Is this normal for toddler illness?

[TiredMama8]

I’m a SAHM currently so our 2yo isn’t in nursery, however we usually go to one or two activities or play dates a week along with general shopping, walks etc.

We seem to be having some kind of illness every other week this winter. Nothing too serious but fever/viral infections, coughs, colds, a tummy bug etc - is this normal for this age and not in nursery? I know their immune system is building but starting to worry about it. Feel like we have a short period of feeling back to normal and appetite coming back, then something else comes!

For example, she had a tummy bug 10 days ago and had not long recovered so we didn’t even do much in the interim and now has some kind of other virus with intermittent fever, looking washed out and no appetite.

My DD 13 months is at nursery and has been constantly ill, even catching things when shes not even been there for extended period, so think its just normal at this time of year. Im sure when they are run down they are even more susceptible to any other viruses.

One or 2 activities (I assume you mean soft play, or music class, that sort of thing?) is all it takes! It should improve as the weather does. But yep, toddlers are little germ factories!

I used to give my daughter a tonic syrup after she'd been ill, just to boost her system. She had a good diet, but not everyone has the right amount of vitamins or minerals all the time. Do they make kids vit d for that age? We could all do with taking vitamin d during the winter, it's helped me to see off colds

I’ve been using the Mighty Kids vitamins which you mix in a drink (when she agrees to take them!) hoping that helps.

Yeah, well I try and avoid soft play in winter for this reason haha but doesn’t seem to have fared me much better! But gymnastics, play cafe type places etc. I even use the Milton hand sanitiser but like you say the germs are impossible.

Yeah hoping it’s just because it’s worse in winter and like you say she’s not fully recovering then picking the next thing up. Poor things.

Yes I think this is pretty normal. And has she had antibiotics? That can wipe the gut and leave their immune system depleted. You could try kefir and any other pre and probiotic foods she will eat? I’m sure I have mine a sachet of probiotic powder in foods at that age.

Be thankful or maybe not that she’s not got chickenpox! That’s been doing the rounds at DNephew’s nursery but funnily enough he doesn’t really get colds or viruses, no idea why as his diet led by him is pretty non varied.

Hasn’t had any antibiotics yet! Will have a look at probiotics :)

From what the doctor said it was good for him to catch the pox as it’s building up his immune system so prob same for your DD.

They can’t hurt. You can get the drinks or yogurts and other things.

Ahh I know! Have had flu, norovirus, bronchiolitis, slapped cheek… but not had chickenpox or HFM yet (that hasn’t just been this winter haha that’s overall). Both of which I’m dreading!

It’s honestly not that bad. He’s got spots and not sleeping well but is ok at home apart from that.

We've just got over HFM, it was horrendous! I've started giving DD some Optibac probiotics see if it helps.

Totally normal! Toddlers can get 8–12 infections per year even without nursery -supermarkets, play dates and walks are more than enough to keep the germ cycle going in winter. The back-to-back timing is brutal but it really does ease up around age 3-4 as immunity builds. Hang in there, spring is coming!

Something that helped me stop spiralling during fever stages was tracking symptoms on managefever.com - free, nothing to download and seeing the pattern (rising, peaked, coming down etc.) is so much calmer than anxiously checking every 20 mins without context.