Share your tips for coping when your children have chickenpox with PoxClin

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Though most children will get it at some stage, chickenpox is an illness that can be difficult for all involved. With that in mind, PoxClin would like to hear the tips you have for when children get chickenpox.

Here’s what PoxClin has to say: “It’s never easy when your children are ill and it’s natural for parents to worry about the itching and discomfort chickenpox can cause. 46% of parents say that stopping children from scratching is the most important thing for them when their child has chickenpox and 34% also worry about longer-term effects like scarring. These issues, combined with children being at home and unable to attend school or nursery until the spots have crusted over can put everyone to the test, with children being restless and parents feeling anxious and stressed from juggling work and unexpected childcare. It’s at times like this that support and advice from other parents can be so valuable. So, if you have some amazing parenting “hacks” to share, we want to hear from you!”

Do you have any tips for dealing with being housebound while your child is contagious? Perhaps you know of remedies that help with relieving the itching and scratching that accompanies chickenpox? Maybe you have tips for dealing with more than one child getting chickenpox at the same time?

All who post below sharing their tips will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

*An online survey was conducted by Atomik Research among 1,300 UK adults aged 18+. The research fieldwork took place on 8th – 12th April 2019. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides to MRS code

My son had it at 17 months and we were abroad at the time - not ideal! We used both PoxClin and calamine lotion and anti-histamines were an absolute life saver. It really helped with the itching and helped him sleep, which of course speeds up recovery anyway.

We also did whatever we needed to do for an easy life...we let him eat whatever he fancied, even if that meant ice cream for every meal!

We have just gone through the chicken box this past Easter, it was dreadful, my 12 year old had constant headache and itchy skin for a week before the spot appeared, he was covered. When i say covered i mean no space even to butt crack penis, under his feet and toes, gums , tongue , throat, head(I did say it was horrible) used calamine lotion, calamine cream help just few mins, used oak bath made it worse and we just rode it through the 2 weeks from first spot appearance.,
My 12 month old caught it after 10 days as the GP warned would happen , my poor baby was covered like her brother too even inside her ears, gums by the 3rd day someone recommended Bayrum as she was suffering and wasn't sleeping , got it from boots and used it and in less than 5 mins she slept, I kid you not Bayrum did the trick, it dried up in 24 hrs and she was fine unlike my son that took 2 weeks.I wish I knew about it and started day one the spot appeared. I would say get Bayrum and put in water to wipe or bathe if your lo have chicken pox.

Oats in a bath and letting the skin be free in the air helps a hell of a lot just really letting it all dry out

Oh I remember it well - three children all under 5 slowly felled like dominoes by the dreaded 'pox. Cool baths and calpol helped for fevers, antihistamines for the itching. Calamine lotion was liberally applied and - thankfully - it was summer so as few as layers as possible seemed to help. Usual rules went out the window - so lots of TV, frozen yoghurt tubes (two had spots in their mouths) and rest. We were told about POxClin by the time the last one had it, and that cooled her skin a lot.

Piriton really helps reduce the itchiness and helps them sleep at night, too. Calamine, cool baths and lots of cuddles - this too shall pass!

I used poxclin on my child and I really do think it eased the itching and reduced scarring. I also prepared an oat bath which I think is very moisturising which helps so much with the discomfort of chicken pox.

My dd has the pox in the middle of a heat wave. We had the paddling pool in the garden which helped relieve the itch a little. I did use pox clin mousse, that helped so much. He would sigh with relief as I applied it.

Eldest DS and DD really struggled with chickenpox - we used calamine lotion and oat baths, and antihistamine to help with itching. I got the younger dcs vaccinated as soon as they were old enough - didn't want to see them have to deal with the same.

My 2 had it at the same time, one worse than the other. Someone recommended poxclin which was great. We kept it in the fridge so it was cool when applied.

I find the trick is to keep them distracted - playing board games or doing jigsaw puzzles keeps the mind and hands active

When DD1 got it as a toddler I put socks on her hands to stop her scratching in her sleep.

I think when you are stuck at home with sick kids it is not time to restrict screen time. Survival mode!

Calamine and waiting it out. Find people who have already had chicken pox and visit them.

Using calamine lotion and using oats in the bath helps relieve some of the symptons.

I put bicarbonate of soda in my 2 yo's bath for 20mins for 3 nights. It dried the spots up very quickly.

3 yo DD had it and barely 50 spots which didn't bother her at all. 2 weeks later my 7.5 month DS was covered in about 200 spots. I gave him a cool porridge oat bath every night (handful of porridge oats in a pair of tights hung under the running tap). also used virasoothe on him at night. either these worked or the spots didn't really itch him as again he didn't seem to bothered by them.

We used poxclin and virasoothe when ours had it, which both helped. Baths with oats in (water run through tights with porridge oats in) were soothing too, and also helpful in getting children's temps down when we couldn't give ibuprofen (warm baths, not cold as they can cause shivering which raises body temp). We put my little boy in his nappy and his sisters T-shirt dresses as well when he had the pox as they were much more comfortable than having trousers with waistbands on, as his torso was covered in pox.

A months subscription to Disney also helped us get through the back to back fortnights of pox we had too

I ran a bath through a Muslim filled with porridge oats. It really helped!

Both my girls have had the pox. Keeping them cooler rather than hotter helped the itching- so cool baths helped, as did oats in the bath. Keep an eye on their temperature too and keep them busy by having friends over who have already had the pox. Keep the grandparents away to avoid shingles!

Cool calamine tea on a cotton flannel, antihistamines for the itches and barrier cream for the nappy area.

Vaccinate your kids people. That's the only way to protect them.

Keeping them cool apparently helps prevent new ones appearing and reduces the itching.

we got by on piriton, camomile and love

Urgh my elder two were fairly old when they caught it 7 and 10. The 10 year old suffered so so badly he didn't itch so much but slept a lot and high temps , so it was cool baths, and Calpol with cuddles and a constantly charged tablet, he did however continue to erupt in spots for around 10 days and they took forever to crust over so ended up with 3 weeks off school not ideal for me and work!! . My 7 year old itched lots and we used vira soothe as it was all I found in the pharmacy at the time. She had 10 days off school in the end.
My 3rd I have paid privately for vaccination, it was so horrific for the other two that I don't want the youngest to go through that. She is nearly 2 and will start preschool within the next 12 month's so I felt it was prudent to have her covered so if she does catch it it will be far far milder.

My ds hasn't had chickenpox yet. However he's a martyr to his allergies and contact dermatitis and we use PoxClin to relieve the painful full body rash he gets. It's a brill product, a bit pricey but it does the job.

Can't beat a cool oat bath as well 😄

Calamine lotion slathered on with cotton wool. Lots of drinks, cuddles and stories...