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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Put them in bodysuits if they are young enough, to stop them having access to tummy/back to scratch.

We were on holiday at the time with somewhere that had only a wet room. We bought a small paddling pool and put it in the shower area for cool baths, we added porridge oats in a sock as she found that really soothing when she had eczema. Also lollipops and drinks with a straw if it gets in to the mouth.

Cool baths, calamine lotion and some extra screen time plus board games and reading to them to distract them.

If warm enough, cold bath (oats in sock). If winter, Poxcin works great whilst snuggled under a duvet with the tele on! Before I discovered poxcin I applied some aqueous cream to sooth and cool. I keep nails short and put some moisturiser on hands to prevent using fingers to create friction which agrivates the pox! Lots of drinks and encouragement to eat. My youngest had a vaccine at boots.
You have to just keep going!

As PP have said, anti-histamines, distraction and calamine lotion were very useful. Also lots of ice lollys and ice pops for when they hd them in their moths and didn't feel much like eating and drinking.

please vaccinate kids if you can. Its miserable

ice lollies and cold flannels

We found calamine lotion to be pretty effective - when the itching was really troublesome cool baths helped. At bedtime - cotton PJs, cotton sheets & a fan blowing. The noise of the fan helps our little one get to sleep too!
Our LO has been left with a few scars from chickenpox though, so had I known about a product like this which can help avoid scarring - we would have been keen to give this a go.

When my little girls got the chicken pox ,i would blend oats and fill a pair of old tights.Knot the end and place in very hot water in the bath .Allow to soak for 5-10 mins before cooling with cold water to desired temperature.

Then let them soak and play in the tub until they wanted to get out this helped sooth their skin

Having recently had shingles, ( same virus) a Chickenpox vaccine is perhaps the best way to go as a precaution. ( ask your doctor)
I never expected shingles to be so absolutely agonising.. for shingles loose light cotton clothing, extremely light bedding and cool packs helped.
Anti histamine cream on the blisters didn’t do much. Chicken pox is miserable but shingles are savage.

Get the chicken pox vaccine. Done. Safe, cheap vaccine has been around since the 90s. Most developed countries have been vaccinating for years.

My twins had horrific chicken pox, both ended up needing antibiotics and they were so poorly.

Things that helped were

• Oats baths and baths with head and shoulders in it
• Antihistamines - piriton wasn’t strong enough but we got Phenergan instead and it really helped
• scratch sleeves

I really don’t ever want to have to go through anything like that month again!

And yes, I wish I’d had them vaccinated. I don’t know anyone who’d paid for it and every child I know who’d had it had it quite mildly. I had it as a child and it wasn’t so bad - I honestly had no idea how bad it could be.

I used to put a fan in their room to cool them down. It eased the itching a little. My daughter has a couple scars from chicken pox but it doesn’t seem to bother her yet, maybe when she’s a teenager it will.

Reading through the replies here I was never aware of a vaccine! I wasn’t told by doctors or health visitors.

Three kids and about 7 cases of chicken pox (I wasn't aware you could have it multiple times - until my lot did!)!

The best thing for calming and drying out that we found was a couple of tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda in a tepid bath - not too hot or too cold!

Cool loose garments to allay the itching.

I also put calamine lotion into a spray bottle - so as to cover the spots carefully without damaging the scabs.

My daughter was a nightmare scratching, especially at night in her sleep - so i put socks over her hands!

Best of luck!!

Distraction when your child starts itching rather than drawing attention to it, plenty of fluids and rest and if the child allows a lotion that's cool, keep in fridge before applying and of course lots of TLC!

Distraction when your child starts itching rather than drawing attention to it, plenty of fluids and rest and if the child allows a lotion that's cool, keep in fridge before applying and of course lots of TLC!

Cool water sprays helped a lot

Getting them vaccinated!!!

Calamine lotion, cut nails short plenty of fluids and make plans for when they are feeling better.

The first thing I bought was calamine lotion but friends were adamant that we're not meant to use it anymore! I still used it anyway because it helped me when I was small. I gave my little boy Calpol when he was really uncomfortable and bathed him more often.

I put oats in a old sock and put under the bath tap it really helped take the itch away

As it stands at the moment a child is more likely to die from chicken pox than coronavirus. I just don’t get why you wouldn’t vaccinate your child from it. It’s cheap, readily available and proven to be safe.

Antihistamine!