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starting daycare = sick toddler?
DS just started daycare 3 weeks ago. He got sick last week and missed all of last week because he had a fever (they have a 48-hour no-fever rule), and it looks like he will be missing this week as well, since he still has a fever (we're taking him to the doctor again today). Just wondering if this is typical for starting daycare, and if it gets better, or if I should expect him to be battling illnesses on and off for a while.
I realized he would get sick more often, but since I am a freelancer and only earn money if I'm working, not working 2 weeks a month makes daycare pretty pointless for us, since we still have to pay regardless of whether he's there or not and I can't make money if he's not there.
PS Despite what it says under my avatar, we live in Loudoun County. I can't figure out how to change it.
Re: starting daycare = sick toddler?
Yep, totally normal for him to get sick pretty regularly at first. Happens to most kids. He's going to be exposed to a bunch of germs he's never been around before and it takes time for his immune system to adjust.
Last winter, when DD was one, she got sick a bunch of times. This winter, she was only sick once or twice. I think that's in part to her immunity increasing.
Just hang in there. He's not going to be sick forever.
Thanks, ladies. I figured he would be sick more often. I guess I just didn't realize he would be sick for this long. He's only been sick once before and that only lasted a few days.
I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it financially, emotionally and physically for us to have DS in daycare. If he's sick 3-4 times a year for the first year for a couple of weeks of each time, we might be able to handle that. But if he's going to be sick 12 times a year for a couple of weeks each time, that is definitely not doable for us.
Could you give me an idea of how many colds your LOs had their first year in daycare or how much time you had to take off of work?
C didn't start daycare until he was 14 mos and he hasn't been any more sick since starting DCP than before. He's had to stay home 2-3 days since October for little bugs here and there.
But in his first 14 mos he had pink eye, hand foot and mouth disease and a viral sore throat. I really think that kids (at least ones that are out and about and socialized) will just get sick at some point. My nephew stayed at home his first 6 years with SIL and was sick constantly when he started kindergarten.
DS has gotten sick, missing at least one day of daycare, about every 4 weeks - fevers, ear infections, GI viruses. Also, we usually get sick with whatever he has. Gotta love it.
I don't attribute all of this to daycare, though. A couple of those bugs have been through daycare, but they've also been anytime meeting new kids - playdates, the park, wherever. I think Toddler 411 has a section that says most toddlers get 8-12 illnesses a year, mostly between October and April, so it's true that they can be sick with new bugs every other week. I'm just hopeful this builds enough immunity so he can be sick less in the future!
Yep, we were all sick, too. I hope you are right about the immunity building.
And I love your DS's red hair. My DS is a redhead, too, although he is more of a strawberry blonde, like his mom.
Just wanted to share the link to the DC baby board in case you didn't know about it - join us!
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/4236717/ShowForum.aspx