Hurt my ds doing the test

[lilfoxfur]

Had to test my ds9 today after he developed a sore throat and a dry cough and he cried so much 😭 it was so horrible feeling like I was hurting him!!

Any other mums had this guilt yet? I feel awful!

He’ll be cumulatively crying,sore throat,poorly and a swab.poor wee mite
Lose the mum guilt it is not helpful

It's not nice but has to be done. Hope he's feeling better soon.

It’s really hard. It goes against our instincts. But it does need to be done. It won’t do him any long term damage. It’s not a nice feeling. Hope the test comes back negative.

"Has to be done" ? oh good god!
Self isolate instead - tests on children is completely invalid - haven't we heard enough from scientists about children not getting Covid? There is so much about this - including, if you want to believe it, Whitty's graph?

* that was supposed to say Covid symptoms!

Couldn’t he do it himself?

I had the same OP. Felt like I was torturing him. A lot of tears. But he was fine afterwards (apart from being ill).

Has to be done - yes. If your child has the main symptoms you have 3 choices - ignore and send them back to school and go to work running the risk of spreading Covid far and wide or them being sent home anyway, OR isolate the entire household at home for 2 weeks probably unnecessarily, OR get your child tested.

Recommendation is adult undertake for young children

Thanks for the solidarity!!

It just felt like it was so against my instinct to protect him ...

Wishing everyone's dc well. Hoping this is just a bad memory for all of us soon!

@VenusTiger just self isolate instead? Oh yes it's so easy to take 2 weeks off work because you don't want to swab your kid..... employers are NOT going to go along with that multiple times are they??!!! Not a clue. Anyone with kids in nursery or school are in this position, I've had to do my 1 year 4 times now, I very much wish he could come out of nursery- am sick of it.

My friend's son tried to climb out the car window and another friend had to have her 8 year old pin her 4 year old for it. I think everyone is having a shit time testing the kids I had to do myself then my 2 it was horrible luckily my kids were OK but I think they seen me take it and knew they would be OK.

Ooh that’s weird! I am just home from having to swab 8year old DS and it was horrific! We had to give up on throat swab and just do the nose swab in the end, the tester people were cheering him on outside the car window but he was sobbing and I was trying so hard to hold it all together. I hope everyone feels better soon - I was tested yesterday and def have it, it’s all a bit overwhelming today.

I tested my eight and ten year olds twice with no issues.

It doesn't have to be done though. This is a situation no child ever should be in and, considering test and trace is useless I don't see much point. Its awful OP mine did the same and I felt horrible. I guess we just have to put up with it :( extra cuddles for DC

@ThreePipeProblems

I tested my eight and ten year olds twice with no issues.

Genuinely, please tell me how?! How did you get their tongues down so it didn’t contaminate the swab? Did you go right up the nose? I’m so worried this is going to have to be done again and I want to make it better if we have to do it again. It was horrible :(

Yes, it was horrible. My 9 year old refused to let me and I had to basically pin her down while she cried. I don't know how I would have done it if DH hadn't been there (he was only there because I can't drive, but I had to be there because we got it done via my work). DC2 was also in the car, because we couldn't leave her at home on her own, and saw it all so will now be terrified when she develops a cough and has to be tested.
Of course, isolating all of us for 2 weeks instead wasn't an option. I still had to go to work and they absolutely weren't going to let me have 2 weeks off when they have provided access to testing with results back in a few hours. DC missing more school for no reason wasn't going to be a good idea either.

@VenusTiger

"Has to be done" ? oh good god! Self isolate instead - tests on children is completely invalid - haven't we heard enough from scientists about children not getting Covid? There is so much about this - including, if you want to believe it, Whitty's graph?

Whitty's graph did have a small % of children with covid however.

oh and my 12 year old did it himself, with me holding a torch and a mirror. We checked out what needed to be done together, carefully, first.

I took my 4 year old for a walk in test and as much as he didn't like it and eventually cried a bit, one thing that really helped is one of the staff gave us an extra swab so he could swab my nose first. He loved that he was in control and could see that it was uncomfortable for me but I put up with it so he did similar. Could be something to try with your little ones if you think it might help?

To be clear, it was just a swab that they gave him to do me and not the rest of the equipment so there was minimal waste and apparently they have loads of spares for when people accidentally touch the wrong bit etc.

My dc8 has had it twice and it was horrendous.

I don't know what the answer is but I do think that repeated tests are going to be highly aversive for kids and we will see increased refusal and fear. The process involves the adult transgressing the child's bodily boundaries and unfortunately that can be traumatic. And it's not a life saving or necessary procedure for them so not necessarily ethical. I tend to agree with pp that isolating is preferable. But an expensive choice.