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Original poster

DS tested positive- allowing him in shared living space

113 replies

LuckyVal · 23/10/2021 01:55

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?!
😫😭

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 23/10/2021 08:41

I wouldn’t isolate a young child but I wouldn’t then allow mixing outside the household from other members so as not to spread it any further.

IAmSantaOhYesIAm · 23/10/2021 08:41

No didn’t isolate ds14 when he had it last week. Naturally as a teenager he spends quite a lot of time in his room anyway but we had a daily film afternoon and lunch snd dinner together every day. I’d spent the day before he was positive with him all day and was hugging.
I didn’t catch it - have had booster, my ds19 didn’t catch it either - not vaccinated.

littlepeas · 23/10/2021 08:42

My ds has it at the moment and there is no chance I would isolate him in his room! I can't believe people actually do this.

Simplelobsterhat · 23/10/2021 08:48

@IrishMamaMia

That's so rubbish at half-term. My children are young and when my son had it, it would have been silly to isolate, we'd already shared so much contact. I agree about it being cruel if no one is at risk, I actually think it's following rules to a level that is insane and harmful. It reminds me of reading horrible things that people did under communism and nazism as they were following the rules. If you think about it, there are no restrictions in society so you or your kids could pick it up when you return to school anyway.
I think you're being a bit unfair comparing people isolating their child to communists or nazis! After all, if you are at all vulnerable you also have consider the effect on your child if their parent was seriously ill or died, which would be a lot more harmful!

I agree that's less of a consideration now people are vaccinated of course, but all I'm saying is I dont think people who are worried and want to follow the guidelines to the letter for their safety (and the safety of anyone else if they need to leave the house) should be made to feel so guilty! It's not what I would do at the moment, but if kids had got it before I was vaccinated, as an asthmatic I would have considered isolation. Not sure what I would have decided!

orangina01 · 23/10/2021 08:55

Please don't isolate a child of this age! Our child of the same age and also positive. They were inconsolable as last year kids were told this virus would kill their granny and now they are expected to be left alone in their room to cope with their illness and their emotions?! Our child lived as normal in their own home with us all and not one of the other three family members caught it. If we did, so be it. I would not do that to a child unless someone in the house is very clinically vulnerable. Get jabbed, keep testing the rest of you and cuddle your child when they need you - trust your instincts.

WaterBottle123 · 23/10/2021 08:55

Mine are 7 and 11 and I wouldn't isolate either child. It's pretty pointless anyway as effective isolation is so hard to achieve. None of us is vulnerable though

CosmicComfort · 23/10/2021 09:00

I think it’s difficult to isolate within a home and not at all good for children to have to do it.

I’ve a positive older teen Tuesday by LFT, Wednesday by PCR and have made no effort to enforce isolation. He comes out regularly for food, little chats etc and we just socially distance.

He was notably anxious when he first got the result and unwell so came out more regularly than normal. I really can’t ask him not to, the impact on his mental health would be awful.

At the moment both DH and I are negative. We’ll see……

IrishMamaMia · 23/10/2021 09:04

@Simplelobsterhat I explicitly said if someone isn't vulnerable. I don't think it's extreme to question nonsensical, harmful rules.

Nerdygirl · 23/10/2021 09:07

We didn’t isolate for our children who have both had it though didn’t catch from each other. Both times, no one else in the family caught it

OliveTree75 · 23/10/2021 09:19

No. I would not be isolating from a 10yr old.

Hermanfromguesswho · 23/10/2021 09:19

Honestly, I’d much rather get Covid than cause the distress to my young child of keeping them isolated in their room for 10 days. I’m quite shocked that people are isolating such young children as 10.
My 10 year old had it and I cared for her as normal. Cuddled her when she was crying, checked her temperature in the night when she was up hot and headachy and let her sleep next to me when she felt unwell and needed to be near me. She sat on the sofa with us and watched tv together, had dinner with us etc.
Unless I was extremely vulnerable in some way then I absolutely would not isolate a child. The damage to their emotional well-being would be much greater than me having Covid. 🤷

MistyFrequencies · 23/10/2021 09:19

I would not isolate my children from me when they were sick, no matter what they had. I find it crazy that we think doing this to sick kids is ok now.

Thirtyrock39 · 23/10/2021 09:21

When my dd (12) and ds (9) had it for the first few days they couldn't get out of bed much anyway as so poorly so they were mostly in their rooms at the start but when up and about they had meals separately and discouraged them from sitting on the 'main' sofa (there's a easy washable small sofa as well they sat on) but mainly kept every door and window open and constantly cleaning kept the germs from spreading any further.

littlestmunchkin · 23/10/2021 09:26

Didn't even consider isolating dd. Snuggled up with her on the sofa as she felt so unwell. I caught it but no regrets at all.

littlestmunchkin · 23/10/2021 09:27

Mine is a teen too. I can't believe anyone would isolate unless vulnerable .

BlackeyedSusan · 23/10/2021 09:39

You are doing fine op. Kids need care. I keep the kids as separate as possible when they are sick but not separate from me and give as much contact as needed.

There was a thread here recently where some people kept teens in their room for ten days and others reacted really strongly to that.

Iggly · 23/10/2021 09:40

@Thirtyrock39

When my dd (12) and ds (9) had it for the first few days they couldn't get out of bed much anyway as so poorly so they were mostly in their rooms at the start but when up and about they had meals separately and discouraged them from sitting on the 'main' sofa (there's a easy washable small sofa as well they sat on) but mainly kept every door and window open and constantly cleaning kept the germs from spreading any further.
Covid is airborne - how would the sofa choice make a material difference?
RueDeNaples · 23/10/2021 09:53

My DS9 (nearly 10) tested positive a week ago and we've carried on as normal apart from having the windows open a crack. Me, DH and DD13 have been doing LFTs every other day and so far all negative. I wouldn't be happy to make him stay in his room at his age.

Butterfly44 · 23/10/2021 09:57

My 12yo son is isolating in his bedroom. He is fine with that as that's where he spends a lot of his time gaming. Though he certainly hasn't felt like gaming as he's not well. My daughter is vulnerable so I need to take care.
I mask up and sanitise each time I go in. I go in several times a day to make sure he is ok. We're not going anywhere so he knows I'm right here for anything he needs. I'm vaccinated myself and pretty sure that's been key to me not being infected. Can't wait for it to be over, it's hard!

DockOTheBay · 23/10/2021 10:00

Of course you shouldn't make a child isolate in their room for 10 days. Why on earth would you!? Poor kids whose parents are making them do this Sad

Does anyone make their kid stay in their room for over a week when they have a cold, flu, stomach bug or chickenpox?

Slightly different if they're teens and want to stay in bed all day anyway.

Fallagain · 23/10/2021 10:01

We’ve decided as a family that we can’t isolate from each other so when we get the little c we will all isolate for 10 together in the house.

thewhatsit · 23/10/2021 10:06

I would never isolate a child. If they were distressed I would be cuddling them / letting them into my bed etc as normal.

TinaYouFatLard · 23/10/2021 10:12

Isolating a child away from the rest of their family is hideously cruel. And a parent refusing to hug their own sick child??? WTF is wrong with you?

If this treatment had been dealt out to children with say, chicken pox or flu before all this nonsense, we would be reporting the parents for neglect and cruelty.

HesterShaw1 · 23/10/2021 10:12

No you shouldn't isolate a poorly, upset ten year old. Of course you shouldn't! 😯

Stop sanitising everything he touches as well. It's unnecessary and will make him feel like a leper.

elliejjtiny · 23/10/2021 10:13

I wouldn't. It would be impossible in our house anyway as we are too overcrowded.