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

[JustineBMumsnet]

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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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Doing activities as a distraction like colouring etc and the Toy Story films on loop.

Calpol, oat baths and calamine cream.

When my eldest came out with chicken pox I knew come a fortnight later her younger sister would too. Camomile lotion, calpol when needed, soothing baths, comfortable loose clothing and lots of hugs and kisses all helped.

@JustineBMumsnet when will you be choosing a winner please :)

Cool oat baths and lots of distraction!

My DS picked chicken pox up on his settling in days at nursery before I returned to work - thereby delaying my return to work! Didn't go down well...

Anyway, I went old school and used lots of calamine lotion and piriton. Cool baths and luckily being summer it meant I could keep him in minimal clothing, to stop any material rubbing and making the spots itch more.

My husband then came down with them. He was a far worse patient than the baby!

Same tactics/remedies taken with my DD. She was a little older and absolutely hated the look of herself covered in spots. She used to sit in front of the mirror looking at herself, crying...

Lots of cool baths to soothe the itching also drinking lots of water.
I spent a lot of time just sitting when them to reassure them everything was ok too.

Thanks all for your comments! The winner of the prize draw is @MonetManet

Thank you so much, I’m really surprised and pleased to win!

We actually did use that mousse and it was incredible. Our first child we used calomine and it was a bit of a battle, but that was a game changer. I recommend it to everyone who's little one gets the pox.
As for while our kids had it.. we used paracetamol and antihistamine, and we made ice lollies with squash so they had something cool to suck- and take their mind off the itching. We were lucky in that they looked dreadful with it, but it was over quite swiftly..

I used calamine lotion but it didn't really do much and it made a terrible mess. I remember my dd caught it just before the summer holidays and it was so hot, making the itching worse. A parent at the school recommended to me a soothing gel which was especially for chicken pox. It worked really well and helped a lot. I'm sure it helped speed up the healing process too!

I found that Calamine lotion dried the spots out and made them more itchy. My GP recommended using almond oil. Natural and calming and perfect for reducing itchiness. No scratches - no scarring!

Definitely aqueous cream, it had the most effect

Just vaccinate. It's so cheap from Boots and saves the pain of having it. I still remember having it as a child and it was horrible (not even any complications or anything).

Regular oat baths along with regular applications of calamine lotion can really give children some respite from chicken pox. Also I make some hearty chicken soup.

Bicarb in the bath and calamine lotion worked best. Cold flannels in bed too.

Lots of rest and snuggles with Mummy is the best cure. We used Virasoothe and cool baths too but that's what DS wanted most, just to lie on me and cuddle.

Cool oat baths and calamine lotion. Keeping cool seems.to really help with the itching.

I had my 2 vaccinated, although it's rare there can be complications with chicken pox (I have a friend who is half deaf due to it) and at least it's uncomfortable and unpleasant. The cost was probably the same as having to take time off work to look after them too.

I am not joking, this stuff saved my life. My second daughter got chicken pox and someone recommended this mouse. It was AMAZING. We gave her piriton regularly, and calpol for the first couple of days when she had a temp, but any time she got a bit itchy, we smoothed this mousse on her, and it was incredible. She literally didn't seem itchy! In comparison with my first daughter (where we used calamine) the difference was seriously astounding. I have suggested everyone I have since known with a kid with the 'pox gets it. Miracle.

We used to use calamine lotion on chicken pox blisters and other stings and bites. But now we use porridge oats and lavender from our garden in a pair of tied tights in the bath, followed by Poxclin to soothe the skin.
Poxclin is great. It works in seconds, and you only need the tiniest amount, so one bottle goes a long way

When my DS was ill he had decided he wouldn't take calpol (no idea why) although he needed it to bring down his temp. DH made up some ribena laced wtih calpol and froze it into an ice lolly. That went down without complaint.

I bought a big soft doll from jellycat and a pocket of little red stickers and stuck them all over the doll so my daughter didn't feel alone with her chickenpox.

Paracetamol and an anti itch cream. We were lucky and it was quite a mild case.

I use antihistamine and calamine