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Covid

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Original poster

3 yr old won’t test

69 replies

Porthia · 12/02/2022 06:42

3 yr old DS is currently hiding under the table rather than let me “tickle” his nose with the little covid test stick. He has a stinking cold but no temperature. I have offered him Paw Patrol and chocolate buttons, I have demonstrated on his older sister how I will be so gentle and not stick it up too high (she was negative).

He is hysterical at the thought of it.

So, I guess my choices are - hold my child down and stick something up his nose against his wishes while he thrashes around and screams, or ignore the fact he has a cold and just hope it isn’t covid. We don’t have much planned for today or tomorrow anyway so he could easily stay home but I don’t really want to isolate him next week unless really necessary.

Ugh. I hate covid.

OP posts:

Buzzinwithbez · 12/02/2022 20:04

*RichTeaRichTea

I don’t do LFTs on my children.

I've never tested a 7 or 12 year old never mind 3 year old! Someone was testing a baby on here the other day. This is twilight zone stuff.*

Same here. My daughter agreed to a PCR as we thought it a good idea to have it on on her medical record.

My older children were told by their colleges when it was first brought in that it was a good idea to test, but it was never pushed like it was for younger children. I think their attitude has been amazingly pragmatic throughout.

RichTeaRichTea · 12/02/2022 20:47

I have had to do lots of PCRs for my children because they are at nursery and if we didn’t then we wouldn’t be able to work. I just don’t do LFTs on them on top of that - it’s not recommended and my husband and I have to do them several times a week for work. When we all had covid it was effectively picked up by our testing and no one at nursery was affected.

MarshaBradyo · 12/02/2022 20:49

I wouldn’t do it either

EllaPaella · 12/02/2022 21:11

How nice it must be to sit on your moral high horse and judge the working parents who need to know if their child's cough and mild temp is covid or not because it's the difference between taking two or three days off work versus 10.
You are not morally superior you are just lucky enough that you don't have to worry about the financial impact of taking 10 days off work.
The lack of ability to see beyond your own circumstances is staggering.
It's not that parents want to test their children, it's that it is a requirement by school or childcare institutions.

Nikki305 · 12/02/2022 21:29

Yes!!! Exactly this.

Original poster

Porthia · 13/02/2022 06:31

DS goes to nursery and they have requested lateral flow test for cold symptoms. He is coughing a bit but probably not “persistently”.

Anyway, I did a very gentle test while he was asleep, literally just inside each nostril and that was negative. From what others are saying the lateral flows are pretty sensitive so hopefully that means it’s just a cold.

I will test myself over the next few days but won’t put him through it again.

OP posts:

Whathefisgoingon · 13/02/2022 08:34

My 2 year old was the same, so we tried when he was asleep and his eyes bolted open, so we just took the opportunity there and then to swab - VERY poorly - and it was a strong positive. I just did a bit of the back of the throat as he was shouting anyway, and very lightly at the opening of the nostrils, didn’t go all the way back like adults have to!

Hanna3459999 · 13/02/2022 13:41

@Theyellowblanketofdeath

Why do you need to test a three year old?

You do realise the guidance is actually not to test children under 5.

The sooner this shit ends the better

My sons nursery is telling us to lft test them before sessions , a couple of weeks ago they asked us to bring it in for proof before they can come in.
I think it’s so wrong and unfair for them. I didn’t bother I just did one on myself and said it was his,

Tee20x · 13/02/2022 13:43

I wouldn't do it either. I'm sure I read somewhere that you should only test kids if you can and feel confident doing so - if not possible I would just not test and isolate anyway if you think he's got it or is showing symptoms.

If asymptomatic id just carry on as normal esp since isolation is due to be axed.

Avidreader12 · 13/02/2022 13:58

As it’s only guidance then surely you can tell nursery no I won’t be testing them. Schools can ask but the teacher admitted that they cant force it. So therefore in answer to other comments no I don’t test my kids.

Nikki305 · 13/02/2022 14:05

So every time they get a cough you keep them off nursery for 10 days? How do you work with that kind of disruption?

RichTeaRichTea · 13/02/2022 14:16

Nurseries are private, they can refuse to take a child

Adrianneanneanne · 13/02/2022 14:22

Nurseries ask for them. If any of could afford to spend 10 days at home they wouldn't need to attend nursery in the first place!

It's awful doing it, I think it's pretty terrible for nurseries to insist on this. What do they do when it's a 3 month old?

They should accept a test from a parent.

HesterShaw1 · 13/02/2022 15:23

Don't force him. It's a horrible invasive test and he's there years old. Just stay away from people for a few days.

I can't believe the people who say "do it while he's asleep". So wrong on every level

UsernameIsNotAvailableRightNow · 14/02/2022 13:35

I don't swab my 5 year old. She won't let me and I'm not forcing her, I'm also not willing to do it to her while she's asleep, feels so wrong!

What we do is get her to blow her nose really well and swab that. Her positive came up so strong it appeared before the liquid even hit the control line!

JustBlethering · 14/02/2022 13:45

Do the people saying it's ridiculous people testing under 5's not have jobs to go to then? If a child has symptoms then childcare won't take them without a negative test.

TulipsGarden · 14/02/2022 17:04

I think there is a vast gulf here between stay at home mums who don't need to actually go anywhere or work, and working parents who simply cannot take 10 days off every time their child gets a temp or cough. I've lost count of the number of PCRs we've done on my three year old in the last 18 months... maybe 15 by now?

If he coughs a lot or has a temp at nursery, which he goes to four days a week, they won't have him back without a negative PCR. That PCR caught when he had Covid but we assumed it was yet another cold last month, and neither of us caught it. I'll be delighted when we don't need to test him anymore, but until then unfortunately it has to be done.

Mine only just learned to blow his nose a few weeks ago, so wouldn't have worked when he was younger! We bribe him with biscuits and hold him down if we have to (much like teeth brushing when he was younger - he hated it but it was non-negotiable).

TulipsGarden · 14/02/2022 17:06

Also, I actually think babies would be pretty easy - you can suck snot out of a three month old's nose, a Covid test would be fine! You don't need to go far up, their noses are tiny. Young toddlers are the worst - you can't reason with them or bribe them and they're really fucking strong.

whataballbag · 14/02/2022 17:22

[quote Porthia]@MrsFrisbyMouse did you actually get a positive from snot on a tissue?[/quote]
DS2 got a glaring positive from snot on a sleeve

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