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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Nursey illness - is it enough to put you off?

44 replies

McGuck · 06/02/2009 13:02

I'm due to send my 7 month old off to nursey in April but everyone has been warning me that she will be constantly ill for the first few months. We haven't any family in London so it will be really difficult to manage time off work if this is the case, odd day is okay but could this go on for weeks? and now am thinking maybe I should go down the childminder route. Is nursery a total germ nightmare or are people exaggerating?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Notquitegrownup · 06/02/2009 13:04

Nope, I don't think that they are exaggerating. I think that childminders are much healthier as they are only exposed to three or four other sets of germs, rather than dozens.

mrsgboring · 06/02/2009 13:04

I certainly know two people (at different nurseries) who have had a complete and utter nightmare with illnesses when children started nursery. Others who were fine. It could go on for weeks, but equally, some winters it just happens and it's hard to say why you get bug after bug wherever you might pick them up.

TheFallenMadonna · 06/02/2009 13:06

My ds went to nursery from 13 months to 3 and had two days off due to illness. I think it depends on their policies, and to some extent on how you feel about your child going to nursery with a cold for example. Ds's nursery had no problem with him going in with a bit of a cold, and neither did I. More soft-hearted types took more time off.

nailpolish · 06/02/2009 13:06

that is a total exaggeration

sweetcat · 06/02/2009 13:07

Neither of my DC's have had weeks of illness, and had none when they started Nursery (Age 5 months for DD and 6 mths for DS when they started). It depends on the child and the circumstances, surely?

rubyslippers · 06/02/2009 13:08

am a bit at weeks of illness

my DS does seem to have a runny nose every other week but he isn't poorly

MarlaSinger · 06/02/2009 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ewe · 06/02/2009 13:10

I have had a nightmare illness wise since DD started nursery. She started in September and has had 3 bouts of conjunctivitis, 2 tummy bugs, chicken pox, a constant cold/cough which turned into bronchiolitis and pneumonia (on sep occasions) and half the time she passes it on to me.

We are now 5 months in and she still gets ill relatively regularly, it has been really hard to manage work wise and I feel has made a senior member of staff take a real dislike to me!

Although, the gaps between illnesses are becoming longer and I am constantly assured that her immune system will benefit in the end.

cmotdibbler · 06/02/2009 13:14

It's an exaggeration. You can expect snottiness - but they don't have to be off for that. They will pick up chicken pox, D&V etc when they go round, but they have to have all these things eventually.

DS has been at nursery full time since he was 4.5 months, now 2.8, and the most days in a row he has been off for is 4 for chicken pox. Apart from that it's really been the odd day for a temp that didn't come down with them giving calpol, croup, and D&V - I don't think he's been off more than 8 days in all that time in total

FatController · 06/02/2009 13:14

DS started nursery in may at 11 months old. Since then he has only missed 1 day due to being in hospital after a croup attack and today due to conjuctivitis. His nursery are happy to take him with a cold/ throat infection though as long as he is happy in himself.

Might be worth asking nursery what sorts of illnesses they would exclude for and get some back up childcare plans in place (friends?) incase Ds is ill. Also don't forget that you and your DP/DH are entitled to "reasonable time off" from your employer for emergency childcare.

TheFallenMadonna · 06/02/2009 13:16

They don't always pick up things like chicken pox. DS is now 7, dd nealry 5. They have been in nursery, preschool and now school. They never get it. I want them to get it out of the way.

NorkyButNice · 06/02/2009 13:16

DS has been in nursery since he was 6 months, and yes, he's had a cold on and off almost constantly (he's now 16 months).

He's only had about 3 or 4 days off, and that was due to a tummy bug.

Last time we saw the GP she told me that while nursery attending children are generally more ill during the first year or two, they get less ilnesses once they start school, have less absences when it's more important.

MmeLindt · 06/02/2009 13:18

When DD started Kindergarten she was ill more often for the first year, but not constantly and not for weeks.

Both her and DS's immune systems are pretty strong now (touch wood) and she has not been ill for ages. In fact, I cannot remember the last time she was off.

She started school last year and has not been ill since, and not for a long time before that.

I would rather put up with the few bugs at nursery age than them being ill all the time at school age.

It also depends on the other DCs at the childminders, if they have school age siblings then they are still going to be carrying in all the bugs.

choppychopster · 06/02/2009 13:25

DD has been in nursery since she was 6mths, now 2.4y.o. In the last year she's had three days off. Two for separate bouts of conjunctivitis (which were also passed on to me - grr!) and one for a cold, although there have been lots of days when she's been snotty, but well enogh to go in.

Depending on your job, it might be worth seeing if you can work from home on the days that your LO is ill. It's a pain if you've got to drop out of meetings, but if you can answer urgent queries and get on with other stuff it's not too bad.

FatController · 06/02/2009 13:31

sorry, you have a DD not a DS - doh!

tiggerlovestobounce · 06/02/2009 13:33

Its an exaggeration, IMO. My DDs have all been to nursery. They have had the ocassional cough and cold, and 2 of them have had chicken pox, but apart for the chicken pox I havent had to keep them off much at all (maybe 3-5 days in total over the 6 years I have been using nurseries for).

Original poster

McGuck · 06/02/2009 13:51

Thanks for the advice. She is due to start Bowes Park in Wood Green - don't suppose any of you know that one do you? First time mum looking for reassurance - it is so terrifying isn't it!

OP posts:

MrsMattie · 06/02/2009 13:54

My son is 4 yrs old and has been in nursery since he was 7 mths old - and I can count on one hand how many colds he has had in his life. He's never had any sickness bugs, bad infections, flu etc. He has had nits a fair few times, though , and had a very mild case of chicken pox (3 days off nursery). To be honest, whatever you do for childcare you'll have to have some sort of back up plan cobbled together for when they're sick, but as far as nursery meaning they are constantly ill - well, that hasn't been my experience at all.

notcitrus · 06/02/2009 14:03

This is reassuring - my pfb will be in nursery soon.

I'm thinking that if there's around 30 consistent kids in the nursery and he's been at playgroups every other day with random 30 babies each time for most of his life, he's probably been exposed to more illnesses already than he'll get in nursery?

My parents' neighbour have had their 2-year-old in nursery for 2 months and he's been off sick for nearly 3 weeks of it, but apparently he'd hardly ever met any other children before that.

SydneyB · 06/02/2009 14:05

My DD is 2.3 yrs and has been in nursery since she was 7 months old. Ok, so she has had a constant cold and bouts of conjunctivitis etc but nothing serious and it is just brilliant for their immune system. IMO its either nursery or school or playgroup, at some point they will mix with lots of other kids. DS, 15 weeks, has had a constant cold too mind and that is less good! Hoping he won't suffer as much when he starts nursery though. Also DH and I now have super immunity. Have a couple of friends who have just sent their 3 yr olds to playgroup and are constantly constantly ill. Apparently exposure to lots of different viruses at a young age really does boost immune system and protect against things like eczema. There was even a study published last year that said it could protect against things such as leukaemia. And as others have said, if you work and have kids in childcare of any sort you will have to take days off, leave early etc from time to time.

purepurple · 06/02/2009 16:00

yes , they will pick things up but as someone said this is good for the immune system. It is the same for adults when they start working in nurseries too, and it is also the same when children start school.

SarahandImogen · 06/02/2009 16:25

My DD started in September age 12 months. She had a constant cold from the first week which I didn't keep her away for, but she had conjunctivitus for the best part of 3 weeks (even though she was treated with drops) due to the amount of mucous caused by the colds! She was excluded after a week of conjunctivitus because of the infection to the other babies. She went back to nursery & then caught chicken pox after two days back. We have no family near either & my husband & I just had to get time off work - they do leaglly have to allow you. Touch wood she has been fine since November apart from the odd sniffle, maybe due in part to the fact she is now in a Nursery with half the amount of babies in the same room.

FatController · 06/02/2009 18:37

You need to remember too that if you do go for a CM you will have to find cover for when she is unwell or wants to take a holiday. And also for when your DD is ill - which she will be if CM is taking her to playgroups.

Nursery far more reliable IMO!

Original poster

McGuck · 06/02/2009 18:37

Thanks for all your posts. Feel much better now and ready to brave the onslaught of germs.

OP posts:

HSMM · 09/02/2009 15:05

If you keep them in a bubble til they start school, then they will just spend their first term catching all the bugs from other children, because they didn't build up their immune system while they were little. Just make sure your nursery excludes sick children and your child should only get 'healthy' bugs.

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