Coronavirus and small DC - how??

[ColourMeExhausted]

I have two DC, aged 5 and 2. As those with children this age will know, life is constantly full on. My worry is how me and DH would cope if we were both to get ill, in terms of looking after the DC. I know we may not get it at the same time, but it's surely likely, given how infectious it is, that we'd both be affected and maybe laid low with it and the after effects for a long time.

My parents live several hours away in England (we are in Scotland). DH's family live even further away. Even if they did live nearby, we wouldn't want to put them at risk. But the DC couldn't be at home with two very ill parents, surely it wouldn't be safe? And that's not even mentioning the practical considerations e.g how we would feed them (when I'm reading that even the act of making a sandwich is too much for some people with covid), entertain them, bath and bed...all of the many things that need doing with small DC.

I realise I'm catastrophising here, it's just hard not to panic when you read about it! Can I ask if anyone on here with small DC has had the virus and how did they cope/get help? I think our only option would be to take it in turns to drag ourselves out of our sick beds and look after the DC, and hope at least one of us has a faster recovery rate...

This is my biggest worry about catching it, how my children (same ages as yours) would be looked after /entertained if we were to both get ill!

It’s a worrying thing for sure. I guess we just have to do the best we can. I’m a single parent to a 5 year old. I’m just hoping that if I do get it I get it mild

I can totally relate and mine are older (9 and 6). I am not afraid of dying from covid. I don’t even think I will be hospitalised. Like you my biggest worry is both DH and I getting too I’ll to look after the children. I got ready meals in the freezer and I hope the 9yo can be relied upon. I keep thinking if only they are another 3 or 4 years older.

I think for most healthy and young people it's kind of like the flu? I've managed to look after DC with the flu, even worse with severe hangover... just toast and TV for the DC and pray it will be over in a few days.

My DC are younger than yours too so even more full on with constant supervision etc. We also have no family around to help us.

To be honest I really would not worry about this. The chances are if you do get it, you will be mildly ill. No different from having to look after children during any of the hundreds of other illnesses that you may get.
The vast majority of people who get this are not seriously unwell. You only hear about the serious ones. The many thousands of mild cases don't get reported on.
Do you worry like this every year in winter when you are at risk of vomiting bugs that can floor you for several days, normal flu etc? Probably not.
Children can manage without a bath for a few days. It also isnt the end of the world if the bedtime is a bit all over the place for a few days.
If neccessary lay on the sofa with a duvet and stick the telly on to entertain them for a bit. Stock up on some easy to prepare food and try not to stress and worry about something that has a very remote chance of happening.

To be honest, I have it now and as much as everyone reacts differently, I have been wiped out but not bed bound. I think you would get through as exhausting as it would be.

I know a single parent who had it a few weeks ago. She had to isolate alone with her 2 kids. Luckily she had a fairly mild case but spent a few days in bed watching films with the kids. I know her parents were dropping off meals and friends were sending food takeaways for the kids. Her kids didn't catch it either. She said it was tough for a few days but she got through it

DP and I both had Covid- he picked it up at work so started with symptoms first and mine started around 5 days later. We were both feeling grotty and in bed but because his started first he was feeling better by the time I was feeling bad enough to take to my bed- so we tag teamed our Covid!

DP was unwell for 3-4 days but still able to get up and do stuff, I just couldn't get out of bed (most unlike me!) so we could have managed young kids between us, especially as it's v rare to be so ill with it that you are completely incapacitated. I still have limited sense of taste or smell 7 months later so I think I had it quite badly.

Our kids spent A LOT of time on screens and meals were bung in the oven ready meals or take away delivery .

If you’re young and otherwise well you’re likely to have few or no symptoms. I had a few aches and felt tired, DH was feverish for a few hours, then fine. We’re both almost 50. I’ve had far worse colds.

I know someone from work whos dh is a paramedic and they have 3 dcs, 2 preschool. He caught it early April and the she caught it from him. They were ill, but not so ill they couldn't function. She said they basically took it in turns to lie on the sofa watching cbeebies or be the one in bed. Food was freezer based, throw in the oven/microwave, and said tinned sweetcorn and baked beans were the only vegetables consumed for a week.

After hearing that, we've stocked up on freezer food and easy things like pesto/tins of soup just in case. (I now have no space in my freezer for nice icecream, this was an error!)

Have a few quick easy meals kept in the house e.g. tinned pasta etc. I think you would be very unlucky to both be so bad you couldnt manage to keep an eye on dc, make easy food and ensure they are clean.

Yep me and dh both have it at the moment. He’s been isolating in our room to try and stop me catching it as I have a health condition but my positive result means he’s out (in) with us now.
We are tired but not awful and still looking after 4dc

I’ve got DC of 3yrs and 8 months. Both me and DH late 30’s. I’m assuming (hoping!) if we get it, it will be like a case of flu as possible have said. In which case, batter down the hatches, lots of TV and takeaways and wait for it to pass.
My friend of a similar age has just had it (positive test). None of her family (husband and 3 young DC) had any symptoms. So it’s never a given that you’ll all be sick at the same time.

*pp not possible!

My husband and I have just had it, I was more ill than he was but I didn't actually get poorly until he had recovered so we were able to look after the kids

Three of us had it in our household of 4, honestly we felt a bit rough but I’ve had many, many worse colds and tonsillitis over the years. Also, we all overlapped slightly so never felt our worst on the same days.

You'd need to drive to Durham obviously - the only responsible thing to do

I suspect we had it in February. I've actually got an antibody test coming shortly as I discovered there's a nonprofit selling Roche kits at £39 and I want to know, although it may not prove anything I suppose as they say antibodies decline after a while.

Whatever this was, and it did fit the bill in a lot of ways, our 2 year old got it too. And he was extremely poorly. 101 organised an out of hours GP at the hospital after I called as son had slept 23/24 hours. Whimpering and shivering all the time, and yes, the cough. Whatever virus he had had triggered a massive ear infection and his eardrum ruptured - horrendous - but he quickly got better after that.

Partner had brought it home - I teased him for his 'man flu', then I caught it. I felt so guilty. And pretty awful too. I was pregnant at the time so attributed the fact that I couldn't climb stairs without stopping to being out of shape. I had the cough. My throat swelled to the point where I was considering calling the dr, then within an hour, a&e as it felt like my airway was closing completely, but after one last honey and lemon, it suddenly and very dramatically subsided, a bit like DS. I had pain in one thigh like I'd been shot for a week. Bouts of heart arrhythmia for weeks afterwards but they got fewer and further between - not had one in a while now. Beautiful baby girl born in June - all fine.

Partner had cough, shaking, body pains, sky high fever, terrible throat - whole shebbang like son. They were both far iller than me - I could actually have carried on if I'd had to, but I stayed home as this was very obviously a nasty virus you didn't want to pass on. I do wonder if them had among ibuprofen made it worse for them. I couldn't because I was pregnant. Blinding headache with it too. Partner had kidney pain for several weeks afterwards.

Anyway, the point is, having gabbled on for a while... I'm not sure I can remember... we were all ill at the same time but obviously didn't know what it was so you just get on with it don't you? But I did avoid my parents and to be honest, going out in general. Son actually never went back to nursery as by the time he'd recovered we were terrified of him getting covid, whereas I think now we'd already had it, although I am still keeping him home now with a newborn, irrespective of the antibody result. I think what I'm trying to say in a long, garbled, and very speculative way is, if that was covid, our 2 year old had it as bad, if not worse, than any of us despite being pretty healthy on the whole. If one of us got it again, they'd have isolate in the house (parents I mean, obviously) as we just don't have any childcare options at all.