Testing a 2 year old

[Onedaysomedaynowadays]

Anyone got any tips on the above? Finding it impossible.
We've done a few now so the element of surprise has gone. When I took DC this morning he clocked it straight away, started screaming no and clamped his hands over his nose. This was all before we were even in the bay.
At my wit's end and wondering if it's easier just to keep him at home for 10 days!

Home test for a start. Why are you needing to test him so much?

Everyone he gets a temperature we have to take him for a PCR test to be allowed back to nursery.

It's not that frequent but frequent enough he remembers the place

*everytime

Take two adults with you. Strap child into buggy. One holds his head still, the other pins his arms and does the swabbing. Biscuit at the end. If yours is anything like mine I have no idea how you do it with one adult. Maybe in the car seat? That was slightly easier for keeping him still but more stressful overall.

Mine's had seven tests since last summer. He spikes a fever with a cold (always after his afternoon nap at nursery) and he needs a negative test to go back.

Ah, I see. Sorry - that must be a nightmare all round.

@whatswithtodaytoday

Take two adults with you. Strap child into buggy. One holds his head still, the other pins his arms and does the swabbing. Biscuit at the end. If yours is anything like mine I have no idea how you do it with one adult. Maybe in the car seat? That was slightly easier for keeping him still but more stressful overall.

Mine's had seven tests since last summer. He spikes a fever with a cold (always after his afternoon nap at nursery) and he needs a negative test to go back.

I don't have a car so at the walk up testing site and I was on my own. Didn't help that the staff kept watching me getting more and more flustered and sweaty. I know it's their job but I felt like the worst mother ever trying to do it!

I hate the staff watching! Ours has curtains you can pull, although they tend to come and have a look when he kicks off. It is so stressful, you have my sympathy.

I just had a thought, could you give him your phone to watch? I'm trying to think how I might do it on my own! Honestly I think if you can find someone to help that would be best.

It's easier if you can get someone to go with you.
Second giving him your phone, put his fave song/programme on.
If you have to bribe with chocolate or something after do it.
It's really hard.

It's crazy when temp isn't even main symptoms and hasn't been for ages.

He's more likely to have a slight cold and be more potential infectious than with a temp.
You don't need to be aggressive with the tests ramming it up nose or scrub tonsils.

Teat at home then no one is watching. If you can get someone to help you sit him facing out, legs either side of the knee. One as wraps round and holds down his arms, one on his forehead. You use one hand to hold his head still and gold the swab high up so you aren't touching the important bit but you have full control over maximum depth. Count outloud
Don't do throat.

If alone sit down and use your legs to hold his legs, one arms to hold head and do it from behind. Count out loud. Don't do throat.

Easiest test I've done was at home while she was in a deep part of a sleep cycle. Otherwise in the pram blocking hands and holding her head still to one side, she understands counting down from 10 (it's how I end breastfeeding) which maybe helps a bit.

I also have a toddler who has needed a lot of tests, constantly getting coughs.

Oh yeah and both nostrils, never throat. Last test we did they said we could stop after one nostril for 10 seconds

No secret technique, it sucks. I leave him in his car seat (the straps help) and let him hold my phone, and I'm ready with a treaty snack as soon as it's over. It's awful and we both hate it.

Sad it's so awful for everyone but equally slightly relieved it's not just me being a useless mum!

Feeling a bit glum that it will be never ending at this point. Can't imagine a world where we don't have to do this anymore 😭

Order a home test and do it while asleep

It's horrendous. One of mine hates it and gets hysterical about it. We just do the nose and lots of hugs and treats after. It doesn't help that my eldest keeps hitting me on the bum whilst I'm doing it as he can't deal with his brother being upset

No tips but solidarity. My two year old recognises the situation now too and starts saying “I don’t want to smell it Mummy” over and over when the swab comes out. Last time I had to go by myself and use my arm to pin his head to the side of his car seat and hands of the same arm to hold his hands. It was basically just brute force and it was awful. It must be even harder at the walk up site, I really feel for you.

I hope this doesn’t have to go on much longer. Not sure I can deal with another winter of testing for every cold that inevitably turns into a cough!

Just had to take my two year old this morning, so that she is allowed back to nursery.
She was saying no covid test and crying before I even tried swabbing her.
I sat her on my lap, somehow pinned her arms with my one arm and stuck the swab up her nose with the other. It was horrible, but at least the assistant was lovely and gave her a sticker afterwards which stopped her screaming.

I just wouldn't even test

@Pootle40

I just wouldn't even test

We have to or they can't go back to nursery. Then you have 10 days trying to work from home with a toddler, which we have all done more than enough of already thanks.

We had to do our 2 year old today and the person at the walk in centre was amazing, he told us to just put the swab at the very base of her nose because it was otherwise far too big for her and would be painful. He described it to her as tickling her nose, and suggested we said "tickle tickle tickle"as we did it, and repeated about 10 times. He also showed her a sticker he was wearing and asked if she wanted one when it was done.

We had a few tears from her (quickly consoled afterwards with a couple of chocolate buttons and her promised sticker) but nothing like the horrific time before in a drive-in place where they just threw the pack at us and shouted at us to get on with it!

@Flev

We had to do our 2 year old today and the person at the walk in centre was amazing, he told us to just put the swab at the very base of her nose because it was otherwise far too big for her and would be painful. He described it to her as tickling her nose, and suggested we said "tickle tickle tickle"as we did it, and repeated about 10 times. He also showed her a sticker he was wearing and asked if she wanted one when it was done.

We had a few tears from her (quickly consoled afterwards with a couple of chocolate buttons and her promised sticker) but nothing like the horrific time before in a drive-in place where they just threw the pack at us and shouted at us to get on with it!

Probably not much good if you want an accurate result though

I'm sure most parents don't test properly. Just a quick wipe round the nostril or even their own nostril to get it done.

@whatswithtodaytoday

Take two adults with you. Strap child into buggy. One holds his head still, the other pins his arms and does the swabbing. Biscuit at the end. If yours is anything like mine I have no idea how you do it with one adult. Maybe in the car seat? That was slightly easier for keeping him still but more stressful overall.

Mine's had seven tests since last summer. He spikes a fever with a cold (always after his afternoon nap at nursery) and he needs a negative test to go back.

Bloody hell that sound savage!

Offering my sympathies too. We had to have our 2 year tested before a hospital procedure in March and it was horrendous. Didn't help that those swabbing started off by asked my daughter to 'open wide' and it's just 'like sucking on a lollipop' . In the end we asked them to be quick and just swab her nose - albeit we had to hold her down while they did it.