

On an even more serious note - I've made sure my two know how to call 999 and know our address, just should worse come to the worse :(

There is no way we could isolate, are area far more than rooms in our house. Plus, selfishly, as we had it quite early on thought would rather get it over and done with early whilst there was still capacity in hospitals etc (ds14 has mild asthma). Plus, as Dd started with it first I knew the kids had been exposed at school anyway