How often is your LO off ill?

[Teri7489]

Since Isabella started nursery she's had a few days off ill and a few with her brother being ill in hospital so she couldn't go. She will be off again tomorrow as she's now got an ear infection *I think* so we are up with her screaming the house down. Does that reflect poorly on us or are lots of children the same? One of the bouts she was off a full week as she struggled with a bug so kept being sick and another was sinusitis so was really uncomfortable. I never know what to do or say in this situations, always worry x

 

[krissie328]

When my son first started he was out every few weeks for one thing or another. Last year (his second year) he moved classes and was out with pink eye a ton. This year he has only missed one day because he had a fever. Overall, I think its typical and expected to miss days to illness.

 

[CRWx]

I work in a nursery and it’s soooo common! There’s always children off for one thing or another, definitely doesn’t reflect badly to us unless it’s under suspicious circumstances etc xxx

 

[ClairAye]

My daughter was off for the last week with a bad cold (one that was giving her a temp and making her feel unwell) and then there was two weeks holidays and the day before she was meant to go back she had a UTI. I think it's common, especially in nurseries with all of the germs going about around them.

 

[MindUtopia]

Mine was sick with a cold loads the first couple years of nursery, but she was rarely off sick. In fact, I can only really remember three times I actually kept her home (between 9 months and 4.5 years). The first she had bronchilitis and was in hospital for a day for observation, the second was a vomiting bug and the third was chicken pox. Otherwise, unless she had a fever or d&v or something else serious (like chicken pox), she always went in if it was just a cold, even if she was pretty miserable. I couldn't have taken off work that much, so really no other options. I think there is no harm in being over-cautious though. I suspect you pay for those days anyway, so surely it won't make much difference on their end as long as you call in first thing.

 

[lau86]

Rarely to be honest, but I might just be lucky. E.g. My oldest son is 6 and in his first year of school only had two half days off sick. I can only remember ds2 having one stomach bug in his two yrs at nursery

 

[Koifish]

Mine have been out enough that I almost got fired for the amount of times I ve had to call out for them. It’s normal especially if there in nursery/daycare.

 

[george83]

When ds1 started preschool he was constantly off ill and he was always ill at the end of term, I’m assuming he was so tired and run down he didn’t have the energy to fight anything off. Since he’s started school he’s been better but I find if he’s ill he’s really ill and it’s not just one or two days off but more like the whole week. Ds2 is better though so maybe he’s picked up the germs from ds1 and is more resilient

 

[jessmke]

My DD gets the normal amounts of colds every winter, but has never been sick otherwise (yet!). My best friend's daughter gets stomach bugs a lot a and has been off sick from preschool a lot as a result. It's all normal and definitely doesn't reflect badly on you!

 

[kirstybumx3]

Rio was out a lot in nursery. They’d call me a lot to collect him too with a stuffy nose or something minor.
He hasn’t had a day off school yet and I want to try and avoid that if possible. He’s gone today with a sore throat, he was awake a lot last night because of it but I’ve told his teacher and they can make the call if they think he isn’t well enough. He seems ok in himself and I don’t want it to be detrimental to his education if it needn’t be. X

 

[Rags]

Remember too that nursery isn't compulsory anyway so there's no worry about reflecting badly on you as she is there at your choice.

 

[babyjan]

When my son started nursery he was always off with sickness! I sometimes didn’t know what to say when calling in to explain why he wouldn’t be coming in. Same thing with reception in the beginning. The first month he caught HFMD then virus after virus. It does get better though x

 

[LoraLoo]

Alice prob has the lowest attendance of mine because if her siblings are off i keep her off. Shes not at compulsory age so doesnt have to go at all so i dont feel bad.
However... my others are currently at around 90% because we missed the first days back due to a family hol, then they had a sickness bug, then bloody headlice... Hopefully itll improve as the year goes on but honestly i dont worry about it too much as we do lots at home and apart from the hol its been unavoidable.

 

[Bonnie11]

My daughter was off every other week when she first started! She picked up every bug going, so common in the first year and they will soon build up some immunity x

 

[Teri7489]

Glad she's not the only one, I mean that in the nicest way possible ��. Not nice your lo's are/were ill too. She just can't seem to get herself back to normal. Hopefully it will end soon and her brother will be building some form of immune system at the same time

 

[Bevziibubble]

My daughter had a lot of time off nursery when she was there. At one point it was one thing after another! Her school attendance has been very good though so maybe her immune system improved a lot from all the bugs she caught in nursery!

 

[Bevziibubble]

I totally jinxed it! She's been up all night with a stomach bug and is off school

 

[MrsC10]

Totally normal. My daughter was never at nursery when she first started. They're exposed to so many more germs at nursery that they wouldn't necessarily be exposed to at home.
I used to work as a nursery nurse and when kids first started, it was guaranteed that they would spent the first 6 months to a year being off frequently with all the bugs that are going about.

 

[kirstybumx3]

I totally jinxed it! She's been up all night with a stomach bug and is off school

Hope holly is better soon!
I feel like I did too. Rio had Friday off school with a terrible fever and conjunctivitis. I was gutted but there’s no way he could’ve gone. X

 

[Bevziibubble]

Thank you!
Hope Rio is better now. Sometimes you just have to keep them at home