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Original poster

Is your 'lockdown toddler' constantly sick?

51 replies

SapphosRock · 24/10/2021 07:44

I had a baby at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. He didn't get ill at all when he was small due to their being no baby groups, not being able to see family and friends so not coming into contact with any germs.

He barely had a cold until he started nursery this August.

Now he keeps getting tummy bug after tummy bug and constant colds. I've had to keep him home from nursery a total of 10 days in two months which is not ideal when I work full time.

I'm also picking up his germs too and constantly feeling unwell.

Wondered if this is normal?

OP posts:
Megan2018 · 24/10/2021 07:46

Normal.
It’s brutal isn’t it! Constantly ill 🤒
We went to the GP to have a chat as we were so concerned about her immunity. But it’s normal according to them.

Biancadelrioisback · 24/10/2021 07:47

Totally normal. Happened to my DS back when he started nursery (1yr old) and every September when they go back to school. Some particularly nasty bugs doing the rounds this year though

DockOTheBay · 24/10/2021 07:47

My daughter is the same age.
She doesn't go to nursery but we go to toddler groups and her older sister is at school. She has had a few colds but no stomach bugs, I don't think there have been any days where she has been too ill to go out. She did have covid in July but even that was just a cough for a few days and a runny nose.

Maybe there are more bugs at nursery where there are lots of kids together, but maybe you've just been unlucky.

Megan2018 · 24/10/2021 07:47

Meant to say, the nursery germs is normal anyway for the first couple of years in normal times but Covid has made it much worse. We’ve had to take 25 days leave between us in 11 months for illness.

Notsurewheretogo · 24/10/2021 07:49

Neither of mine were born in lockdown.

The are 11 and 18. But both took about a year at nursery to not catch everything under the sun.

Although, I can say that ds (who is rarely ill since he was about 3) did get a couple of really bad colds when then went back to school after the first lockdown.

I do think it's normal for kids to get ill alot when starting nursery, even if they did go to toddler groups but lockdown could have increased that.

Original poster
SapphosRock · 24/10/2021 07:51

Relived it's normal!

I remember DD (6) having a lot of colds when she was at nursery but not the tummy bugs and not so constantly.

It's going to be a long winter.

OP posts:
whatswithtodaytoday · 24/10/2021 08:01

Mine started nursery just before lockdown (so did baby groups in 2019, had plenty of illnesses already), has been at nursery when it was open since lockdown except Jan/Feb, and is getting everything at the moment. It started when schools went back this year. We hadn't had any sickness bugs until September, now we're all recovering from the third! 🤮 Constant snotty nose and cough as well.

My work is very laid back about time off and my DP and I take it in turns, but I'm starting to get worried about my ability to keep up with my job if I have this much time off sick and for childcare all winter. I'm really struggling, and am very worried we'll inevitably soon get Covid and our bodies are so knackered from being ill so much already we'll get it really badly.

Original poster
SapphosRock · 24/10/2021 08:15

Oh whatswithtodaytoday that sounds tough. I really relate it's exactly how I feel.

I started a new job and am still in probation. My DP takes turns too but it's difficult to be competent and professional when I've been up all night with a vomiting child and knowing I will likely catch it.

OP posts:
SRK16 · 24/10/2021 08:19

It’s brutal. My son started nursery in June and was ill with something every fortnight until September. We just managed a whole month of him not being ill! Though that was partly as we were away for a couple of weeks. But now he has a cough… also in a new job and it’s so stressful. But unfortunately just one of those things.
So yes, it’ll probably be a long winter but hopefully after this their systems settle down…. Hopefully..

Notsurewheretogo · 24/10/2021 08:20

@SapphosRock

Relived it's normal!

I remember DD (6) having a lot of colds when she was at nursery but not the tummy bugs and not so constantly.

It's going to be a long winter.

Dd didn't seem to pick up tummy bugs. Mainly colds.

Ds seemed to get the tummy bugs. We have a period of about 3 months where he spent alot of the weekend throwing up everywhere or constant diarrhea. Every single weekend. He only went to nursery Thursday and Friday. It was a nightmare. You have my sympathy.

Ducksurprise · 24/10/2021 08:25

Another saying its normal and different children are susceptible to different things or react in different ways. One of mine always was sick, another always got breathing issues, another always gets skin reactions. The only upside I've found is the sicker they were at nursery age the less time they had off at school age.

Imohsotired · 24/10/2021 08:31

One of mine started nursery in Feb 2020 and, aside from when it was shut over lockdown, has been sick with coughs and colds constantly.

My younger toddler started just post lockdown and rarely gets sick or shakes it off much easier.

tappitytaptap · 24/10/2021 08:43

Yes normal I think unfortunately and echo what someone else said, it seems to be different things that affect different children. I remember a friend’s child picking up every sick bug going, but mine was rarely sick and it was more cold type things, chicken pox, hand foot and mouth and once flu I think. My eldest is 5 and in year 1 and other than the lockdowns and one day off school when we were isolating waiting for a test result for his little brother, hasn’t had a day off school since he started. He gets mild colds a fair bit but nothing bad enough to keep him off with or that he feels poorly with.

Findahouse21 · 24/10/2021 08:46

Yes, dd will be 2 in December so very little chance for socialising before lockdown. She started at nursery last November and I was expecting the constant illness to ease after the first winter but it's constant. She did have covid in March and now every cold goes straight to her chest which doesn't help, and she has a constant runny nose. Also had hand foot and mouth recently.

MilkRunningOutAgain · 24/10/2021 08:49

I was worried about this with my second child who got loads of illnesses once at nursery and a series of nasty ear infections every winter until she was 4/5. My first DC rarely got ill at all and I was comparing them. But everyone and the doctor said it was totally normal. My PFB still rarely gets anything but was down badly with freshers flu at university this autumn! At least he is now away from home so I didn’t get it! Though I do miss him.

RichTeaRichTea · 24/10/2021 08:49

I have an older one who was at nursery last year and brought everything home to my spring 2020 baby, and we have just as many illnesses now as you describe. It’s just this time of year for us really. We haven’t seen any reduction in bugs at all in the last 18 months

Olivegreenstrawberries · 24/10/2021 08:52

I think it's normal even without lockdown, as soon as they go to nursery for the first...brace yourself...year they get sick all the time. This was the case for my now 4 year old. He doesn't pick up stuff from school now which is great and he doesnt pick anything up from my May 2020 lockdown baby. My lockdown toddler has about a week of being well then two weeks of being sick it's soooo annoying. It will pass though.

ISaidDontLickTheBin · 24/10/2021 08:55

Yes - my lockdown DC2 is getting a cold per week at the moment and has missed loads of nursery days (not helped by having to get various Covid pcrs that were all negative).

The only saving grace is that I'm not getting ill as I caught everything off DC1 when they started nursery!

Remmy123 · 24/10/2021 09:05

My 3 year old is on his second cold no other bugs so not bad going

SapereAude · 24/10/2021 09:07

Nothing to do with lockdown.
It happens invariably when they start nursery. DD is 18 and literally did a week there, a week sick for the first 2 years.

SapereAude · 24/10/2021 09:08

@Olivegreenstrawberries

I think it's normal even without lockdown, as soon as they go to nursery for the first...brace yourself...year they get sick all the time. This was the case for my now 4 year old. He doesn't pick up stuff from school now which is great and he doesnt pick anything up from my May 2020 lockdown baby. My lockdown toddler has about a week of being well then two weeks of being sick it's soooo annoying. It will pass though.
True. She never misses school now. The doctor was thinking that her tonsilitis was so frequent when she was 4/5 that they might operate but thankfully she grew out of it.
MindyStClaire · 24/10/2021 09:17

Yes normal even without lockdown, but this year does seem worse. We have two in nursery and last week was the first since the schools went back that we both managed to work a full week. Thank god we have flexible understanding employers.

TiredMummyZZZ · 24/10/2021 09:19

Yes! Mine is 18 months old and she’s had illness after illness for months. She’s picking up colds and tummy bugs so frequently it feels non stop.

Original poster
SapphosRock · 24/10/2021 09:22

@Remmy123

My 3 year old is on his second cold no other bugs so not bad going
What's your secret??!
OP posts:
Fdksyihfd · 24/10/2021 09:22

My DS is the same (born at the same time), he started childcare in March and we seemed to get off ok with one cold but since end of august it’s constant

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