Contagious-ness

Its coming into winter here and sickness is running rife here. I have 2 kids at school 5 days a week- a school of about 700 2-6year olds, and we have a baby. Last week DH and DS1 got a cough/cold, DH fought it off, DS1 we took to the dr and got medicine- antibiotics which we didnt give him as we didnt think he needed and some natural stuff. This week DS2 has got the illness- hes not a strong child and has been hit hard by it. This morning the baby was coughing and coughing so we took them to dr and got antibiotics for throat infection and wet coughs. I can feel I am fight the same thing now too.
I dont want this to be something that happens everytime 1 of us gets a sniffle- that everybody has to have it. We did try to keep the baby away from the boys, but it hasnt worked in protecting her.
Kindy is strict in policy-if your child has a runny nose or a cough or fever, child must stay home- they even check temps of every child every morning when they enter school, but sickness is something that just happens anyway.
I would like to hear from those of us who have larger families, or anyone with some ideas on how to stop the spread amongst our family.

Thanks ladies

Bugger doesn't sound fun.

Hope better soon

Sorry but kinder a bit OTT if my kids or anyone I know whos kids didnt go with a runny nose (no fever no cough etc) they would never get to CC and parents would never get to work. Checking temps is a bit weird as well surely no need to take a temp unless indicated.

It's hard! Quite often though it's not a given that everyone in the house will get the illness or to the same severity. I just take it as it comes and try to keep the sick one quiet and isolated if I can. A good thing about having 2 living areas is that I can keep a sick one away from the others with his own TV to watch. Also I am always washing my hands etc.

I have two littlies, and two older stepsons (11 and 14). We find that if the older ones get something we can often prevent the littlies from getting it, and vice versa if the littlies have something. It's a bit easier because of the age difference though and because the older stepsons are happy to isolate themselves in their bedrooms with their computers, lol.

If the littlies or I catch something, then it's hard to not to share. It usually ends up that myself, both kids and DH often get it.

To try to avoid spreading germies, I love glen20. I surface spray wherever a sickly person has been, lol.

Feeb- we are in China at the moment. The kindy we go to is the best in our very small city and its really great they do this. Every year kids here die from illness that we dont even have or have irradicated in AU. The grandparents are often the major caregivers also so staying home isnt a problem. However basic cleanliness seems to be- 1 of the teachers told us last winter that they like to play with our kids because they are clean and dont smell WTF?! :lol:

Ahhh ok sorry didn't realise. WTF at teacher thats funny but odd LOL

I have a fair idea of how peole get smelly here. 1 is no water heaters- not everbody has 1. 2 is not everybody heats their homes in winter, they just wear their jackets inside or live in bed if your old. So people do a quicky wash with a cloth every few days- MEGA GROSS in my book but in an unheated home with freezing temps its dangerous to get all wet.

I personally like the policy your childcare centre has. My kids aren't in childcare but I keep them home if they have a sniffle. Everytime I take them to an indoor playcentre they end up sick, and I get so annoyed when we go to playgroup and there are kids with oozing noses. I just think it's irresponsible and shows a total disdain for other people.

That said, I don't think you can really protect your children when sickness comes home. Just teach the kids to wash their hands frequently and cover their mouths and nose when they sneeze and cough.

Excessive use of glen20 etc is believed to be (contributing to) weakening our immune systems against bacteria making us sicker. But if you're trying to protect your baby, just frequently wash the toys and try to keep other sick kids away.


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I learned the other day what my aunty does - they have had seven living in their house and germs tend not to spread. She has two bathrooms, and as soon as someone gets sick, the bathroom and toilet that the sick person normally uses becomes out of bounds to everyone else. So all the other people in the house have to use the second bathroom. Sounds strange and simple, but I'm going to give it a shot next time one of us is sick and see if it works for us.

Hope the bugs leave you soon :hug:

Thanks ladies.
Poor baby is coughing so much. Her throat must be so sore- its a horrid grating husky cough. Atleast DS2 has a wet productive cough.
1 measure I have also taken is to get a raincover for her pram and to use that every time we go out(its winter here). It prevents people from touching her and sneazing/ coughing all over her. So atleast now she'll just get the germs from the boys at home.
At the hospital yesterday saw alot of people with face masks on- think we'll get some of those too so that when we do have to make trips to the hospital for 1 we dont all get extra sickness from everybody else there :lol: