Is your child constantly sick from nursery?

[Elisabeth3468]

2 year old recently started nursery just 2 afternoons a week. He had some settling in sessions spread over a few weeks. He caught a bad cold the first week of settling in sessions. Then his first proper week he's caught another virus and it's really knocked him about. He's not eating or drinking and just up all night screaming for the third night now (also cutting molars).
He doesn't need to go nursery it's only because my mum wants more of a rest on the day she has him. I work 2 days and the other day is sorted.
I honestly feel like we were getting into the swing of life more and he was sleeping and eating so well before this. I had started to go to the gym and find more energy for the first time postpartum.
I don't want to be negative but do things settle down with them after a bit or are they continuously unwell when in nursery?
Before starting nursery obviously he still caught things as we go to many places like stay and plays, soft play etc every single week. He also has cousins he sees regularly. I always wash his hands though before he eats and after leaving these places. He used to get colds and the odd virus but nothing too bad and didn't disrupt him for too long and they were generally spaced out. For example the last time he was unwell (with temp etc kind of unwell) was start of Feb. Until he started nursery.
I just want to know your experiences if it got better or not?
I don't want to hear about it builds immunity etc because although that has some truth, in my eyes to be constantly unwell and not eating , losing weight etc you just end up getting run down completely.
Sorry for the essay!

Yes this is very common, stops after about 6 months maybe. Happens again when they start school

Yes it's relentless especially in the winter months. A whole household of constantly snotty people, with reasonably frequent episodes of raised temperatures and vomit.

Our experience wasn't as bad-for the first few weeks he had colds and conjunctivitis and since then has only been off once more for a vomiting bug. He's been there for 14 months. I think it slightly depends upon what else they've already been exposed to (ie through contact with other kids, like siblings who go to school).

Okay thank you 🙏 glad it wasn't too bad for you.
Well he mixes a lot so should've been exposed to quite a few things. He goes to stay and play twice a week which is mixing with children 0-4 and there's about 15/20 kids there. And soft play once a week generally. He does other things like the zoo, farm etc but that's not weekly.
We will give it a few months and if he's ill persistently will probably take him out.

Mine started pre school for 2 mornings a week in the autumn.

So far, this winter has been better than the previous for illness! Only 1 cold and 1 sickness bug.

I was really ill for a month but he's been ok apart from the above!

He doesn't have any older siblings but my husband is a teacher so he's been quite exposed from.birth so perhaps this has helped.

Even if there is immunity to things - most things it’s only for a short period - like norovirus you can reinfect yourself if you don’t clean well, coughs and colds can be a year or so.

So whilst everyone is encouraged to go out and to work sick, there’s a big chance it keeps happening.

Then you add in all the other delights like HFM and CP 😂 on top of the baseline lurgy.

If it’s any consolation we stick to outdoor groups at the mo and still get sick (albeit much much less than before - which is lovely). Most things spread in the air rather than just contact/formite too so although hand washing is really important- if you’re in the same room with someone with a respiratory infection and breathing the same air it’s more likely to get it.

I think a lot depends on the individual child and the policies of the nursery.

My first went to a child minder for about 6 months but that’s been it.

Our daughter has been at nursery 3 days a week since 1 year old.

For the first two years, between September - April, she was unwell with a cold every 3 weeks. We'd have 7-10 days of her being grotty with a cold, then a few weeks well, then the cycle resumed. We had to test for covid during much of that so we can see the more than monthly covid test results as proof it's not an exaggeration! Most were just colds or covid, but she's also had scarlett fever, flu norovirus, hand foot & mouth etc.

This winter (she's now 4) it was definitely better, more like every 4 weeks and she brushes off some of them in a few days, which makes a huge difference. Last 3 months have been horrendous in terms of viral illnesses but I think that's been the case with everyone, including adults.

The above doesn't seem to be unusual when we compare to friends and colleagues with nursery aged children. Some children seem to brush off colds etc even from an early age but if they don't and are sensitive to the runny nose & coughing and disrupted sleep etc it's more of an issue.

Nurseries are cesspits essentially. There's often 3-4 signs up on the nursery door each day over winter stating which infectious diseases children have gone home with recently!

My understanding is that it may limit the onslaught of colds when they start school though.

Are you sure he hasn’t got tonsillitis? He might need antibiotics.. I’d take him to the GP if you haven’t already.

But yes, the first few months at nursery are grim. It will get better.

I took him to the doctors yesterday in the end and they said it's viral. His throat is extremely swollen though , she said his tonsils are nearly touching but no white spots. He seems much brighter today and drinking and eating a bit more.

Thanks everyone. We will see how we get on and I'll probably pull him out until he's 3 and a half if he keeps getting continuously sick. It's miserable when it's like that.

Yes unfortunately 😭 lasted 4 months non-stop for us

Sounds awful. How do you all cope?
I feel like when my son has a virus everything goes to pot and survival mode kicks in.

Wait until you get the really fun illnesses! Hand foot and mouth (should include the word genitals!) Slapped cheek, chicken pox and my favourite sickness and diarrhoea! Nothing like having a toddler throw up all over you.

How do you all cope?
… calpol, lots of calpol.

Don't forget the good stuff - baby nurofen 👀