For children attending nursery, what is normal number of sickness days?

[TunMahla]

I have a 1 year old who has started attending nursery and has already been sent home twice with illness within 1 month, meaning I had to take 4 days off work. I understand that he had not been exposed to bugs before so the first few months will be more difficult. However, in general what number of days per year can I expect to be caring for my sick child? I worry that at this rate we won't have any annual leave left for actual holidays... :(

Sorry I don't have any advice as pregnant with my first but wanted to bump for you!

Although I would imagine that it will be more at the moment as they'll be being more cautious with illness with the pandemic than they perhaps normally would be.

Hopefully someone will be along soon to advise!

My dd had no days of sick in her first year. But possibly due to lockdown your baby wasn’t exposed to as many colds etc in their first year so is getting it all now

My LO wasn’t off sick at all from nursery but we were ill for about 6 months when she started & used up days being ill. I think it’s normal for them being home lots of bugs & as he hasn’t had them it is inevitable.
I have one friend with a 3 year old who has had 5 Covid tests!!

Differs for different children.
One of mine 3 days in the first year, 10 in the second, my second much more...10 in the first year, sickness bugs mainly, chicken pox in the second so 21 days with a bad case and whooping cough as a three year old picked up from me - so nearly a month off, returned then a couple of relapses ( 5 days each time).
My third very few.

When our 3 were small DH and I would each reserve a week of annual leave a year to cover childhood sicknesses. DD2 was never ill, DD1 rarely and DS was in and out of hospital with asthma 'viral induced wheeze' each winter (he's on steroids for asthma now so it's under control).

Sounds normal. Between ear infection and HFM it's par the course.

First winter dd1 was off more than she attended. After that she probably had 3 days off for the rest of her nursery career, so it is definitely much worse at the begining. Dd2 has had to isolate foe 10 days and then also caught covid so been off for eleventy billion days already

During the first year at nursery both my DC picked up every bug and illness known to man. I couldn't actually put a figure on the number of days but it helped that I worked 3 days rather than full time. It did get much better after the first year and between age 2 and 7 DS didn't so much as have any Calpol.

Completely normal. Dd was off a lot in the first 6 months after starting nursery. Hopefully it will settle down soon, the warmer weather will help

My son had a constant cold for about 3 months. He also got a chest infection and ear infection in that time too.

It's really normal. Make sure you're sharing the sick days with the baby's dad and not covering it all yourself as although it gets better there are many years of sick days ahead.

My DD was the same when she started nursery and a GP quoted to me about a study that was done into the rate of childhood illnesses when exposed to other children in a nursery setting. I can't remember the study details or exact findings but it basically translated that it can be normal for a child attending nursery in the first year or so to pick up a new virus every 2 weeks. It certainly put my mind at rest as the rate my dd was being infected with colds etc was worrying. It only lasted the first year and then calmed down.

Lots and lots in the first six months - we were very lucky my parents could step in. Some of those days may have been me being over cautious.

On the plus side no sick days in 4 years
at school bar the ones imposed by covid rules.

Get the chicken pox vaccine otherwise that's another whole week to consider.

Also lots of people think we are going to be in for a bumper year for childhood respiratory illnesses as they have been protected/isolated from each other in the last year and will have lower immunity going forward.

Sorry I just realised my post may not help with your worries about time off work but hopefully will help with knowing it can be normal. Hope things settle soon.

Yes yes to the chicken pox vaccine - I wish I had thought of that, mine got it one after the other.

I've had two go through nursery and I very rarely have taken a sick day with them. It's a bit different now when any little cough or sniffle could result in a sick day, but I'd say that with each of them, we had about 4-7 days off each with a vomiting bug and then with chicken pox and maybe a handful (less than 5) ever in 3.5 years. Really not much at all. Since the start of COVID last year, I've only kept mine home 2 days, each time we were waiting on negative COVID results. Otherwise, no sickness in the past year.

My DC started at nursery in the October 3 days per week, had 3 days off in the October, none in the November and didn't attend for a single day in the December. It got much better for a few months and then Covid hit. He's now been back at nursery since June last year and we've had to self isolate 3 times because of colds / temperatures but haven't actually caught Covid yet. So it's much better once they get the first few months out of the way.

Depends on the child! Both mine were in nursery full time from 4 months and 5 months. Eldest (now in reception) was off nursery twice (once for a couple of days and the other time a single day), the youngest (now 2.5) has had one absence of 2 days and one day off for a cough that pre covid wouldn’t have meant they needed time off but obviously now required a test. They are both vaccinated against chicken pox which is worth doing!

Mine had 3 months of constant illnesses when they started. After that 1-3 days per year for a couple of years, since being at school very little, just the odd stomach bug.

First year was quite bad; DD started childcare in March and in April to May had at least 3/4 days off. Then that winter had another week off at one point.
The year after was much better and I think maybe 2 days and this last year since she’s been back at nursery in June she’s had none.
I had to rope in grandparents to help and DH a bit although my work were more flexible with letting me work from home so it often fell to me.

Depends on the child and the size of the nursery. My first child definitely had time off for chicken pox, hand foot and mouth and the odd day with a temperature. She was at a huge nursery. Younger child was at a much smaller nursery and so mixing with fewer children. I honestly don’t remember her being off - she had chicken pox during the Easter holidays.
I remember there were always a few children who seemed to be off sick all the time with various colds and bugs - while other children were never off.

Both of mine kept getting ill in their first year, it settled down after that.

Thanks all, so given that it looks like we are not blessed with a bug-resistant kid, this year could be a write-off but as many mentioned illnesses should much abate in the next years, hopefully :). I will consider a chicken pox vaxx when things have calmed down. I remember getting it pretty late myself at 9-10 but then I never went to nursery.