DS tested positive- allowing him in shared living space

[LuckyVal]

Hi all,
I’m just wondering when your children have tested positive if you have all done your best to keep them separated from the rest of the family?

DS10 tested positive on an LFT on Wednesday. He had a headache and was a little bit sniffly. It was confirmed on a PCR tonight that he is positive.
Since the LFT I haven’t kept him isolated in his room. I’m in such a head spin about it as know I should have done but he was inconsolable when he found out. He is missing out on so much that was planned for half term, including seeing his cousins who we’ve now not seen for 15 months. He was also very emotional yesterday for the whole day, which I think is part of him being run down. To then separate him from the rest of us by confining him to his bedroom for 10 days felt too much.

I’ve tried where possible to keep him and DD separate. They’ve spent a lot of today in separate rooms anyway and when they have been in the same space (watching tv for example), they’ve kept as distanced as possible - but it’s not a large room. We’ve had windows open and I’ve been reminding him not to touch anything and sanitising anything he has including toilet flush, light switch, taps etc
I feel like I’ve been irresponsible by not confining him, but at the same time I can’t risk the emotional toll it would further take on him to be separated from us all.
I’ve also cuddled him when he was sobbing- but how could I not?!
😫😭

Hi there, in a similar dilemma here. My 12 year old tested positive on Sunday, she was totally asymptomatic at the time so we didn't isolate her until the PCR confirmed it on Tuesday.
Since then DH has tested positive on Thursday and is also isolating in a separate room to 12 year old.
My 5 and 10 year olds have been off school all week with a non covid virus and are pretty run down and still suffering quite badly.
Just this evening I too have developed symptoms and will test tomorrow.
My 12 year old is I think upset by the isolation, we had to cancel our half term holiday and although normally happy to spend time in her room seems very quiet and won't explain what's up. I'm not sure what to do. It's actually quite hard to monitor how ill she is when she is shut away. But the younger ones really don't need another illness.
Also presuming I do test positive is there any point in being cut off in separate rooms , after all one person needs to look after the younger kids? And sort food for those isolating.

I agree it's really hard trying not to hug them if they get too close.

But it might be worth isolating your DS to prevent yourself catching it - if you are going to be the main carer?

Depends on so many variables, but it sounds like he's too upset to be isolated. We'd just alll isolate together. Staying home over a wet half term is not too onerous! (If you don't have to go out to work if you have to go out to work then you need to limit your contact with him.

I would only isolate a child if a person in the house is likely to become seriously unwell.

Two of my children (8 and 5) had covid last week and we did nothing to isolate them from the rest of the family. We carried on as normal in the house and let them do what they wanted to get through being unwell and worried. We had lots
of cuddles and shared a bed if they were unsettled at night.

As an adult I could stay in my room and keep out of the way if necessary but I wouldn't put that on a poorly child who needs looking after.

Nobody else in the house caught covid, we tested regularly with LFT and PCRT.

I would not isolate a 10 year old child. Practise hand washing, perhaps have him wear a cloth mask, keep your other child at a distance, but if they rest of you are healthy I wouldn't worry about it.

We didn't .

We all eventually tested positive but we couldn't isolate our two young children, it's cruel.

Now I'm vaccinated I wouldn't keep away. It was different before the vaccines.

No, he's only 10. If he was an older teen perhaps, but even then it depends on their nature (I'd have loved it, my siblings would have struggled).

I think it completely depends on the child and if it would affect their mental health to isolate then don't do it. We've isolated DD but she's really happy to get lots of screen time and chats with us on the phone and through her door. We're also lucky to have a bathroom that only she can use and a spare room as well with a desk and TV so she has 3 rooms that she can move between. She is in really good spirits and not bothered by it at all. If she was I wouldn't do it.

I think keeping windows open, disinfecting touch points and practising really good general hygiene is really important just to decrease the viral load.

I'm also wondering if I'm better off catching it before my 6 months of vaccine is up as I'm not eligible for a booster. But DS has some really important sporting events going on over half term so we're trying to avoid him having to cancel those.

My 14 year old just finished 10 days isolation in her room. It was hard as despite shaking her symptoms after a few days she became very lethargic and slept the days away. You’d think a teenage ideal but she struggled,

The rest of us stayed negative, she did it willingly but I said to my husband at the time that our 11 year old would not cope with the same.

I would perhaps increase the time in a seoarate room and wear a mask when in close contact but would have to hug him etc for both our sakes.

8yo tested positive day 1 with similar symptoms. I kept her apart from 10yo until 10yo tested positive next day with no symptoms. After that I let them be together.
I didn't distance from them and didn't get ill. They needed me. I didn't go anywhere for the 11 days as I couldn't leave them home alone. DH hadn't been home in five days and was asked/told by the Army not to go home until isolation was over.

In a 2 adult household it might be different if one or both were still needing to go out.

My 12 year old tested positive on Tuesday. We are just trying to keep a bit of a distance, and have windows open but I can't make her isolate. She, and I, would hate it. She sneezed on me as she did her LFT that turned out to be positive, so I aren't sure there's much point anyway!!

I didn't isolate DD (then 15) when she tested positive, would not have been good for her mental health and need to know how she is. With a distressed younger child I would be staying with them to look after them and cuddling them / staying in bed with them if they were scared. Obviously then would not be going out myself.

I would clean toilet etc after use but often when they test positive you have generally be in close contact with them already so a bit futile. I did get it.

Wow Im surprised st people isolating tbier 10 and 12 year olds from the family.

Not only are they ill but they are struggling feeling apart from the family . Unless someone is ecv in the family I think that's pretty cruel. Its the sort of thig they will remember forever.

14 year old had it, we let him carry on as normal except my 17 yo (jabbed) asked not to eat together.

We all stayed wfh and kept away from others.

None of us caught it, he was only poorly for a day or so.

I would not isolate my children. I'd care for them as I would whatever illness they had.

My 14 yo tested positive and has been isolating for a couple of days.

I'm not sure we can do it much longer though - I think she's going to need more contact. If the 10 yo gets it there is no way I can isolate her.

No, didn't isolate from DS10 when he had it, nor from DD14 when she got it a few months later. DH and I didn't catch it either time.

Newnormal - are any of you ecv? I wouldn't isolate otherwise. You could be working with people with covid/passing them in the supermarket etc but at the end of the day your relationship with your child is most importanf.

They seem to think most people will get it eventually so what is ghe rradoning behind isolating from your own child!?

Unless also homeschooling/avoiding all public spaces/shops etc.

Ghe rradoning = the reasoning. Grr fat fingers.

@WholeClassKeptIn no. She was fine until last night as was enjoying the ability to nap all day without being told to get up!

Then just got a little upset last night when she was tired.

It's more half term coming I'm full on working and her in her room also means 10yo is very isolated so I think we will just go for it and see what happens. .

My 9 year old tested positive during the summer holidays and I choose to isolate with him so he was still well looked after. No way would I have made him isolate on his own while he was Ill. I did end up catching it from him in the end but I would do the same for any of my kids.

No. I have a 14 year old. I would never mske him stay in his room if he was positive.

I find it so concerning this is now seen as ok.

I can't think of any other time we would isolate a child. In hospital they would have nurses attending (even if covid!). In prison they wouldn't be completely isolated for 10 days and not as a young child.

When did it suddenly become acceptable to do this to children!?