Chicken pox

**gemhei** · 24-10-2008, 09:21 AM

Had a parent call me this morning at 6am to tell me mindee woke up with strange spots this morning and she thinks it may be chicken pox. She asked if she could still bring her in

i advised she must stay at home until the spots are dry to which she replies 'well it says here on your sickness information its contagious for 14 before spots come out so surely theyll all have it'

smart

. I advised not always so she must stay home. She was also hacked off cos i said she still had to pay me for her place lol. But it got me thinking she may have a point, what if they are all carrying the virus? DD hasnt had chicken pox and i had a visit from a new child yesterday!

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 24-10-2008, 09:39 AM

If it is the two children and you want yours to catch it (I am told the younger the better) then why not let them mix. You will need time off unpaid if your DD gets it anyway.

I would ring the new mum you saw just to warn her to be on the look out for the next 2 weeks.

**gemhei** · 24-10-2008, 11:19 AM

Yer i dont mind DD catching it just not a good time right now lol, we moving house next week, i got a new business im working on and i dont really want time unpaid off. I know it sounds awful. Thing is when DS had chicken pox he was really ill to the point where we had to give him medicine to knock him out cos he didnt sleep 3 days solid. After xmas ill let her mix with anyone but right now is a bit inconvienient. I sound like a right cow cos i kno its best for her to get it when shes young but im so busy

.

**DudleyChildmind** · 24-10-2008, 11:24 AM

I've never had chicken pox and when my two children had it (many years ago) my husband caught it too. He was so ill one night I just put a chair the side of the bed and sat up all night and watched him because I really thought he wouldn't make it through the night

**tinkerbelle** · 24-10-2008, 11:49 AM

i would never take a child with chicken pox ive witnessed first hand the other illness this can cause my 11 month old neice got meningicocal septicimea from her step sister having chicken pox the virus sits in your throat and cause meningitis in some children she spent 11 days in sheffield childrens hospital 3 days on icu all because my step neices mum setn her to my sisiters with chicken pox its not worth the risk

**cloud9** · 24-10-2008, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by tinkerbelle

i would never take a child with chicken pox ive witnessed first hand the other illness this can cause my 11 month old neice got meningicocal septicimea from her step sister having chicken pox the virus sits in your throat and cause meningitis in some children she spent 11 days in sheffield childrens hospital 3 days on icu all because my step neices mum setn her to my sisiters with chicken pox its not worth the risk

I agree you should never allow a mindeee to come or continue to mind whilst your children have it, regardless of whether the parents ok it. Im sure the parents wont be so understanding if their child ends up with a simple case of chicken pox leading to something alot more serious.

**madasahatter** · 24-10-2008, 05:31 PM

When new parents start I always ask them their thoughts on chicken pox and record it on their agreement to my sickness policy. When a child comes down with it I immediately inform the other parents and ask if they are bothered about it. If they are then the child is excluded until the spots dry up. If the parents are not bothered then I allow the child to come as long as they are not poorly. I had one 3 yr old who was off school 3 weeks ago (she only had a smattering of spots) and I only excluded her on the day I had a baby for a full day settling visit (her mum was fine with that and the baby's mum said I should have had her as she wasn't fussed if the little one caught it).
If they do come with chickenpox we don't go to toddlers etc. So far none of the other little ones have shown signs of getting it.
My DS caught it when he was 2, my niece's spots came out a week later and then my other mindee at the time a further week later. By the end I was glad to be able to go out and about again. My DS then got shingles a few years later (aged 6), I couldn't believe it when the doctor told me what the weeping spots around his groin were. However he did say that shingles in chidren is far more common than you think and is far far less severe than for adults, usually with no pain (DS was pleased as he got a week off school whilst still 'healthy'!)

**Hebs** · 24-10-2008, 06:50 PM

I had shingles when i was 13 (and still have the spots on my back) and i felt fine but had to spend 3 weeks off school.

Kids are going to catch chickenpox eventually, it's best to catch them young and if a mindee comes down with it then unfortunatly the other mindees/children in the setting have been exposed to the virus as it's contagious for up to 14 days BEFORE the spots come out.

the usual warning sign is a child complaining of a headache (and NO other symptoms ie runny nose, cold) 3/4 days before the spots come up

My kids have had it, son has had it twice

**LisaH** · 24-10-2008, 07:00 PM

I am all for allowing little ones to come into contact with chicken pox as long as parents are ok with it!!

I caught it from my own children in my 20's and it made me very poorly. I do realise that it can become more serious in some children but have not come across this myself, and hope I never do!!