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

Both mine had it concurrently, we were housebound for one entire August! Fortunately it was before I went back to work so time off wasn't an issue.

Oats in the bath (in a sock!) to help with the itching, magazines with the plastic toys on the front and lots of CBeebies.

My dd was only 10 months when she got it. Cool baths, oat baths (Oats put in muslin), lots of cuddles, calpol, some time without nappies and poxclin or calamine lotion were the things I found helped. The baths in particular distracted her and made her feel better.

My three oldest had it one after the other a few years ago, three and a half weeks of quarantine!

Oldest had them inside his mouth and wouldn't eat or drink so ice pops were great for getting fluids into him and numbing them a little, he would then eat chilled soft fruit, cucumber, and yoghurt.

Youngest had them all over his bum and bits (and everywhere else too!) so a good nappy cream was a must, we used the yellow clay-like Metanium but other creams are available. He had them inside his ears which made lying down uncomfortable, like when you have an ear infection and lying down makes it worse, we propped the head of his cot up with blocks so that he wasn't lying flat.

Antihistamines worked for the itching with the added bonus that it made them drowsy so was especially effective at bedtime when itching might have otherwise kept them awake.

They had lots of lukewarm baths with oats in a knotted sock. I would squeeze the sock and gently rubbed into their skin the funky stuff that oozed out to help relieve the itch even more. We got some warm days so I also did sock oats in the paddling pool to let the air get at their skin too.

My kids loved PoxClin as the mousse cooled them down and they liked the foaminess of it.
We did loads of baking, jigsaws and crafts to try and keep them distracted from the itch!

We preferred calamine cream to lotion and my 3 had it simultaneously so cool bath, cool room and ice pops.

MY girls had their chicken pox at age 4 (DD1) and age 2 (DD2) one after the other. I found the best thing to use was virasoothe (recommended by a mum friend) and it did seem to work very well, and being a gel was very easy to apply, and cooling on the painful areas. Thankfully neither of my girls had it particularly badly.

Poxclin is great. Ice poles for any in the mouth. Loose clothing and cool baths.

I found distraction was the best tactic when they wanted to scratch so getting them interested in a program, a game or a book (depending on how ill they feel) was great for this.

When my son got chicken pox we immediately bought Poxclin, as it had been recommended by a friend who's son had it REALLY badly. We found it worked really well.

Lots of cuddles, ice cream, yoghurts ( my oldest had them in her mouth), Calpol definitely helps!! Get out for walks in the fresh air. Being quarantined for weeks will drive you crazy if more than one child catches it.. and those who have had the pox won't mind visiting so invite friends round if they feel up to it.

Just glad it'll be over and done with! Camomile lotion worked a treat

oatmeal baths and calamine lotion

Oat baths with some oats wrapped in a muslin and dangled over the hot tap and let it run through. We also used PoxCiln, our little boy called it the 'rub rub' as he was only about 17 months when he had it, not ideal in a heatwave either!! So he also went in his paddling pool outside.

We also used piriton which helped with him scratching although he hated the taste of it!!

My middle child had it as a 10 month old and it was miserable. She was comfiest in the bath, stripped off and sitting in cool water. It was summer and she spent a lot of time in the paddling pool. Calamine cream - not lotion - was good, and the doctor advised piriton to help her sleep.

Lots of camomile lotion & calpol. Cuddles & keeping cool so minimal itching

Tepid bath with porridge oats. Then completely slather in calamine lotion.

My son caught it when he was seven months old when he started nursery and I went back to work. Since it was the summer he was able to be out and about in the garden so didn't get too bored stuck indoors. He played in the paddling pool and we used lots of calamine lotion. I think that I was lucky he was so young as he didn't really moan or scratch too much!

Mine were both tiny thank goodness but luke warn baths and light cotton clothing and calamine lotion were what we did

I have 3 children and my oldest came down with chicken pox, it wasn't bad and just used calamine lotion to ease the itching, then as it was going my other son came down with it, so done the same for him and you never guess what, as they were going my 10 month old daughter had it very badly, she couldn't sleep, she was in so much discomfort and matted all over the body, in the end i had to take her over the doctors and she gave me something to help her sleep at night and plastered her in calamine lotion 3 times a day. i had to lie her on her side in bed and i had to sleep by the side of her to stop her falling on her back or front which woke her up. It was very hard copping on my own with hubby in work and no grandparents to help. i think it was nearly 3 months before i could go out and about again. We watched films & coloured in.

It is really horrible and I remember having it as a child so easy to remember the misery. Lots of baths, lotions and distractions!

Using brilliant green antiseptic definitely reduces itching and stops scars to appear.

Cool bath, calamine lotion and lots of hugs. I bought some new movies to keep them entertained.

Lots of cool baths and caolmine lotion worked with my children

oat baths and calamine lotion but it took quite a while to get through it

Calamine lotion seemed to be the only thing that helped.