Do the covid meltdowns get better?

[PinkandWhiteKnittedBlanket]

DD aged 6. Always been prone to meltdowns when tired.

But since having covid they’ve wracked up and are far worse.

We’re currently 7 days into isolation, and could potentially be here another 10 days as I got my positive this morning.

Where before she’d have a bit of a shout and be carried to bed crying, now if I try and touch her when she’s like that she hits, kicks, bites, lashes out. I still carry her to the safety of her room but then she sits screaming and throwing things around for hours. No amount of calm words or reasoning help she just has to go through it until she falls asleep.

I’m trying to be understanding she’s developed a vrial chest infection because of the covid and her asthma, she’s missed her beloved Rainbows all this half term due to covid in the leaders and now us having covid. She’s missed swimming lessons and may not be able to get back into the lesson she was in due to waiting lists (if you miss so many in a payment period they can withdraw your place and you go back on the waiting list even if you pay the bill while they’re off).

She hates school and she says she’s hasn’t missed it but I strongly suspect she’s missing that too, if I’m positive for the whole 10 days (like ExH – DDs dad) then she’ll have missed 3 weeks of it – she’ll be in for 1 day then off for half term so doesn’t seem much point sending her back for 1 day.

She’s unsettled and out of routine. We have no outside space and due to living in a block can’t even go and walk around in the day when people are at work/school because I’d have to walk passed others doors and I’m so scared of passing it on.

She’s miserable I get it. She’s ill, I get it. She’s tired I get it. But I can’t keep going on like this.

Any tips to get me through it? And is this common? When does it get better?

That sounds awful

Surely it's more likely to be the isolation than caused by the illness though. I've had lots of Covid meltdowns, caused by rules and restrictions rather than the virus. I don't blame her for losing it a bit.

I'd take her out if I were you. You don't have to go close to other people.

@HesterShaw1

That sounds awful

Surely it's more likely to be the isolation than caused by the illness though. I've had lots of Covid meltdowns, caused by rules and restrictions rather than the virus. I don't blame her for losing it a bit.

I'd take her out if I were you. You don't have to go close to other people.

@HesterShaw1 Two of the families who live in my block are ECV, I'm terrified of passing it on to them so I won't. I don't even take the bins out.

DDs still testing positive so could be a bit of covid and the isolation.

Oh I'm so sorry. This sounds really tough.
My first thought was get her outside - she's prob bursting with energy she can't expend! but I see you can't do that.

Exercise videos on YouTube and you join in too if able- go noodle or kids just dance are quite fun and get the extra energy out. If she has schoolwork to do try to make it active too. Eg for spellings wrote letters on slips of paper and dot them about the house and she has to hunt about to find all the letters to make the word.

Does she have any good coping techniques for when her feelings get too big and tantrums start? Blowing bubbles (real or imaginary!) Is a good one.

I'd also try to organise to meet up with friends from school over half term to ease her back on again.

My 7 and 6 year olds have just had it and this isn’t an issue we’ve had. They were both quite fatigued during/after but no meltdowns. We were in for nearly 4 weeks in total due to us all coming down with it 1 by 1.
I guess you just have to ride it out. Make sure she’s getting plenty of sleep and decent food.

She's not eating much at the moment which won't be helping I know.

No schoolwork, I have asked for it, but they've just sent links to Twinkl and White Rose Maths. I am doing what I can with her - we have spellings and reading and a homework book but we've nearly finished them so I'm trying to make what we have last another 10 days - it's not working. Will get onto school again.

She's sleeping a lot, 14 hours+ so there's that.

If she’s just recovered can she go to stay with her DD so that she can get back to school and her activities?

DD as in Dad!

@Muchtoomuchtodo

If she’s just recovered can she go to stay with her DD so that she can get back to school and her activities?

@Muchtoomuchtodo Unfortunately he's also currently positive so she'd still be shut up in a tiny flat. He usually takes her to his parents for part of his contact weekend and most of her toys for contact are at her grandparents so she'd be even more bored.

I know you're scared of passing it on to your neighbours, but could you not mask up when you leave and try to leave when they aren't there so you don't have to pass them?

Yes, I know isolation rules are that you isolate, but mental health is just as important and that seems to be taking a huge hit for your dd. Some fresh air and a walk might be really good for her.

@TheChip

I know you're scared of passing it on to your neighbours, but could you not mask up when you leave and try to leave when they aren't there so you don't have to pass them?

Yes, I know isolation rules are that you isolate, but mental health is just as important and that seems to be taking a huge hit for your dd. Some fresh air and a walk might be really good for her.

@TheChip They come and go at different times as there's 7 other flats in my block, no lift. There's no set routine if you see what I mean.

One child is so vulnerable she was supposed to start school in September 2020 and didn't actually set foot in her classroom until September 2021, she was in isolation in that tiny flat for most of that time - she wasn't even leaving to do the school run with her brother. They only moved in March 2020 I didn't even know she existed until she popped up at the window to wave at my DD one day. She's due a vaccine in about 4 weeks, I do not want to jeopardize that for her.

@Muchtoomuchtodo

If she’s just recovered can she go to stay with her DD so that she can get back to school and her activities?

@Muchtoomuchtodo Should of said this is ExHs second time of having covid since December, first time he had it he was positive the whole 10 days of isolation.

He's on Day 5 and still positive so reckons he'll be the same again this time.

You won't pass it to your neighbours if you don't see them. Wear a mask if it helps you feel less anxious. Your child needs to get out of the home. Come on OP, there's no need for this level of isolation. I'm pretty sure you never used to behave like this with other contagious illnesses. If your neighbours are that vulnerable, they'll be taking measures to protect themselves. It's not spring 2020.

@HesterShaw1

You won't pass it to your neighbours if you don't see them. Wear a mask if it helps you feel less anxious. Your child needs to get out of the home. Come on OP, there's no need for this level of isolation. I'm pretty sure you never used to behave like this with other contagious illnesses. If your neighbours are that vulnerable, they'll be taking measures to protect themselves. It's not spring 2020.

Very strongly agree with this. We really need to prioritise our children after the last 2 years. Be respectful to others and mitigate risk where you can, but put your daughter first. No one else is going to.

@HesterShaw1

You won't pass it to your neighbours if you don't see them. Wear a mask if it helps you feel less anxious. Your child needs to get out of the home. Come on OP, there's no need for this level of isolation. I'm pretty sure you never used to behave like this with other contagious illnesses. If your neighbours are that vulnerable, they'll be taking measures to protect themselves. It's not spring 2020.

@HesterShaw1 Thank you, I suffer badly with anxiety anyway but going out will be good for us both.

Get her back to school on Thursday, is there anyone that can take her?

@Katya213

Get her back to school on Thursday, is there anyone that can take her?

@Katya213 She can't go, school are asking us to keep them away from school if there's a household case of covid due to a big outbreak that's left them without staff.

That is terrible, that's against government guidelines surely?

@Katya213

That is terrible, that's against government guidelines surely?

@Katya213 In a letter from the Headteacher before Christmas she said they'd been told to ask this by the UKHSA so assuming they could, she's not usually one for hysteria.

Surely if she's already had covid and isolated for 10 days the school would have her? She'll be the least likely one to pass it on having only just recovered. The key phase for infecting people is earlier. I expect the point about not wanting children in if people in the household have covid is that often other family members are incubating it and will then go on to infect others - but she can't be incubating it as she's just had it (and gave it to you). She won't be able to catch it from you again right now and pass it on.

I think the school will take her back once she's done the full isolation - especially if you call and explain the negative impact that being at home is having on both her and your mental health.

I hope you can find someone (perhaps someone who's recently had covid?) to come and collect her and take her to school and pick her up while you're isolating.

Your concern for your ECV neighbours is so lovely. They're lucky to have you as a neighbour.

Failing getting your DD to school, is there anyone she knows and trusts who could come and take her for a walk? If she's past day 7 the risk would be minimal, they could keep away from others, and it would give your DD and you a break.

Hoping you both get a break soon OP.

@theemperorhasnoclothes

Surely if she's already had covid and isolated for 10 days the school would have her? She'll be the least likely one to pass it on having only just recovered. The key phase for infecting people is earlier. I expect the point about not wanting children in if people in the household have covid is that often other family members are incubating it and will then go on to infect others - but she can't be incubating it as she's just had it (and gave it to you). She won't be able to catch it from you again right now and pass it on.

I think the school will take her back once she's done the full isolation - especially if you call and explain the negative impact that being at home is having on both her and your mental health.

I hope you can find someone (perhaps someone who's recently had covid?) to come and collect her and take her to school and pick her up while you're isolating.

Your concern for your ECV neighbours is so lovely. They're lucky to have you as a neighbour.

Failing getting your DD to school, is there anyone she knows and trusts who could come and take her for a walk? If she's past day 7 the risk would be minimal, they could keep away from others, and it would give your DD and you a break.

Hoping you both get a break soon OP.

@theemperorhasnoclothes Even if they would take her which they won't - trust me I've begged them to have her they said no until I get two negatives on consecutive days - there's no way for me to get her there. No class whatsapp or facebook, theres a school facebook but its run by the school and all posts are approved and I've never had a post approved on there.

I'm not the only one struggling. One of her friends hasn't been back at all since Christmas, she got it 2nd week of the school holidays, Day 6 her brother tests positive so she can't go back, then her other brother, so she couldn't go back, then her parents got it one after the other as well so she's not been back at all yet as school will not let her in while there's still an active covid case in her house.

Op is she on antibiotics ? As behaviour issues can be that.

Also i agree if she has literally just had it school would need to except that (Obviously no help if you can t get her there.)

@HSHorror

Op is she on antibiotics ? As behaviour issues can be that.

Also i agree if she has literally just had it school would need to except that (Obviously no help if you can t get her there.)

@HSHorror No antibiotics but steriods.

School will not take the kids, they've sent kids home who've said "My mum has covid" or "My brother has covid" before and refuse to have them until all household cases are negative.

Some of her friends have 2-3 siblings and haven't been back to school since Christmas yet due to the schools household rules.

But having just had it makes family cases irrelevant! I thing more sense would be them requiring 10 days isolation for the child.

Steriods affect behaviour if you mean tablets
www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/medicines-information/short-term-steroid-treatment/

I so feel for you stuck in a flat. When we had covid as a family - we had late evening walks. It was so necessary for mental health - we went out when there were no other people around and the kids got to run around on the field. The fact that it was dark, empty and they knew it was against the rules made it our little bit of light that kept us going...
Please do it - kids need fresh air and to stretch their legs.
Mask and glove up till you get to some open space if you are worried about the other residents in your block...

Just spoken to school.

They haven't sent work not because they didn't want to but because at one point each class had between 3 and 10 kids in on one day last week so it was taken as a decision by the HT to stop all education, and then when the class is back things will resume and they will plug the gaps that way rather than having children doing different things or nothing at all and all being at different points.

The teacher did give me some things to do and is encouraging us to do the badge work for Rainbows plus the games and homework. She said not to worry though if DD has whole days doing nothing.

She also had a chat with DD and I think that helped. DD has some SN and part of that is worry she'll be forgotten, so I think a chat with her teacher really helped.

She's much calmer tonight and not trying to hurt me. So I'm much calmer and hopefully she'll be back in school soon.