8 weeks at nursery now DD has had constant cough, runny nose, severe chicken pox and today its foot & mouth....is it worth it?

[greyriver]

So upset for DD, infact feeling really shite. Shes been nothing but ILL since going to nursery.
Shes started to love it, and I love getting housey stuff done without having to ignore her, but what ELSE is there that shes going to get from nursery??? She has never been an ill child and all of a sudden shes getting everything this is so crap, shes even got 4 massive Cpox scars around her eyes (deep pitted ones) just to make me feel even worse about ruining her once flawless beautiful skin, I cant help thinking no nursery, no scars, no illnesses

Aww greyriver I sympathise. I've been asking myself the same question. DS just goes for one day a week and almost every week the pattern's the same:

Wednesday - nursery
Thursday - crotchety
Friday - a bit poorly
Saturday - really quite ill
Saturday or Sunday - off to the out of hours GP

So far it's been several colds, nasty tummy bug, croup, and severe ear infection (perforated ear drum).

I'm praying that all this means he won't pick up loads of things when he goes to school.

She would have got chicken pox eventually anyway (if not as a child, then potentially as an adult (very nasty) or even when pregnant herself (even more nasty)). Sooner or later she is going to be exposed to other children and get the standard childhood illnesses; if it wasn't at nursery it would be at school.

They are ill a lot to start with, but it does wear off. DS was down with a whole range of ailments when he started, but is never ill now (although saying that chicken pox is doing the rounds again so I may have to eat my words).

Try bio oil on the scars which should help them to fade over time.

Your poor dd! The first year at nursery is usually pretty bad, ds was ill for a whole month when he started...
however, I had chicken pox two years ago, and believe me, I wished I'd done it at a much younger age.

Just wait until the nits attack!

Seriously, though, this is all part of growing up and strengthening up their immune systems. Don't worry to much about it xxx

If not at nursery then it will be school!

My ds was always ill at nursery for the first couple of years! He is now at school and rarely gets anything. He has not missed a single day through illness-and he is nearing the end of year 1.

At some point their immune systems take a hammering when they start to mix with other children. It is horrible though and you have my sympathy!

It is awful isn't it but you've gone through so much already that it would be a shame to quit now that your dd will have started building up some immunity and you say she had started to love it.

Chicken Pox scars would have been a risk sooner or later.

I've been there with both children but the eldest hardly has one day sick a year now because his immunity levels built up over time.

We've had nits too so by the time school starts we'll be experts in preventative measures and regular combing inspections etc.

DD1 was like this when she first started nursery... always ill with something

DD2 got more colds etc. before she went to nursery (from DD1 no doubt) but seems to be more resilient of the general nursery germs. She's had a touch of conjunctivitis a couple of times but nothing else really.

DD1 hasn't had a day off ill (exc chicken pox) in 2 years. (she is now 3.2), so they definitely harden to it.

Mine love nursery and i get to do my work, so yes worth it imo. But each to their own...

when do nits kick in then? haven't had those yet! (DDs 3.2 and 19m)

usually nits emerge at school! so you have that to look forward to!!!!!!!

Bless
My two have been at nursery 3 days a week since sept. In the 9 months they've been there the nursery has had sickness+diarrehea, chicken pox, conjunctivitis, headlice and hand foot and mouth disease just recently.

Luckily the boys have come out with just 2 lots on conjunctivitis, numerous colds and a tummy bug twice.

tbh, if your lo doesnt go to nursery and pick it up, she'll just end up picking it all up when she starts school-at least this way she will have had some exposure to it-for instance you know she wont have chickenpox again now.

Mine had all this lot in the first year of nursery too, but now in his second year there has hardly had anything apart from a cold or two and a puke or two. It is just a stage that all kids go through when they start mixing with other kids. As to the c-pox scars, they will fade quite a bit on a DD who got it that young. DS had one on his forehead for about 6 months after getting it, but the scar has totally gone now.

Chicken pox is one-off, of course, so I'll ignore that for now ... but the colds and general crapness? My DD has been in nursery since she was 6 months old, and she got a lot of colds and whatever. Now she's three, hardly gets a thing, and sails through whatever she does get. Meanwhile I have friends who are SAHMs whose kids have just started going to pre-school and they are ill ALL the time. And I dare say by the time we get to school there will be one or two kids who didn't do nursery or pre-school or much else who will be ill throughout Reception. 9 times out of 10 it IS just timing, sooner or later. And while a poorly baby is always going to make you feel like a crap mother for having her in nursery exposed to all those other nasty germy children, a poorly 3yo who can tell you exactly how bad she feels is a pretty pathetic little sight too.

DD was lucky enough to get chicken pox ever so mildly, but my friend's DD had a horrible case at 4, I guess she was just particularly susceptible to it, made me think how much worse it would have been if she'd got it at 14 or 24 instead.

Am ready and waiting for the nits, with my tea tree shampoo and special comb!

Your poor dd! Mine don't go to nursery (dd3 is 2.3 & ds is 6 months) but we do go to toddlers & they occasionally pick up stuff from dd1 (14) & dd2 (13) when they're over from their dad's house (dd1 & dd2 seem to be constantly ill with colds). Not trying to worry anyone but dd3 has had chickenpox twice within a short period as did my nephew. I assumed that they just hadn't got it properly out of their systems after the first bout but a neice of dh had severe chickenpox last year while pg & she definitely had it really bad when she was small too so you can't really assume they'll only get it once.

I know how you feel, my daughter started nursery last Oct at 7 months old and from then til April, she had 5 bouts of sickness and diarroah, 3 chest infections, ear infections and a constant cough. Never had 2 weeks in a row at nursery until April (and she only goes 3 days a week!). We looked in to changing to a childminder, but worried in case it was just the same there. Seemed to have turned a corner (although she has just caught my cold), so I think you just have to grin and bear it until it all passes. Maybe they will be fine once summer comes and they are outside more etc.. xx

That's what nursery is like. Six months of one thing after another and then they seem to develop tough little immune systems and hardly ever catch anything. It's a wearing time though.