Catching chicken pox at pre-school

[tkband3]

My DD1 and DTs go to the same pre-school. DD1 goes every morning, the DTs go 2x a week (they just started this term). This is DD1's last term before starting reception in September.

DD1 came out with chicken pox overnight Thurs/Fri, which she has caught from a child at pre-school. When I rang on Friday to let them know, I was told that I couldn't bring the DTs either, as it was likely that they would catch chicken pox from their sister. Since then I know of one other child who came down with chicken pox over the weekend.

The thing is, DD1 will be better by the end of this week and can go back, but is it reasonable to make me keep the DTs at home, just in case they catch it? Given that the other children at pre-school were exposed just as much as DD1 to the first child, surely they've got just as much chance of catching it anyway? If DD1 was at a different school, then they wouldn't necessarily know she was ill. The head has said that their policy is that a child must be kept at home if they've been in contact with any contagious disease...surely this is unreasonable? Chicken pox is so common that there would be masses of children staying home for 21 days at a time if this was a common policy.

Has anyone any experience of a similar situation and what was the school's reaction?

P.S. Have just previewed and apostrophes look weird - hope they're ok in final version!

It certainly sounds unreasonable! I'm not sure what you can do about it though. How long do they expect you to keep wa\tchign them for? Siblings don't always get it together. Hopefully they will get it out the way pretty quickly.

is dd1 on the mend?

Depeds f the DT's wer exposed at the same time as dd1 (in which case coming down with it is imminent) or if they could only get it from their sister in which case you could be a fortnight away from one or both of them getting it. Seems an overreaction tbh, they might as well close for 2 weeks and get it out of circulation altogether since others are likely to have been exposed by now, but could you get them there without taking your dd anyway ?

I don't think the child DD1 caught it from goes on the same day as the DTs. I could get them there without taking DD1, as OH goes into work quite late, so could take them/stay at home with DD1. From what I understand the incubation period can be as much as 21 days, so it could be that their summer holidays are starting v. early!

DD1 much better thanks chopster - she hasn't had too bad a dose, although the spot on her tongue has bothered her a bit. She's nearly all scabbed over, so I'm sure she'll be back to school by Thursday.

If the school do persist in saying the DTs must stay away, do you think I can reasonably ask for a refund? Otherwise I'm down £120!

maybe you could ask for half back, or rearrange some extra sessions for when they are allowed back especially since they aren't even actually ill. I only pay half when my dts are off, or I usually rearrange and they make up the time.

glad dd1 is getting better.

The thing is you'll be very very luck if your DT's dont get it.
So I think its prefectly reasonable of the school to ask you to keep them at home.

I was livid when my dd caught it as she passed it on to my 6 month old ds who had just got over broncitus. She caught it from someone at preschool as they had a few children who had caught it.
She didnt have it too bad but my ds was very very ill with it.

As for fees you'd need to speak to the manager there.
I think our school would let you off with it but not all are the same.