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Original poster

Toddler coughed in my sons face today

70 replies

showmethewaytothemagic · 04/09/2020 22:51

We were in an outside play sandpit and he came over to play near my Ds. He started digging by him. I wasn't worried as we are outside, but then he stood up, right next to him and coughed right in my Ds' face. My DS is mouth breather so I'm sure he breathed it right in. Looking at the coughing boy, his nose seemed snotty, so fingers crossed it's not Covid. The main thing I'm worried about is if my son gets a cough that's a pain for starting school next week. Then he won't be able to start reception as it might be Covid and I'll to get him tested.

Plus this place we went you paid to get in, so in the current climate outside venue or not surely you don't take a child with a cough Angry

OP posts:
JoeCalFuckingZaghe · 05/09/2020 01:06

*I looked at the toddler and gave him my best Paddington hard stare afterwards“
You stared down a toddler because he had a cough. Sorry but that’s really over the top, obviously you shouldn’t be going around coughing on people but toddlers have no awareness of this at such a young age. Poor kid.

I wasn't expecting someone to be coughing, mainly because it's the summer and because of the current situation being sensitive about it.
This is absolutely ridiculous though. I have post nasal drip and asthma, as well as hay fever. They all make me cough and I’m not going to suppress a cough just because you don’t think people should be coughing. Obviously I’ll cover my mouth but to imply people shouldn’t be coughing at the moment is delusional. What is someone got something stuck in their throat? Or that weird tickle when you need a drink? Hmm

onemorerose · 05/09/2020 01:21

How much damage is this cough worry going to do? Mine will never be at school at this rate.

user1498572889 · 05/09/2020 05:50

looked at the toddler and gave him my best Paddington hard stare
FGS. Your giving a toddler dirty looks. Grow up.

seayork2020 · 05/09/2020 05:54

Since before the beginning of this year have you been around children and adults,?, maybe I am the odd one out but people of all ages cough, get illnesses, become unwell around me however you want to put it long before the virus was a baby itself

Letshavesometea · 05/09/2020 05:57

Actually shocked that you gave a hard stare to a child who would have had no idea why!

He has a cold, you need to relax.

Concerned7777 · 05/09/2020 06:12

Your ds is due to start reception, he will be coughed and sneezed on hundreds of times in the next school term and shock horror your ds just might cough or sneeze on another child too. Unfortunately it's part and parcel of young children mixing, as PP said they have no social etiquette.
shaking head at "my best Paddington hard stare " 😒

Nextity · 05/09/2020 06:13

This would stress me out! But then we wouldn't have been there in the first place.

Yes kids get bugs. But when a non covid bug can mean multiple days off school waiting for tests, I was hoping that people would be much more strict about not spreading their general respiratory bugs around this year. This thread makes me realise that this isn't going to happen though! It is going to be a long winter...

Subordinateclause · 05/09/2020 06:22

The toddler could have had a negative test so is out and about. That's going to be the reality this winter for lots of people with colds, especially children.

DullDullWeather · 05/09/2020 06:34

You gave a child a "hard paddington stare"?

Grow Up OP

DullDullWeather · 05/09/2020 06:36

Oh and perhaps Home Schooling is better for your child (you) !

questionssquestions · 05/09/2020 06:49

This could have been my kid. She goes to nursery. She caught a cold. I got her tested and we all self isolated while we waited 24 hours for the result. It was negative. The advice we got along with the negative test said to go back to work, school, normal life. So we went to the local sandpit.

We followed government advice every step of the way. It felt a bit weird to be outside with a cough, as a few months ago it would not have been allowed and there wouldn't have been the capacity to get us tested. But the situation is different now, and people are going to be out and about with colds. As long as they have been tested the risk is tiny compared to the benefits of working, going to school, socialising and playing normally.

HathorX · 05/09/2020 07:34

You gave him your best Paddington hard stare? And that stopped him coughing?
Wow.

We should send you into the Brexit negotiations to sort out the fisheries issues. You could glare at the Europeans until they cave in.

gonewiththerain · 05/09/2020 07:42

The toddler will have no concept of where is and isn’t acceptable to cough. The hard stare would have confused them at best. Most parents do try there best to teach their toddlers appropriate coughing such as into their arm but they’re toddlers

MoreW1ne · 05/09/2020 07:49

Cant believe the rudeness of the toddler to cough in someone's face. Do they not realise there's a pandemic! Hmm

jelly79 · 05/09/2020 07:52

@showmethewaytothemagic what is a Paddington hard stare?? Can I just check this is a toddler you are giving a hard stare to? Who happened to cough near your DC? Glad that wasn't my toddler.
The way he come out of no where though makes me think he might of been targeting you! Beware of coughing toddlers!

NerrSnerr · 05/09/2020 08:35

Are schools asking for Covid tests for kids with coughs?

Yes they are if it's a continuous cough but everyone should have been testing children with continuous coughs for months.

I know a few people who are all of a sudden surprised their children need Covid testing, makes me wonder how many people have had poorly children with temps and coughs and haven't had them tested or self isolated as a family.

Original poster
showmethewaytothemagic · 05/09/2020 09:00

Paddington is a bear 🐻 are children books ( and films) .. sense of humour fail MN. I was being very British and politely didn't say anything to the boy or parent.

Toddler coughed in my sons face today
OP posts:
Candyflosscookie · 05/09/2020 09:25

We all know what the Paddington stare IS, OP, it's very commonly used expression on MN. We just can't believe you were so pathetic as to give a nasty look to a toddler. For coughing. Hmm

facepaints · 05/09/2020 09:26

It's not a sense of humour fail - it's you misunderstanding in what situation you give a Paddington hard stare 😂

"Pre- lockdown his preschool sent him home for a cough and I was told not to let him come in for 2 weeks just incase"

What? That's just simply not true. They'd have zero children in if that were the case. Even vomiting and diarrhoea is 48 hours....14 days for a coughing toddler Hmm

TheSeedsOfADream · 05/09/2020 10:27

We know who Paddington is.

You gave a toddler a dirty look. Because he coughed near your precious one. Maybe he had an allergy. Maybe he had The Covid. Maybe you and your kid do.

If your child only breathes through his mouth (and consequently has his mouth open all the time) you may find others saying "that kid with his mouth open BREATHING on others all the time".

Have you ascertained why he does that?

Original poster
showmethewaytothemagic · 05/09/2020 11:07

Well look I know I shouldn't take the bait Wink but if I'm too precious about my child being coughed on, then no one should be precious about me glaring at a toddler.

My DS has had an operation at the start of the year to make him about to breath through his nose. But getting to 4 years old only being able to breath through your mouth means he's in that habit. He can breath through his nose now!

And my DS went to a nursery at a private school and yes they did tell me to keep him off for 2 weeks.

OP posts:
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/09/2020 11:26

I wasn't expecting someone to be coughing, mainly because it's the summer and because of the current situation being sensitive about it

I cough all summer because of hay fever. I'm not staying indoors because of it!

LucyWarlowsRightHand · 05/09/2020 11:33

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I wasn't expecting someone to be coughing, mainly because it's the summer and because of the current situation being sensitive about it

I cough all summer because of hay fever. I'm not staying indoors because of it!

I’ve been coughing for over two years due to asthma. I’ve even had (unrelated) urgent surgery a fortnight ago; the hospital were not bothered, because medical staff know that many things cause coughs. If I couldn’t do anything until it went away, I’d have nothing to live for. It isn’t going to go away.

Count yourself lucky that you’ve got this far in life believing that people only cough due to winter colds.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/09/2020 11:37

This is the first year I've felt the urge to tell people I've got hay fever and that's why I'm coughing! I was told on here a few months ago that I shouldn't go out at all until I've stopped coughing but in that case I may as well accept being completely housebound.

dollypartonscoat · 05/09/2020 11:43

"My DS has had an operation at the start of the year to make him about to breath through his nose. But getting to 4 years old only being able to breath through your mouth means he's in that habit. He can breath through his nose now!

And my DS went to a nursery at a private school and yes they did tell me to keep him off for 2 weeks."

Probably because he had this illness rather than it being their policy? What's private school got to do with it?

And sorry but I feel the need to say it's breathe. With an E Blush

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