My 2 dds ares starting nursery in 2 weeks - is it inevitable that they will get ill?

[cookiemonstress]

Hi
My 2.11 and 14 month old daughters are starting nursery 3 days a week in 2 weeks time (change from nanny to nursery). DD1 used to go to nursery until 22 months when I went on mat leave with dd2. I know this is a silly question but I'm worried about them getting ill and picking up lots of new bugs initially, partly because of the impact/stress of missing work to look after them when my annual leave is running dangerously low and partly because i have just had 5 weeks of chicken pox, stomach bugs, bladder infections and colds. In people's opinion, should I accept illness as inevitable or am I being gloomy? Do they always pass everything on to the parent? I'm hoping they will have built up some immunity. I can handle the coughs, colds etc but it's the tummy things that I struggle with...What's other people's opinions?

they do tend to pick things up a lot at first, but if they have gone to lots of group play things with the nanny I think they should be ok - it really hits hard when it's babies who've been at home with no other siblings and they just don't have the immunity.

But in general I think best to assume the worst and then if it works out better than you think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Be realistic and make some alternative arrangements, then like theyoungvisitor says, you'll be pleasantly surprised. The first month is always the worst. Could partner not help out if you're short on A/L?

In a word - YES!

Yes, but you will find they can still go to most Nurserys with the sniffles as they can't stop it spreading anyway.

And rememebr everything they get they will give to you.

Your older child will probably still have some immunity having been in nursery before.

Look on the bright side--when they start school they'll have fewer days off.

Yes - they will get a lot, but ime chicken pox is the one that takes up the most time, so it's good that it's out of the way! I don't always seem to catch everything my dds get, though, particularly the sick bugs - even with clearing up the sick, I don't usually end up getting it!

Thanks for all your responses, made me feel a bit less anxious about it all
I think I'm a bit overly paranoid a) because I find illness stressful-nye resolution to make less of a big deal about it and b) because i'm knackered after having this mammouth run 6 week continous run of 2 lots of v severe chicken pox, tummy bugs, bladder infections etc etc and having 2 children permanently attached to my hip, competing for my attention.

I have been doing some 'expectation management' with my boss around the likelihood of maybe having to take time off initially. I do have my m-in-law to help but she seems to get everything my girls get (but is not much of hand washer in my opinion) so I feel a bit guilty asking her to have the girls if they are ill.

Anyway, thanks again!

YES! DD has been at nursery for about 7 months and I would say that DH and I have taken about a month or more off between us to look after her. So far this year, she's managed just 2 days at nursery thanks to the winter vom bug. People keep telling me it will get better... and we haven't had the pox yet.