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

[_jellybean_]

Could you maybe start having one on one playtime with him and a little friend? Maybe you could meet another mommy who wants to do play dates? I only say this b/c even though our church has a rule that you're not allowed to bring sick lo's my son ALWAYS gets sick after he goes. I agree about lo's getting their immune system built up, but your case is totally different. I'd personally stay away from large groups of toddlers if my son had CF, but I'm a worrier.

 

[Natasha2605]

Yep. If I didn't there would be many weeks that I just wouldn't get anywhere. I feel like my girls have had runny noses all through winter but I still take them out. It's only a cold. However, with your son having CF I can completely see why you are hesitant. Are you a member of netmums? Can you post on the noticeboard or meet a mum board for any other parents who also have the same kind of issue as you? Maybe set up a group for low immunity children. It's a shame your little boy has to miss out if there's not something available to him

 

[Dragonfly]

No I would keep them home so they wouldnt spread it, they maybe fine but another child may not be if they catch that. I even keep away from people when I am ill to and so do my family. Both mine had the sniffles once, good immune systems anyway. I know I caught everything going so someone's flu would probably get nasty on my lungs.

 

[hel_5]

One of my sisters friends has cf, I've seen what a cold does to her I think there will probably always be a kid with a cold at a playgroup! Do you know anyone you could do play dates with, we never ever went round if one of us had a cold.

I don't think you ever stop worrying, I know her mum still does and she's 26!! xx

 

[jensha]

No!!! I don't think it's nice to spread around germs. I'm one of those who puts hand sanitizer on my LO's hand after he's done playing. Also, to be honest (I might shock some people here), I hate snotty kids. I don't understand why their moms don't wipe their nose and let them run around like that. Adults don't walk around with snots coming out of their nose, so why would we let our kids like that? I don't believe preventing my kid to be around snot is the same as preventing his immune system to be built up.

 

[JoolsH]

Is there a group with less children in it- i go to 2 groups. One has about 25 children the other only about 7? Maybe wait until the weather improves - less bugs around. Could health visitor recommend somewhere where hygiene( ie toys are cleaned more often etc) is more scrupulous?

 

[kmumtobe]

It's rare my son gets a cold (like me) but when he does he's usually rough for the first two days, lethargic, streaming nose etc you can tell he's unwell. I wouldn't dream of spreading his germs when he's like that nor taking him somewhere he wasnt well enough to be.. Then he comes back to his usual self and is left with a bit of a clear runny nose.. Then id take him cos tbh some kids permanently have runny noses, can't not go anywhere for weeks on end, or if he was at nursery he'd be fine to go etc. I don't ever let him be with a runny nose though and I find it disgusting when kids are left to eat their snot and have it smeared all over their faces and consequently the toy that my son then wants to play with!

 

[bubbles123]

Parent and toddler groups are a den of illness. So, I fully expect them to get ill after going and they usually do! In terms of taking them, if it's just a cold I take them, if it's a bad cough or my son is wheezy (he's asthmatic) then I don't. It also depends if I know that there will be a lot of really young babies there. There was a stage when there were lots of babies at my group so I was more careful then. If it's just toddlers I will take them with a cold as all of the other toddlers will be ill anyway.

 

[emera35]

I tend not to take my two if they have full on streaming colds, but a little sniffle, yes i take them. I wash their hands before snack time and when we leave i use sanitiser on all of us. There is always toddlers there with dreadful hacking coughs and green snot streaming, which always slightly erks me. I try not to over-sanitise our environment, i let them pick stuff up off the floor, and i'm pretty relaxed in general, their immune systems are normal, but i do get tired of them picking illnesses up every other week from their group so i'm a bit militant about hygiene after groups. Also i get tired of catching the bugs off them! In the last month we've all had a sick bug, a nasty flu type virus, and now hand, foot and mouth, and i'm certain they've caught all of those from playgroup! Its one thing them building their immune systems through exposure to illnesses, and a whole other thing when i'm either hauling myself to work feeling awful, or taking yet more time off sick!

In your situation, where exposure to illness has more serious consequences, i'd think that the open play groups might not be a great environment as far as maintaining hygiene goes. However, have you considered a more structured group, like a story and song group, or a craft group where the environment is a little calmer, and you have more control over things? It might be more suitable? Then keep open play for one on one play dates, where you can make sure the children he's interacting with are fit and well? Just a though.

 

[bumpy_j]

A runny nose yeah, he nearly always has a runny nose at the moment though. Anything more and probably not as apart from other kids catching it I'd be a) worried that I'd aggravate his cold/bug and b) I know he's not really himself when he's ill and will just be an enormous set of tantrums waiting to happen.

 

[Baby France]

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.

Same!

 

[moomoo]

No joke, my DS once had a snotty nose for about 3 months after a cold!! If I kept him off for every little thing we'd never do anything... We do however stay away if they have a streaming cold or sickness.

 

[smokey]

I dont take him if he has a cold but he very rarely has one and hes a typical male that on the rare time he does have a cild all he wants to do is snuggle under a blanket watching cartoons rather then go out.
There are some playgroups I stay away from now after finding out that tbey dont bother cleaning their equipment and toys and tbh those places normaly did have kids running around with snot everywher, coughing over each other and eye infections and there wherw always kids with chicken pots everywhere, but it was generaly a rather dirty, grotty place.
I did freak a little when one kid whose face was covered in snot ran up to lo and whiped his hand over his nose then shoved his hans in los mouth (while stealing his busciut)
While im not one for washing his hands every five minutes I do admit to stearing him away from ill children but thats mostlt because I had to rush a 3 year old nephew to hospital with menangitus and had him die in my arms, thankfully he was resusatated bur had to be resusatated a furth 4 times in 2 days and spent months in hospital learning to walk again.
Sadly the little girl that came in the same time as him with it didnt make it so if always been a bit weary of sick children.

 

[RileysMummy]

If she seems okay and is just slightly snotty or with a cold then yes but Millicent isn't poorly often so we're generally okay. I don't mind seeing other cares with a lil runny nose, like one of the girls said it's when it's running all down their face and the parents don't clean it up that I'm like urgh!! x

 

[Sproglet]

Just to warn you all, most sanitisers don't work against viruses (colds, flu, most tummy bugs). The best thing for viruses is proper hand washing.

 

[tokyo_c]

If it's the first couple of days and she's still in that sneezing streams of snot everywhere stage then we stay home, especially if it's something in an enclosed space or where there's toys that the kids will be sharing. I think kids catching colds is inevitable but I don't want to be the one to pass them on, as you never know how badly other people will be affected.

 

[sequeena]

And now Thomas has a cold. Oh man I should have seen that one coming!

 

[londonangel]

I think it would depend on the severity of the cold or cough. If it was just a minor bug that didn't really bother her then yes, I'd take her, as to be honest kiddies need a bit of exposure as otherwise they don't build up any immunity. I'd use the same rule as the nursery - they can come in with coughs and colds and so on but they're not allowed to attend for 48 hours after sickness or diarrhoea. Obviously taking a little one who has a tummy bug is a no no but realistically, little ones do catch coughs and colds and there isn't a great deal one can do about it.

 

[GypsyDancer]

Could you maybe start having one on one playtime with him and a little friend? Maybe you could meet another mommy who wants to do play dates?

I dont really have any friends I am on netmums though, ive spoken to a few mums on there but nothing ever seems to come of it..i feel like having to tell someone that my son cant play with their children if they have a cold is just hassle to them..who would want their lo's to bother having a friend like that? Thats not how i feel about my boy of course..but i feel thats how other mums might feel iykwim?
I did meet up with a girl i went to school with from netmums but her babies only 5 months so not really someone my toddler can play with..

One of my sisters friends has cf, I've seen what a cold does to her I think there will probably always be a kid with a cold at a playgroup! Do you know anyone you could do play dates with, we never ever went round if one of us had a cold.

I don't think you ever stop worrying, I know her mum still does and she's 26!! xx

Thankyou! Its nice to know im not over reacting about the situation Family members are banned from ours if they have a cold ect..its ruined christmas day twice unfortunately but rather safe than sorry i guess..!

Is there a group with less children in it- i go to 2 groups. One has about 25 children the other only about 7? Maybe wait until the weather improves - less bugs around. Could health visitor recommend somewhere where hygiene( ie toys are cleaned more often etc) is more scrupulous?

Ive moved recently..in november..and im STILL waiting for my hv to come round..i keep asking for her but nothing yet..i just want to get out and get my toddler out..i feel so bad for him and im pretty lonely myself
I will deffinately be asking about appropriate groups as soon as she comes round though!

In your situation, where exposure to illness has more serious consequences, i'd think that the open play groups might not be a great environment as far as maintaining hygiene goes. However, have you considered a more structured group, like a story and song group, or a craft group where the environment is a little calmer, and you have more control over things? It might be more suitable? Then keep open play for one on one play dates, where you can make sure the children he's interacting with are fit and well? Just a though.

I think the craft group is a good idea! He's not keen on singing..(they started doing this at the group the other day and he stood glaring at me as he didnt want to join in haha) But he loves art and crafting so would probably enjoy something like that..just finding one..maybe i could go along before hand and explain to the staff ect..

 

[louandivy]

I agree with the structured class idea - maybe a dance or gymnastics class? Somewhere where filthy toys aren't being shared!