When does the constant illness subside?

[Anonymous]

One kid in preschool, other in elementary. We are sick ALL THE TIME. In the 15 years I worked prior to having children, I averaged 1 sick day per year. I almost never got sick. Now I have basically been sick for 20 days since school started. When do kids stop getting so sick and bringing home disease?

[Anonymous]

It will be better next year. Up your hygiene and that of the kids - wash hands before leaving school and every time you come home. Have the kids change clothes as soon as they get home.

[Anonymous]

I have 3 kids, the youngest is 11, and we never experienced all of these nonstop illnesses that so many people have. Genetics, lifestyle and hygiene habits all come into play.None of us have ever had the norovirus and only H had the flu once. We've had strep a couple of times, but it's mostly colds. I haven't even had a cold this year and none of the kids have had one since the spring. All you can do is wash hands and eat healthy. Some kids just get sick more often.

[Anonymous]

When my DD entered 3rd grade it seemed to subside.

[Anonymous]

It definitely subsides after a few years.

[Anonymous]

My daycare kids get sick way less often than their peers (now in K and 2).

[Anonymous]

My son is in Kindergarten and this has been the worst year for illness since starting preschool in the 2s class. He has been sick every other week (just with colds) since school started. I only got one of these thank goodness.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids 2-3 years apart. Everything turned around when our youngest was five. But we had a super rough couple of years before that.

[Anonymous]

Are your kids getting sick frequently, or is it just that you are getting sick from the germs they bring home?

My kids are now older but in my experience it can be kid-dependent. Even w/daycare, my kids both had routine illness in early elementary. But my older kid (now in HS) has barely had a sick day since. My tween is more prone to respiratory stuff and he is still racking up days out of school frequently. In our case this only occasionally spreads to parents.

[Anonymous]

Were your kids in daycare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your kids getting sick frequently, or is it just that you are getting sick from the germs they bring home?

My kids are now older but in my experience it can be kid-dependent. Even w/daycare, my kids both had routine illness in early elementary. But my older kid (now in HS) has barely had a sick day since. My tween is more prone to respiratory stuff and he is still racking up days out of school frequently. In our case this only occasionally spreads to parents.

Some kids also just get sick longer and getting secondary infections when they get sick. Colds turn into bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, sinus infection, etc

[Anonymous]

First cold and flu season after we started daycare was awful. She was sick every month from September to February and I got sick each time too. Next year was better. Generally, whenever kids start organized care - daycare, preschool, kindergarten, etc is when they start getting sick. Lasts for a season or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daycare kids get sick way less often than their peers (now in K and 2).

Mine don’t. They are now in elementary school and are sick as often as their peers and always have. My anecdotal situation aside, I believe the theory that daycare kids are sick less often has been disproved.

OP, it gets slowly better as they get older. And even when my kids do get sick, DH and I rarely get it.

[Anonymous]

I would really love to read some actual research about this stuff.

It's good for kids to be exposed to some of these germs right? I mean, isn't that how their immune system learns?

[Anonymous]

I have kids from baby to middle school. The middle schooler has rarely been sick since preschool. My elementary schooler rarely gets sick but had one rough year when he started preschool at 3. My 3 year old started in daycare at 18 mo and had 2 rough years. So far this year (his 3rd at the school) is looking a little better. I don’t know if it’s him or that this school isn’t as good at disinfecting compared to the ones my older ones attended.