My kids are sick all the time, too many sick appointments and too many testing

[Anonymous]

Since my 2 kids had gone to school/daycare in person (one started in July and one started in September), 1 had taken them to about combined 1 urgent care, 15 pediatrician sick appointments, 10 covid testings and 3 rapid testing .Geezz....not to mention I have taken about 15 days of sick day out from work. And, they are currently sick again, and all of them are covid negative, and just cold/virus, nothing serious and no medication given/no antibiotic required. If it is pre-pandemic, I would not have taken any of them to see pediatrician that frequently because I know it is not uncommon for kids to get sick. And, unfortunately, everytime they get a lot better and go back to school/daycare, they get sick again, probably from other kids there. It is just a loop that never ends, and fall just starts.

How do I survive the rest of this school year with my 2 kids? Their sick symptoms is ONE or A FEW of those each time which are runny nose, fever, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting, tummyache, cough or low appetite. And, I feel like it is always I take them to pediatrician appointment, and they get checked and say my kids are fine, just cold/virus, and get them covid tested, and we got sent home. And, we stay home on weekends, no playdate, no social gathering, no dine out/dine in, just random walk in neighborhood. I don't understand why some kids are not sick but some kids are sick and they hang out together at the same classroom masked? Are some kids stronger and healthier and not easily to get sick? At once, I am told that 50% of kids are sick from the same classroom for a few days.

[Anonymous]

It sucks, that’s for sure. 2/3 of my kids did fine in regular daycare with just an occasional sniffle or ear infection. The third was down for the count constantly. We ended up hiring a nanny so I could keep my job and try to improve the health of kid 3. All three are grown now and you would never know that the youngest was always so sick all the time. Just hang in there and, seriously, consider a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Are they good about wearing their masks? Are you sending them to school with a cloth mask? Maybe you need better quality masks and make sure they're wearing them properly. Also lots of hand washing and hand sanitizer use. Teaching them not to rub their eyes or scratch their faces.

[Anonymous]

unfortunately, this is a reality of starting school for kids is it does a number on their immune system and some kids are more susceptible to getting sick all the time. I would consider immunity-boosting diet/vitamins.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids, this sounds like normal world with little ones starting daycare. Are they wearing good quality masks if over age 2? Does daycare use the best protocols they can for that age range including hand washing regularly?

I'm sorry, OP. We all went through this with small kids in daycare or preschool settings even before covid.

[Anonymous]

You can't prevent it all but I would make sure to boost immunity in ways you can, vitamin c rich foods, elderberry and zinc help a lot to reduce length of colds, less refined sugar and processed food if you can, good sleep etc

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be taking them to the pediatrician every time.

Go to sameday testing and get them tested yourself and provide the documentation to the daycare/school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be taking them to the pediatrician every time.

Go to sameday testing and get them tested yourself and provide the documentation to the daycare/school.

+1 it will still suck to miss days and do the covid testing, but I don't understand why you are taking them to the pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be taking them to the pediatrician every time.

Go to sameday testing and get them tested yourself and provide the documentation to the daycare/school.

+1 it will still suck to miss days and do the covid testing, but I don't understand why you are taking them to the pediatrician.

because some schools are still requiring a note that says it is something else that isnt "transmissible" even with a negative COVID test

[Anonymous]

Have your children never been in a childcare/school setting before? If so, they have never been exposed to common viruses and are catching everything. I always here this - if it doesn't happen when they start daycare, it will happen when they start Kindergarten. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm grateful we went through this pre-Covid.

[Anonymous]

"I always hear this", I wasn't paying attention to what I was typing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be taking them to the pediatrician every time.

Go to sameday testing and get them tested yourself and provide the documentation to the daycare/school.

+1 it will still suck to miss days and do the covid testing, but I don't understand why you are taking them to the pediatrician.

because some schools are still requiring a note that says it is something else that isnt "transmissible" even with a negative COVID test

Our school only requires that if the child gets sent home by a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately this is super normal! I was sometimes sick myself from whatever the kids brought home. It seems like it will never end, but it will!

[Anonymous]

I bet you're the same poster from 2020 who wrote "I love how many colds we haven't caught!!!"

You are starting over with your kids immune systems. It's the first year of daycare all over again.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 boys and when they went to daycare, they were sick all the time. They rarely get sick now that they are school aged. Have not been sick once since covid.

I now have a preschooler and she also has not been sick since covid. She goes to preschool for 3 hours per day. She doesn’t eat lunch there and they are masked all day.