Mumsnet users share their tips for helping their child through chickenpox with PoxClin

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It may not be front of mind for many parents right now, but chickenpox is an illness most children will get, making it almost a rite of passage. Despite this, having a child who doesn’t feel well - whether that’s with chickenpox or anything else - can be something that’s difficult to deal with. With children at home (along with almost everyone else at the moment) and feeling restless, as well as parents feeling stressed from juggling work and unexpected childcare, it can make the situation even more challenging. With that in mind, PoxClin Cool Mousse would like to hear your tips for helping your child and the family cope with chickenpox.

Here’s what PoxClin Cool Mousse has to say: “It is natural for parents to feel concerned about itching and scarring, in fact, 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. It’s at times like this that support and advice from other parents can be invaluable. So, if you have some amazing parenting “hacks” to share, we want to hear from you!”

Do you have tips for helping to relieve their itching and scratching? Perhaps you have practical tips for keeping their mind off of it and making them feel cared for? Maybe you’ve picked up tips for helping your child when they have been poorly with something else that could be just as helpful if they came down with chickenpox?

Whatever your tips for dealing with chickenpox, share with PoxClin Cool Mousse below to 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

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Cool baths, long cool layers, Calpol if they have a temperature, antihistamine, cool foods if they have spots in their mouths and plenty of poxclin which is especially good if they have any spots on their scalp as it doesn't make the hair sticky.

I also don't rate calamine lotion as it can be uncomfortable when dried

Porridge oats. Put them in a pop sock and tie it. Or sacrifice a pair of tights. Put it under a running tap in the bath. Warm/cool bath, not hot. The water will be silky and releive itching. Be careful to wash the bath out after wards as the oaty water will make the bath slippy.

Following for tips- with a toddler in nursery (though not at the moment obviously) it's only a matter of time before my two get it.

Soothing lotion to stop the itching, warm baths, Calpol if they have a temperature or are in pain, lots of cuddles & the occasional treat!

All of mine had chicken pox at the same time, which was grim. The youngest was still in nappies so was probably the most uncomfortable in terms of the rash. We used loads of calamine and I would try this new product if I was in the same position now. Cool baths helped too. What doesn't often get mentioned about chicken pox is that kids can get super high temperatures with it, and in fact the first we knew that any of them was ill was when ds1 spiked such a high fever he fainted at school. It took days to get it down and was such a worry, especially as he was a child who was never ill. So stock up with calpol too!

Lots of calamine lotion, and fruity ice lollies when they had them in their mouths and they were sore seemed to help my 2.

Chamomile lotion and lots of distraction. Cool baths too.

Cool baths with porridge oats in some tights in there too. Don't use soap. Pat the child dry after and apply pot clin to help dry out the spots.

Getting them to sleep when they have this is always an issue. If they don’t sleep they feel worse so it’s important they do.
I also read that ibuprofen is a no no for chicken pox.

Do you have tips for helping to relieve their itching and scratching?

short nails, and poxclin does the trick, DS1 had the illness quite mild but DS2 had a very severe bout, they poxclin worked wonders.

Perhaps you have practical tips for keeping their mind off of it and making them feel cared for?

Ice lollies and television.

Maybe you’ve picked up tips for helping your child when they have been poorly with something else that could be just as helpful if they came down with chickenpox?

An antihistamine for the itching at the end of the illness

Calpol for the temperature, a phone call to my pharmacist recommended an antihistamine medicine (piriton) , a cool bath pat dry, - but NEVER GIVE IBUPROFEN -

ice lollies to distract and hydrate.

drink plenty of juice (try ice lollies ) to avoid dehydration

take paracetamol to help with pain and discomfort and fever

put socks / scratch mits on your child's hands at night to stop scratching

cut your child's nails - if you can

use cooling creams or gels (aloe vera gel)

piriton syrup its like a miracle in a bottle

bicarb in the bath

dress in loose clothes

Antihistamine, fresh air and lots of baths

I found calamine cream prevents the scabs from drying out for us so did not use it, we used plenty distractions to take their minds off of it, tried to keep them cool and cool soothing baths.

I had never heard of Poxclin Mousse for chicken pox. My two were smothered in calamine lotion which is what my mum used on me. An oat bath sounds soothing. Luckily both of my children were quite young when they caught chicken pox and both had a fairly mild dose which didn’t make them feel too unwell.

Poxclin was the only thing that helped when my DD was covered in pox and screaming and I was at the end of my tether. I've recommended it since and it's been 3 years. Brand name has definitely stuck in my mind.

A Chicken pox vaccine has been available for around 30 years. Many countries have it as part of the childhood immunisation program, the uk doesn’t as Chicken pox is not 99% not lethal so it’s not cost effective. Get your children vaccinated for about £40 x 2 doses, saves you all the heartache and week off work to look after a child with an Unnecessary illness.

When my children had chickenpox PoxClin was brilliant at relieving the itch scratch cycle and we were left with no scarring from pox marks even though some were fairly extensive.

I used PoxClin CoolMousse, it relieved the symptoms of DD's chickenpox really quickly, I warmed my hands and put a large blob in my hands and applied to the back and front, It's all natural (a patented bio-active bacterial blocker derived from the aloe barbadensis plant - what ever that is !). It's expensive - but when DD1 was treated with Calomine and DD2 as treated with PoxClin the results were much better. If DD3 ever had chicken pox - I would certainly buy this product.

When I had chicken pox aged about 7, my dad played 'join the dots' with me. He would roll some dice and then join that number of spots up on me with calamine lotion to stop me itching!

I put Cotton underwear and nightwear on them as it's a lot cooler, I also put loose clothing on as I found that wearing something a bit tight made them itch more.

We did quite a few cool baths with oats in a muslin cloth. It was messy but seemed to soothe dc for a while. One dc had it far worse than the other and he needed a lot of distraction to stop him scratching.

Oat baths throughout day and lots of lotion. Soft long clothes and distracting hands with other activities.

Distraction! Tv or whatever will keep their minds engaged. We also found that oat baths and wearing natural fibres helps.

My top tip is to get your children vaccinated so they don't get chicken pox in the first place.

I know not everyone can afford it (approx £170 for the 2 doses) but I think many people don't realise a vaccine is even available and widely provided in many other countries, certainly worth people looking into and deciding for themselves.