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Original poster

Tips for testing 5 year olds?

32 replies

yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 15:14

I am taking DS5 for a PCR at 7pm. Not ideal but it was the only appointment available.

Any tips for making swabbing as painless as possible? I've had to do it once before so he knows what's coming and I'm dreading it 😩 he's got a sore throat and temp.

OP posts:
DreamingofGinoclock · 21/09/2021 15:33

Let them know they can have a treat afterwards ...for us it was a McDonald's (ordered through Uber eats) .... Also comment on how brave they are etc ... Hold down both arms and tell them to try and be as still as possible ...it's horrible in the moment but out little one was fine 30 seconds after....we always book a drive through test as strapped into the car seat ....we once tried the swab for a lft and it was so much harder as she could wriggle to much and run away!

Imonlydoingwhatican · 21/09/2021 15:35

Bribery and an extra pair of hands.

talkalarm · 21/09/2021 15:43

Equally bribery is all I can suggest

Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 15:53

@DreamingofGinoclock couldn't get a local drive through unfortunately

@Imonlydoingwhatican DH has to stay at home with the baby, there isn't anyone else I can ask

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Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 15:54

@talkalarm chocolate it is then!!!

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IWantT0BreakFree · 21/09/2021 15:57

Another one for bribery. And honesty I think. When DD5 had to have one, I told her it wasn't going to be very nice but that it wouldn't hurt and that if she was brave and just let me get on with it then it would be over very quickly. Tried to make her laugh on the way into the cubicle and put her in a good mood too. She was a super star in the end! It took 25 secs, max, and then her dad picked us up a McDonald's 👍🏼

Imonlydoingwhatican · 21/09/2021 16:09

[quote yellowgecko]@DreamingofGinoclock couldn't get a local drive through unfortunately

@Imonlydoingwhatican DH has to stay at home with the baby, there isn't anyone else I can ask[/quote]
What about a game?

Musical statues, explain the rules, sing a silly song, swipe, sing again swipe. Might be enough of a distraction to work.
Good luck

DownWhichOfLate · 21/09/2021 16:10

You only need to do his nose, if that helps?

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 21/09/2021 16:11

It's just a cotton bud up the nose and it only goes up as far as their fingers do when they go looking for nose gold. That's how we described it to DD.once it had been done one time she was fine with it and now does her own.

ThirtyCharacterUsernamesOnly30 · 21/09/2021 16:21

I just took my 10 year old for a PCR. I was hoping the staff would do it.. but nope! I was supposed to swab his tonsils and nose. Gave up in the end, he couldn't keep his tongue away from the swab.. no amount of bribery! He's not got any official symptoms just a runny nose but there's a couple of children in his class off with it and he says everyone is coughing.

I've just got some LFTs that you only need to swab in the nose and not the tonsils so will try that. Will obviously get him to blow his nose first but am worried he will be too snotty to get an accurate result. Actually not sure how he'll even cope with me putting it up his nose.

This is a neuro typical 10 year old, by the way, he's just a pain in the backside!!

Abouttimemum · 21/09/2021 16:24

DS is only 2 (so slightly different) and he’s had probably 8 PCRs and he generally gets pinned into his car seat while I swab for approx 0.3 seconds and then he gets chocolate. Grim but it’s over quickly.

Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 16:25

@Imonlydoingwhatican ooh he likes games...

@DownWhichOfLate @HalfShrunkMoreToGo I didn't realise it was just the nose...I did the tonsils the only time I did it, it was bloody awful. He's always mining for nose gold, that's a great way to look at it!

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BareBelliedSneetch · 21/09/2021 16:27

My 5 yo DD sat there desperately clutching her Pez, which had to stay closed until I’d finished swabbing her.

Bribery works.

Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 16:29

@IWantT0BreakFree he's watched me do a LFT and he remembers the trauma of when he had his...but if it's tonsil-less this time it might be more bearable

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Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 16:31

@BareBelliedSneetch

My 5 yo DD sat there desperately clutching her Pez, which had to stay closed until I’d finished swabbing her.

Bribery works.

Confused oh bless her Ps love the username, one of our most read bedtime stories!
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DoraChance · 21/09/2021 16:38

I found a torch handy for seeing what you're doing if you do a tonsil swab.

scully29 · 21/09/2021 16:40

Just make out its fine (it is fine) and not a big deal. if your worried they will be. Just say what happens in a non scary way. They can sit on your lap in the car its quick and easy like a cotton bud up the nose and tell them you have a chocolate bar ready for afterwards ' to take the taste away'. Make it no big deal all will be fine, its all so efficient.

Daisy829 · 21/09/2021 16:43

I have found that you don’t need a massive sample to get a result. Twice I’ve done my 6yo & felt like I’ve hardly got anything but twice it’s been negative. I would presume if it wasn’t enough that would have come back as inconclusive so just get what you can & don’t panic about doing both nostrils if you lo can’t tolerate it

SamMil · 21/09/2021 16:45

I had to do my 3 year old a few weeks ago (it was nose and tonsils for her). Bribery definitely helped (chocolate after) and I tried to make it exciting and told her we were going on a special adventure to do a test which had to go in her mouth and nose. She did squirm a little but has asked to go back and do a test adventure so it can't have been too bad Grin

I didn't manage to do the full 15 seconds or whatever it is supposed to be. Probably more like 5 seconds Blush but it still came back positive!

Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 17:39

@scully29

Just make out its fine (it is fine) and not a big deal. if your worried they will be. Just say what happens in a non scary way. They can sit on your lap in the car its quick and easy like a cotton bud up the nose and tell them you have a chocolate bar ready for afterwards ' to take the taste away'. Make it no big deal all will be fine, its all so efficient.
Yes that is good advice. He's just like me, always seeing the worst case scenario 😩 will aim for PMA! (positive mental attitude!)
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Original poster
yellowgecko · 21/09/2021 20:03

Thanks for all the advice!

To update, he was a superstar. I got him involved in getting all the stuff out the bag, said we were mining for nose gold / looking for big bad bogeys, sang a song (the NHS guy thought I was nuts, DS said he stared at me the whole time 😂)
DS even put the swab up his own nose! He helped tidy away, put the sample in the tray and he spent the journey home eating chocolate and saying what a brave boy he was Grin crossing fingers it was a massive waste of time!

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Mindymomo · 22/09/2021 07:04

Well done Mum, hope you get results quick.

DownWhichOfLate · 22/09/2021 09:17

Fantastic work! Fingers crossed.

Rainbowsandstorms · 22/09/2021 10:02

@ThirtyCharacterUsernamesOnly30 you can just swab both nostrils with a pcr in a child.

Original poster
yellowgecko · 22/09/2021 15:28

Guys, it's positive 😩😩😩 was convinced it was just a cold.

Aside from the hacking cough he's been great today. May be shortly starting a new thread on how to entertain a 5 year old for 10 days!!! Sad

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