Chicken Pox

[Vickster]

Just a scenario question. My 22 month old daughter has yet to have chicken pox. What would you do if she got it? Close or give the parents the option of sending their children.

[lma]

I hink I'd probably close as I like to use the same rules I give my parents when it comes to sick children and I would also like to be able to care for my daughter whilst shes sick without having to worry about taking care of the mindees.
This does mean I have to take unpaid days but think I'd rather do that to be able to give her my full attention.

However I do know of childminders who have given their parents the option of bringing their children whilst their own child was there with chicken pox. However if the mindees do get it how can you say keep them away???

I think its all down to personal opinion and what suits you best. Some are unable to lose the money and feel they need to work??

[PixiePetal]

I would close - your child may be more needy than usual.

If mindees catch it you could be out of circulation for a few weeks! my son got it and 2 weeks later daughter came out with it then 2 weeks later their best friend so we just socialised at each others houses

[Hebs]

I dont close but i do ask parents if they mind a mindee coming with chickenpox as long as ALL parents are ok with it and child with chickenpox is well enough in themselves then they can come

[PixiePetal]

I am probably extra careful as I never had it either and don't fancy it now!!

[Heaven Scent]

I recently had an outbreak - most of my younger ones hadn't had it, now all but 1 or 2 have - I discovered the spots on LO and asked the other parents if theirs had had it as they hadn't I had to tell mum to keep her away but it was too late she had infected two of the others well actually one of them probably got infected at the same time as he came out in spots two days after the first LO - the older one came out in them 2 weeks later - I'm not sure if another one caught it as I didn't ring mum to find out as I told her I was keeping my phone off for the two weeks I'm off after my op so that she wouldn't keep contacting me about one thing or another on daily basis. I'll find out on Wednesday if she's had it or not!!!

I would have had a child if the other children had had it but not when they haven't - One mum was surprisingly funny about me having her because I remember her thinking that her LO had it when he was a baby and I'd asked the other parents then if they minded me having him and they were all happy for me to do so on that occasion - it was her LO who came down with it 2 days after the first case - she is a workaholic though!!!

[Rubybubbles]

I would close, as I don't take children with chicken pox, so to me pot/black

Saying that I have had 8 children come and go over the years with chicken pox, and my own children now 9 and 6 still haven't had it!!!! I think they must be carriers

[Hebs]

my son has had it 3 times

[birch24]

I dont close but i do ask parents if they mind a mindee coming with chickenpox as long as ALL parents are ok with it and child with chickenpox is well enough in themselves then they can come

Same thats what I did recently, contacted all the parents to find out how they felt, mind you they had all been in contact with the child up untill the spots came out, so you do think there's not much point in closing as they will probably all catch it anyway.

[Vickster]

Mmmm a mixed response. Thanks for taking the time to answer

[alwaysright]

i would close if my own child got it and wouldnt accept a child who had it even if the other children had already been in contact. over the years we've had a few outbreaks and my own daughter and another lo didnt get it but if i'd exposed them more by letting the children come with chicken pox then they may well have caught it. also worth considering is wether or not you've had it yourself! i got chickpox when i was 27 and was very ill with it for about three weeks.

[Vickster]

I have had it but on relection I think I would close as my daughter is not a good patient, my son on the other hand was fine with it.

[Blaze]

I am probably extra careful as I never had it either and don't fancy it now!!

I had chickenpox as an adult (caught it from my DD who was 5 & my DS who was 6 weeks at the time... & it hospitalised me - the most ill I have ever felt in my life (that I remember)! I had spots EVERYWHERE (internally & externally) - what was scary was that I was fine one minute then blacking out the next (at that point I had one spot on my thigh, that I thought was a bite)!... I am now waiting for my youngest DD (2 years) to get it (Eurax lotion is THE BEST for itching). If/ when she gets it, it will depend on her - if she is herself & mindees parents are happy to still send then I will remain open, if she is not well with it then I will close.

HTH

[dolly daycare]

My own ds had chicken pox 2 weeks ago. Some parents wanted their little ones to come, so they could catch it and others didn't want to send their little ones.

I decided to send my ds to his grandparents the days I had mindees coming, that way I could stay open and everyone would be happy and I knew that my ds was having a great time and being spoilt rotten!

I had a call last night from a set of parents to say that their lo has come out in spots....think I will be getting a few more calls over the next couple of days!

[grindal]

I closed two days before the easter holidays when my son woke up with chicken pox. It is contagious upto 2 weeks before the spots show up - so even if you close when your own child is spotty it can still be passed on! I was glad I made the decision to close as it enabled me to have the time to devote to DS1 being unwell/spotty! I would not have been able to do this with mindees around.
I think in my policies I ask parents to keep children with chicken pox away until spots have scabbed over - which is about 5 days.