Do you take your toddlers to play groups with colds ect?

[GypsyDancer]

Yesterday i plucked up the courage and took my 2 1/2 year old little boy to a playgroup for the first time!

It was a really big step for me and i honestly felt sick before going in..

As soon as i walked in its like my ears opened up to the sound of children coughing..its all i could hear!

I also saw a little girl running around with a really snotty nose..and another girl coughing everywhere..i could not relax at all!

Im really glad i made myself go and i feel so guilty thay my toddlers missed out on this all his life..he looked so uncomfortable but i dont know if i'll take him back again..

What i really want to know is..do you take your toddlers to playgroups while they have coughs and colds ect? Because it seemed like a few children did, but i was trying to tell myself a parent wouldnt take them if they had one..?
Also would you be offended if you saw a mum putting hand sanitizer on her lo's hands every so often??

If the majority answer is yes i dont think ill take him back again..i:/

 

[Rachel_C]

If it's just a sniffle or a bit of a cough, yes, because if I didn't we'd never go out! I suppose I apply the same rules somewhere like nursery would apply - if they could go to nursery, they can go to groups as long as they feel ok.

I wouldn't be offended if I saw somebody using hand sanitiser but, honestly, I would feel sorry for the kid having their mother fussing over them while they're trying to play.

It's a normal part of childhood to pick up coughs and colds and, in fact, if children don't pick up these things it can mean they end up unhealthier later on because they've never built up their immune system. I don't think you'd be doing your LO any favours to keep him away from normal little bugs like colds.

 

[sapphire1]

I don't take Holly if she has a proper cough or cold. Apart from it being minging, I don't want to run round armed with tissues the whole time. I do take her if she has a slight runny nose though. The thing is, that if you keep them away from stuff it doesn't help with their immunity. Holly caught a cold almost every week when we first started going to playgroups, but it didn't take long for her immune system to build, and she only gets them occasionally now. Seeing another parent using hand sanitiser wouldn't bother me at all. But I am a big believer in exposing them to germs and stuff, and yes, I do let Holly eat stuff off the floor

ETA, does your son have cystic fibrosis? In that case I can undertsand you wanting to be cautious.

 

[shelx]

If hes well enough to go i take him. We were there the other day and there was a woman literally syringing antibiotics into her grandsons mouth inside the play area

 

[GypsyDancer]

I understand what your both saying about the immunities ect and would agree that with a healthy normal toddler that would be my attitude aswell.. and my toddler does occassionally catch things but as he has cystic fibrosis..one of the first things we were told when he was diagnosed was that if somebody has a cold or cough..theyre not to come round..so we apply the same to groups ect..

Last week he grew a bug in his lungs that was caused by a common cold virus..its just by chance that he luckily was swabbed just as hed grown it and managed to get rid of it before it had much of an effect on him..

But i have a massive fear of him catching coughs ect from other children :/

 

[louandivy]

Not if she is really ill but if she has a runny nose or cough we still do. I totally understand why you are nervous if your son has CF though - and I would never judge a mum for using hand sanitizer! I tend to take ivy to wash her hands before she eats or anything.

 

[louandivy]

Maybe there are some groups for children with weaker immune systems? If not, there really should be - you could even set one up yourself!

 

[RedRose]

I don't take her if she's got a cold, but that's cos she is really prone to croup when she gets a cold virus, which means steroids and inhaler etc. I would hate to pass it on to another kid who also gets croup! Especially if a baby were to catch it.

I definitely don't agree that it's good for toddlers to catch colds because it builds immunity. Not in our experience anyway.

Having said that, Lily has had a cough for nearly 11 weeks now, since before Bea was born. It's really likely to be allergy related as she has allergies, and not viral, and I feel really embarrassed if she has a coughing fit near other kids! I feel compelled to explain to every single person we meet that she's not contagious

 

[XJessicaX]

My daughter like myself has a very robust immune system. I don't bat an eyelid if I see other snotty coughing children at play group at all, she's been in nursery twice a day since 10 months old and we do loads of activities and groups. I guess if she was continually getting ill I would be more concerned but as it is she never catches anything.

 

[My_First]

Same a Jessica here. I do remember someone telling me once that from the age of about 6 months to five, expect them to almost constantly have a runny nose. I will take Leo anywhere, if he has a cold etc. I mean I do, so why shouldn't Leo. If I have a cold I don't stop in and not see anyone.

 

[sweetlullaby]

Slight runny nose or slight cough yes if he's barking constantly with his nose on a constant stream then nope it's not fair on him or anyone else for that matter. Hand sanitizer I wouldn't judge anyone using it or take offense or anything. I always carry antibaterial wipes and wipe the table before eating lunch etc if we're out. Handlabelled bottles of spray with the label rubbed off (can't tell what the spray actually is for) and a grubby cloth wiping over every table *shudder* but that's a personal thing for me lol

 

[CaptainMummy]

I do if she is feeling fine. Basically every single day she either has a little tickly cough or a runny nose (sometimes both!) but she is never ill with it. She still feels fine so why shouldnt I take her?

At toddlers on wednesday I think almost all of the toddlers had runnt noses! That happens quite alot! Poor Paige has my terrible immune system I think (I catch eveything!) and her daddy never catches a thing!

The only thing that annoys me is when there are toddlers running about and their snot is right down at their mouths and the parent isnt wiping it! I just want to take a tissue and do it myself... Although Im not sure if that would be a good idea =D

 

[hattiehippo]

I take Tom with a just a cold - if he's not well in himself or is running a temp then not but runny nose and cough then yes. At the mo I've got a streaming cold myself and don't have the option of staying off work for ages for just a cold plus I still have to go to the supermarket etc.

I can understand why you're worried and def wouldn't look strangely at someone using anti-bac wipes etc or moving their child away from mine if he was coughing. Maybe a badge for him with something like 'I've got low immunity' so you don't have to constantly explain and also other parents might move their snotty child away?

It's def worth thinking about how to manage your son being in contact with lots of other children if he will be going into school in a couple of years time - Infant classrooms are full of small children with bugs. When I first started teaching, I went down with every single cold, cough and sickness bug going.

 

[robinator]

I don't take her for the first few days of a cold, but I know when I have a cold, I sound the worst at the end (even though that's when I feel the best). So even when she finally does sound like she's hacking up a lung, the cold is on it's last legs, her energy is high and she's not going to get anyone else sick.

It really depends on her energy level, tbh.

 

[Broodypants]

If she has a sniffle and is ok in herself then yes I still take her out to places, it's hard to avoid common colds and in most cases it does help to build their immune systems. However your case is a bit different and I don't blame you for avoiding germs and viruses as much as possible. What will you do when he reaches school age? It will be much harder to avoid them then.

 

[sequeena]

My son catches everything. I honestly think his blood infection at 2 weeks old has affected his immune system. So no I wouldn't go. We went yesterday and didn't see unwell children but the time before that I came away with a throat and ear infection and my son was unwell too.

 

[Rhio92]

Connor has a few ENT problems, so he often looks ill when he isn't, his nose is always running and his eyes look red a lot. I've had comments before. If he had a proper cold I wouldn't xx

 

[sun]

Most people here will bring their LO with a cough or runny nose - my son's cough can last a month after his cold is gone, so we would be out of preschool all year! But if they are feeling poorly and aren't themselves or have a fever, then no way. IME a cough or runny nose doesn't mean they are actively sick - they can linger a long time. Anything else they should be at home though.

 

[sparkle_1979]

If my girls have runny nose and cough but feel fine then yes, as others say one of them usually has something

 

[GypsyDancer]

But I am a big believer in exposing them to germs and stuff, and yes, I do let Holly eat stuff off the floor

ETA, does your son have cystic fibrosis? In that case I can undertsand you wanting to be cautious.

Im so much more relaxed with my 7 month old, he's always picking bits of food up off the floor and putting things in his mouth and i never worry ..as he doesnt have cf im like "ah hes fine he can handle it!", and yes my toddler does have cf which is why i find this subject so difficult..but as i now have a baby without cf, i can see it from everyone elses point of view that they catch coughs and colds ect..

Maybe there are some groups for children with weaker immune systems? If not, there really should be - you could even set one up yourself!

This is a lovely idea, however he doesnt really have a weakened immune system as such..its more just if he were to catch a bad cold or cough..then he may not be able to get rid of it and it could turn into an infection..which is what happened recently..he'd had a cold and it spread to his lungs..in some ways i think he's better off with normal kids as children with low immunity would probably be more likely to have something to pass on!
Its ashame that children with cf can't mix either

I don't take her if she's got a cold, but that's cos she is really prone to croup when she gets a cold virus, which means steroids and inhaler etc. I would hate to pass it on to another kid who also gets croup! Especially if a baby were to catch it.

I definitely don't agree that it's good for toddlers to catch colds because it builds immunity. Not in our experience anyway.

Its the same for my little boy, he's on antibiotics daily, but when he catches something we have to step it up and give him more..im not entirely convinced by the "they have to build their immunity" argument either in our case..however i will most likely have that approach for my younger lo..

I can understand why you're worried and def wouldn't look strangely at someone using anti-bac wipes etc or moving their child away from mine if he was coughing. Maybe a badge for him with something like 'I've got low immunity' so you don't have to constantly explain and also other parents might move their snotty child away?

It's def worth thinking about how to manage your son being in contact with lots of other children if he will be going into school in a couple of years time - Infant classrooms are full of small children with bugs. When I first started teaching, I went down with every single cold, cough and sickness bug going.

I always feel so bad when were out and somebody near him is coughing or looks like they have a cold, and i have to call him away. I feel so rude because theyre probably thinking, god what a snobby mum! haha.
I like the idea of a badge but dont want to single him out, although i know realistically i already am
Its deffinately an issue i need to come to terms with now though i agree..
Ive been able to get away with it until now, but now he's getting older and starting to socialise and be independant its so difficult to let go of my fears..

If she has a sniffle and is ok in herself then yes I still take her out to places, it's hard to avoid common colds and in most cases it does help to build their immune systems. However your case is a bit different and I don't blame you for avoiding germs and viruses as much as possible. What will you do when he reaches school age? It will be much harder to avoid them then.

In all honesty i have no idea what im going to do about school! Im hoping by then i'll have relaxed a little and i'll be able to explain to him how to deal with things like making sure he washes his hands..if anyone has a cold try not to get too close where possible..things like that, of course the teachers will be made aware and will have to learn certain aspects of his care before he goes but im sure they wont be able to keep an eye on him constantly..but yeh im dreading it!


Thankyou for all your replies though everybody, I appreciate that little kids are always going to catch things and i dont look at poorly children with disgust or anything haha..i think i may give the group another go but take lots of antibacterial handgel with me! Or maybe try and find a slightly smaller group as the one i went to was quite big, lots of mad children running around without their parents ect x