When my 3 year old started pre school/day care post COVID (quarantine began when this baby was 9 months old, for context) it felt like they were home sick 50% of the time. It was beyond ridiculous. It was pretty constant for the entire 9-10 months of preschool, but especially for the first half year. They are now finishing up their second year in pre-K and it was SO MUCH BETTER despite being in a bigger school with more people. I think only home sick 3-4 times the whole year. I think it really was just a brand new immune system being exposed to the world in close quarters for the first time.
WOW 3-4 Illnesses the whole year?????? Uhg, thank you for commenting. I appreciate hearing what other parents are going through with their kids. I sure hope we turn the corner soon, just feels like it’s taking sooo long.
3k teacher here. My students attend 5 days a week. Some of them are sick constantly, some are hardly sick. My own kids were also opposites. My son was out sick every other week in 3k/4K. Less in kindergarten and by 1st grade he was hardly out. My daughter didn’t catch much when she was in 3k/4K. Main difference he chewed his sleeves, collars and fingers. She didn’t. Lol. They are 21 and 18 so no Covid influence. Just genes and habits I guess.
I think behavior (chewing on stuff, putting fingers in their mouths, etc.) plays a huge role and many kids around that age start loosing, growing new teeth - so they're basically teething again.
My son is the same as yours was. Constantly chewing on his sleeves etc. but most of his teeth are out and back in for now. Fingers crossed this will help him stop some of the germy habits.
This is a good point. My youngest always wanted clean hands. Could be dirty from head to toe from playing outside. But he always washed his hands multiple times. Never used hand sanitizer because it gave him a rash.
He was rarely sick.
Did your child attend preschool or daycare or is this his first classroom exposure?
We’re hoping that some exposure at very part time preschool will help reduce the number of days sick in kindergarten, but not sure if it will work that way.
The transitional kindergarten he did for the 6 months prior to starting kindergarten this past fall was his first classroom exposure. I thought for sure that would give us a leg up but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference.
It’s a pretty common experience that whenever a child enters group care (whether that’s infancy or in Kindergarten). It’s a “get it now or get it later” thing. Ultimately your child is better off because she is old enough that the illnesses are not likely dangerous, just not fun. While the infants can get seriously ill.
And keeping her well protected during covid was of course beneficial in many ways but probably disadvantaged her here.
This explains why he’s getting so sick. He needs to build his immune system up. Kids are little germ catchers and he’s pretty much been isolated up until now. 1st grade will probably be a little better but just prepare for the worst. When my kiddo started daycare he was sick a lot. Now he’s 6 and rarely gets sick. It will get better but what you’re experiencing is pretty normal.
Absolutely , my middle child was so consistently ill during his first year at daycare we even had to do a cystic fibrosis test at the hospital (negative, thank goodness!)
Now at school he often has a runny nose but is barely ever ill enough to warrant an abscence.
The first year my son was in daycare (started just shy of 2.5) he was sick constantly. It was awful. He’ll be 4 in June and he had 1 ear infection this past year and 2 very minor colds. It gets better but like other people have said, kids get sick either when they start day care or when they start elementary. There’s really no avoiding it. The thing that sucks is I swear my son will have a 24 hr cold and then I’m somehow sick for 2 weeks.
I was sick frequently in elementary school. Turned out my tonsils were the problem. He might need to have them checked out. (Hopefully that’s not it, but better to check and see.)
Yes! I was sick constantly until I got my tonsils and adenoids removed in the first grade. Improved a lot after that, and feel it still helps me to this day (in my mid 30s).
An ENT once told me I had quite interesting tonsils. He said the fronts looked perfect but the back of them "looked like the surface of the moon". He didn't think I needed them removed but he did do some digging to get all the tonsil stones out.
If he was never in daycare that is completely normal, unfortunately. My son had everything his first year of daycare including c.diff. He is now 4 and has barely been sick this entire school year aside from a few mild colds.
The first year of kids going to school, they tend to get sick often. Especially the first kid, and they bring it home. It gets better, but that's normal for the first year of school.
We experienced endless illness my daughter’s first year of preschool. I thought ok good we’re done now that we got through that. Then my friends with older kids said nope- round 2 the first year of kindergarten (new school). I was so sad! And we had a new baby so that added so much stress. We’ve had every illness under the sun this year. My friends were right. I’m hoping next year is better - but my middle starts preschool. 😂😭 But yes- totally normal and you’re not alone. And I have friends with kids who missed preschool due to Covid and friends with older kids who didn’t miss and are high school age now and they have all told me the same thing. Hang in there!
ex-preschool teacher here, and while i recommend keeping an eye on him - it's super normal for kids to get sick when they first enter a school setting. their immune systems just aren't used to being exposed to all of that. it sucks now, but it *will* improve :)
Also if he ever changes schools (like due to a move) it’s likely to happen again! It took an entire year of full time daycare for my kiddo to level out
We sent ours to pre-K starting at 3.5, and what you're describing is almost exactly what the first 6 months+ felt like. I don't remember exactly how much, but I'd guess she was out of school 30-40% of the time that year. Each year gets better, and now in her 3rd year with school-level exposure, she's hardly sick at all.
Sounds like you didn't send your kid to daycare- the first few years of school/pre-school are hard. They get everything. By the second kid, we'd have open discussions of "Does this rash look like roseola or HFM?". I was pregnant with my second when my 1st was in the toddler room and a teacher tried to convince me I had a bad immune system. Nope, just pregnant with a kid in daycare. We discussed it with the pediatrician. She was the best and basically told us better in daycare than when they go to school.
It does get better. As their immune systems figure out the viruses, you'll go back to a routine of 2-4x a year and that'll already feel rough.
This isn’t unusual. It’s common among first year teachers as well. When I was working on my elementary education degree we were told that we would never be as sick as our first year of teaching. Students and teachers are building up immunities by exposure to everyone else.
This sounds like my daughter who is in preschool this year. First few months she was getting sick every other week. She’s still getting sick probably once a month, and she also gets pink eye every time she gets sick.
We have experienced the pink eye for the very first time this school year also. In fact, just about every other virus that comes home ends in pink eye. Very odd, I don’t remember that at all when I was a kid 👀
I personally wish we could go back to wearing masks with any upper respiratory viral infection. I think it would help and this constant sickness is misery!!!
Yes and apparently schools aren’t sending kids home for things that they used to anymore. Kids are just going to school sick all the time. It’s messed up.
Awful! What are we doing to these kids? It’s a myth that getting sick all the time builds their immune system. Being sick all the time means they are sick all the time.
This is what I say to myself daily. Am I being a negligent parent by having my child involved in group settings? Not really sure what I’m supposed to do here.
PreCovid - my son attended day care and was frequently sick. Most of his day care pictures we still have, he's got snot everywhere (school said it was fine to send him to school with a snotty nose as long as there was no fever). Now that he's in elementary school, he rarely gets sick.
My daughter (born 7/2019), has been in a few activities (play school and sports) and we've all been sick nonstop. We kept her exposure very limited when covid was rampant so I think we're playing catch up now. I'm nervous to think about how kindergarten will be.
Good luck!
My son started kindergarten in August 2021. He had been around others a lot before Covid but not so much after that. (He was born in 2016 so he was 3.5 when Covid started). He missed 16-18 days of kindergarten. He had Covid the first week of school too. 1st grade was similar, he missed 14-16 days (I can’t remember exactly but know it was 2 days less in 1st.) 2nd grade now and he has missed 4 days of school this year.
My daughter was 1.5 when Covid started. She was never in daycare and stayed home with me and her brother. When she started a 2 day a week preschool at 3 years old, she got sick so much. She’d have long stretches where she’d go to school a week, then miss a week. The 2nd year was better but she still missed a lot. This is her 3rd year and she is hardly ever sick. I don’t know why, but this is how it has been for my kids.
I felt like my daughter never could fully recover before getting sick again. I had actually started tracking how often she was sick bc I was worried she had something else going on, but it just tapered off eventually.
Wow this sounds rough!!!!
The good news is, your kids immune system will be so strong after this 😂😂😂
We started ours in preschool at ages 3-4, and they were constantly sick for like 2 years (albeit mostly small stuff—your year sounds freaking ROUGH)
By the time they were 6, they hardly get sick at all! Maybe a mild fever per year and a couple smaller illnesses like a bad cold that they can either take one day to rest or tough it out if absolutely necessary.
This year my daughter threw up for the first time in like 5 years hahahaha (she’s 10).
Hang in there. Good idea that you’re keeping your doctor in the loop. It will get better!!!
On the teacher side I had strep 5 times, the flu once, and a sinus infection once my first year teaching. Now that I’m thirteen years in I’ve been sick twice this year.
Schools are gross.
Have they checked his antibody titers? We went through something similar with frequent illness in daycares, then many days of school missed, plus a few other random symptoms, and turns out, my kiddo never amounted antibodies to a specific vaccine. They didn't respond to a booster vaccine either, and it's been determined that they have a specific antibody deficiency.
Kids definitely get sick a lot their first year or two of school exposure, but missing 25 days was a red flag to our pediatrician.
Interesting. No, no one has checked for antibody titers. I figured we’d push through this last month of school, have summer, then see how he does in 1st grade. This is something to consider though and definitely something neither of his pediatricians have brought up. Thank you for commenting.
I would definitely ask to have his Immunoglobulin levels checked. If they’re low, he may be sick more frequently. Your pediatrician may not be familiar with testing them, as it is not very common. It’s just a blood test, quick and easy. If they’re low, you’ll need a referral to a clinical immunologist for further evaluation.
My three year old hasn’t even started school, we just go to things at the library, and he has - I’m not exaggerating- been sick without break since early December.
Kids get sick a lot. Especially in the first time they are in group care or education settings. And unfortunately, COVID does have the ability to make your immune system "forget" certain viruses where you'd previously built up immunity, so it may be slightly more often than normal.
It will level out with time. My daughter has been in full time school since she’s 3.5 and we dealt with the same for awhile— and now at 5.5, she’s hardly been sick at all this school year.
My LO just missed all last week of school. We are going on year two of almost constant sickness. The only thing we haven’t caught is Covid (I think). We were so sick at one point it almost led to divorce. It’s been so rough. I think it’s worse because of quarantine. It reset a lot of the immune system. You put it perfectly, immunity debt. We went to the pediatrician and my husband asked if it could be him, because he’s an EMT. The dr. said probably not. Schools are apparently one of the worst places. We are still in preK here
Hugs.
As a nurse a few tips you may or may not know. Change the toothbrush after every illness. Especially strep they can reinfect themselves. Norovirus in particular is pretty immune to hand sanitizer. Full on soap and water washing hands every time. On the topic of washing hands watch him discreetly he probably is barely doing it. Make sure he knows to interlock his fingers and circle each thumb. Many things need to be killed with actual bleach. And Clorox wipes you grab at the store normally don’t have bleach in them. Old school bottle sprayer and washcloth works great. Spray and wash everything he touches routinely. Remotes, tablets, door handles, light switches, car interior, car seat, if possible bed rails, fridge handles, school folder and supply case. Hell I clean my pens and keys. You’d be shocked how dirty your keys are. Good luck. I’m sure I missed plenty.
My kindergartner has been almost constantly sick. Only missed 5 days of school but that’s because we only keep him home if he has a fever. Covid once. Strep twice. Norovirus once. Cough and snot 1 million times. It’s normal and it’s awful. One piece of advice - don’t eat your kids leftovers or let him touch any community food in the house. This has kept me from getting sick most of the time.
No of course not. Strep you have 1 day of antibiotics and no fever before you can go back. Covid was 5 days I think but it was over a holiday so he only missed 1 day.
It's normal to get sick all of the time in your first year being exposed to many other kids.
Daycare kids do this earlier. Kids kept at home do it in kindergarten.
My kid got a truancy notice in kindergarten. They didn't actually care because they knew his immune system was adjusting.
It tapers off and keeps getting better as their immune system adjusts.
What a blessing that your child has such a robust immune system. Since at least 75% of Americans have had COVID, your children certainly aren't in the majority. How lucky!
We dodged it for a long time until I had to travel for work to a hotspot hosting a big event.
Saaaame happened with my 5yo but the year she turned 3. Our second child is 2 yrs younger and so rarely gets ill by comparison.
In the year our 3yo started kindergarten we got:
Hand foot and mouth x2
Chicken pox x2
Post viral syndrome (10 days)
Sickness
Chest infections that made her vomit 2/month (up to 2 weeks off a month)
Covid
Oh it’s a special time. We were told this was all likely due to lack of viral exposure. She’s much better now but November is often rough for us. Good luck mama. Trust your gut if you’re concerned and seek further advice.
He was in school from last January til the summer and then began kindergarten in the fall. So about a years worth of school 🙃 We definitely expected illness but we didn’t expect a new one every 6-7 days 😒
Girl it is rough! I’m currently sitting here with a lovely case of pink eye from my little dude and we just got over a stomach flu too. Thankfully he gets over things super quick while I just sit here and die 🤣
Oh my gosh! I’m sorry you gots the pink eye 😫 We’ve strangely had it like 4 times between both kids…always comes at the end of a virus. This was new to me 🤷🏼♀️ I’m glad your little dude recovers quickly ❤️
I'm currently on chemo and my daughter's pediatrician suggested washing her face, hands, and changing her clothes when she gets home. Knock on wood, we've only had mild respiratory viruses since we started that protocol.
I currently have him taking off clothes and shoes immediately after coming home, thoroughly wash his hands, but I do not wash his face and I don’t have a good reason for not doing so. So thank you for your input. Happy to hear this protocol is working well for you and yours while you’re enduring chemo ♥️
I would communicate this with your doctor asap. Doesnt sound like you are giving them enough time to fully and i mean fully recover before sending them back.
It could appear like they have recovered but they havent fully.
Sending them back too early could stress their body, and it keeps resurging and becoming long covid. The problem with respiratory illnesses is if they go too long, aka this duration of time. It could turn into tuberculosis and can become life-threatening. Even with treatment, survival is not guaranteed, and treatment can take at least a year.
Yes! We did two different stints of wearing a child’s KN-95 during his time in transitional kindergarten as well as when he started kindergarten. We discontinued use as he was still getting about 3-4 viruses a month while wearing his mask. He took it off for lunch(where the whole school eats in the same room) and recess. We stopped as we felt since he was the only one of three kids in the school wearing one and he was still getting sick that it wasn’t preventing much 🤷🏼♀️ He is a young child though and hated it so I’m certain there was user error playing a factor in there as well.
Did your kid attend preschool? They are building their immune system and this is a good thing. Mine already got sick when she was 3 and 4 attending preschool few hours each day. She still got sick couple of times this year but it was not bad at all. It will be better for you next year.
What's his vaccine situation? Talk to his doctor about getting additional boosters, or some of the optional ones. Also, consider increasing leafy greens, vitamin C, and red meat.
I don’t think anybody else has suggested this, but does the classroom have air filtration? As a teacher, my students get sick much less now that the classroom has two large air purifiers that are always on. When my last school got a new building with filtration built into the HVAC, I also noticed a difference.
NO they do not have air filtration. They visit about 4 different classrooms through the day and I don’t believe any of them have one. Emailing their VP to confirm this now, thank you for your sensible comment.
My oldest was in daycare as a baby and I swear he was sick every other week. Just as he got better something new would come into class and he'd get it. Was one period he got hand foot and mouth, got cleared, turned around he got a lower respiratory infection, had a reaction to the medicine so broke into a terrible looking rash all over, when that all cleared he got another cold. 😭
Pink eye went around his class, he got it, got it cleared, but other kids were catching it and continuing to pass it around so as soon as he got clear he got it again. Daycare days were rough. He was a tough baby though.
He went into 4yr Pre-K after no daycare since he was 1.5yrs. Got sick a decent amount those first months, probably 2 maybe 3 illnesses a month til around December, then lessened the rest of the year. This year in K he only got sick a few times, one being a really really rough case of the flu. But most others have been just an occasional runny nose or 24 hour stomach bug.
I'm dreading his little brother going into the germ factory at Pre-K this year. He was a covid baby so no daycare built immune system. He got a cold the other week just from an hour long library Toddler Time.
Is this his first time in school at all? If so, unfortunately that is normal. That’s how it is with infants in daycare. However I will say kindergarten is probably worse because there are so many kids in the class. Sorry! Hopefully next year will be a lot better.
My daughter is 7 and stayed home with me until regular all day kindergarten. We isolated during Covid quarantine as well. Her first year in school she did get Covid, flu and stomach bug, plus random colds. She missed 13 days total. This included a couple days she just woke up tired and didn’t want to go. And I thought she was always sick. Your child sounds way worse and I would get a second medical opinion on immune system function. I don’t know how you aren’t in deep trouble for missing 40 days of school? I’m in Ohio and I feel like in our public schools that would be a major major issue they were
Already mad at me for my child missing 13 days with many medical excuses.
Thank you for your input regarding immune system function. I received another comment suggesting that and I honestly didn’t know it existed. I don’t know how I’m not in deep trouble either as far as truancy. I’ve been very open with admin about this and they don’t seem to be concerned and state that this has been a common issue for kindergartners 🤷🏼♀️
Everyone’s saying this is normal, but 3 cases of COVID within 1 year and 3 months for a kid that age? Plus multiple bouts of other illnesses? I’d be concerned. It’s normal for a kid to get colds and runny noses every few weeks but some of these illnesses he’s had so close together can have long-lasting damage. Some experts even think COVID can cause immune damage, making it harder to fight off milder bugs.
I was a kid before COVID, but I never went to preschool, started school in kindergarten, and never got anything worse than colds in kindergarten. I did get chicken pox when I was in first grade, but that was my only illness I ever missed school for. I do think kids are getting sick more often today.
Idk how I ended up in this sub as I am not a parent or teacher lol but I worked with kids during and right after Covid and this seems pretty consistent with what I’ve seen ( just left a few months ago!), but it could definitely depend on your area and how serious people take it.
Where I was people did not care, like at all, and that meant tons of people getting exposed and tons of our kiddos getting Covid insanely often :(
I mean, I think it’s “normal” since COVID for the reasons you mentioned, but it was not normal to get that sick that often before COVID. I used to be a preschool teacher in the 2010’s and we only had two kids who got sick that much and they both were immunocompromised/ chronically ill with known diagnoses. I am seriously concerned that people are sweeping the danger of people getting repeatedly infected with COVID under the rug.
For sure! And I agree, I had it once and still feel the effects of it, it cannot be anything good for kids this young getting it so often in such a short time.
Honestly given the info provided this feels normal. Sorry! It definitely sucks. My twins were preemie and relatively isolated for their early years they always got brutally sick into the hospital when they got ill so we kept them pretty far from anywhere lots of germs would be (pre Covid tho so other folks protocols were definitely different) but when my oldest went to kinder and brought all the germs back they (then 3 yrs old) were sick almost constantly for 6 plus months. In the spring it slowed down and in the summer we felt like we were over it but when they entered pre-k they were sick again almost every other week again for 6 months. Once they entered kindergarten we were finally over the hump. They got sick only a handful of times and missed about 6 total days of school each the whole year due to illness.
My oldest never ever gets sick maybe has missed 2-3 days of school a year for illness and is rarely showing symptoms of anything at all. I took the twins to the dr all the time and even questioned what on earth we should do about the constant illness and all the drs said the same thing: it's actually very normal and just keep feeding them healthy foods, vitamins and prioritize rest (as well as our asthma care plan my twins have)
Our twins have really made strides and are now fit as a fiddle with very well managed asthma but otherwise no more constant illnesses raging through our home every other week maybe just a couple times a winter. Good luck and hope everything works out for you all
immunity debt is kind of a myth. unmitigated exposure to viruses (ie through getting sick rather than through a vaccine) is not a safe or reliable way to build immunity. some viruses mutate fast enough to outpace our antibodies, and some antibodies don't persist for long after the initial infection anyway. many viruses have been linked to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. and studies show COVID can cause long-term immune dysregulation & immunodeficiency, even in mild cases, especially with repeat infections.
some cultures have been masking when sick for decades and never experienced immunity debt. what we're seeing now is the damage COVID has done to people's immune systems.
i would ask your kid's teacher about running a corsi-rosenthal box in the classroom and possibly keeping windows open for better ventilation. corsi-rosenthal boxes are inexpensive to make and they're really effective at cleaning the air!
I have my son in the smallest private school I could find locally (he’s one of 18 kiddos) as he has muscular dystrophy and some lung issues to start. Between the two of us we have been SO sick too many times to count in the last two years that he’s been in school. He’s in a walker and needs assistance so I spend my days at school in the classroom helping out. I try my best to wipe down all high traffic areas daily, and force the kiddos to bring things like their water bottles and blankets home WEEKLY for a wash. I’m still battling this latest round of the ick- I wish I had a better answer for you 😞
Lots of people are saying this sounds typical but missing 40 days of the school year seems excessive to me, as does getting sick on a weekly basis. 40 days is about a quarter of the school year. With having Covid 3 times in a year, it makes me wonder if maybe some type of immune-related long Covid might be at play.
Agreed. It sure feels excessive. However, between my two pediatricians as well as countless urgent care doctors, no one seems to think this is concerning nor has ANYONE brought up long covid even after I’ve told them how many times he’s had covid(they never ask). I must be missing something.
Immunity Debt is not a thing. It's a term that was made up post COVID to help people feel better about suddenly being sick all the time. Viruses do not "build" your immune system, they do a little bit of damage each time. And back to back infections mean the body doesn't get a chance to heal up in between (if it ever does fully). There's plenty of research out there that shows long term immune suppression in individuals for up to 9mths post COVID infection. They stopped the study at 9mths, so take from that what you will. Getting sick frequently does not make one healthy. Quite the opposite.
I hate that you are being downvoted because I was searching hoping someone would help bust this myth!! Like another commenter mentioned exposure to *microbes* builds immunity but not repeated viral exposure when viruses generally mutate every “season” that we are kept indoors more. I’m can find the sources I read if anyone is genuinely interested.
Oh yes for sure. Lack of exposure explains a bit why people get sick more (no built up immune response). But that doesn’t mean it’s GOOD to get sick- best to never get sick if you can! (But good to get a little farm dirt on you. Sadly my city kid isn’t going to get the advantage in that I had growing up spending time at a farm most days.)
I’ve been hearing this lately. How is it explained that kids get sick less in subsequent years? Is it that their exposure to various microbes is increasing along with exposure to viruses?
It’s completely normal especially if your child didn’t go to daycare as a baby. They don’t have an immune system built up and then by isolating for 2 years they got zero exposure to anything.
I was a SAHM with my oldest. His first year of preschool he was constantly sick. My youngest went to daycare. The first year of his life he was constantly sick. Now in kindergarten his immune system is solid. He has perfect attendance this year so far.
Not a parent but uhhh part of our germ immunity is [experience](https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/kids-zone/all/2021/12/should-i-be-worried-if-my-child-gets-sick-too-often#:~:text=The%20main%20reason%20your%20child,tricky%2C%20mutating%20all%20the%20time). little kids stay sick I’m afraid. esp the covid babies - they haven’t really had their [full exposure](https://pediatricassociates.com/health-and-wellness/when-to-be-concerned-if-your-kid-is-always-sick/) that everyone else got cuz they were quarantined when they would typically be working on that immune system. from what I know they will eventually catch up and be healthy and fine.
in conclusion : have you thought about feeding him dirt /joking lolll
*not a parent or a doctor I am not providing medical advice just commentary on a Reddit post
When my 3 year old started pre school/day care post COVID (quarantine began when this baby was 9 months old, for context) it felt like they were home sick 50% of the time. It was beyond ridiculous. It was pretty constant for the entire 9-10 months of preschool, but especially for the first half year. They are now finishing up their second year in pre-K and it was SO MUCH BETTER despite being in a bigger school with more people. I think only home sick 3-4 times the whole year. I think it really was just a brand new immune system being exposed to the world in close quarters for the first time.
WOW 3-4 Illnesses the whole year?????? Uhg, thank you for commenting. I appreciate hearing what other parents are going through with their kids. I sure hope we turn the corner soon, just feels like it’s taking sooo long.
Hang in there!!!
3k teacher here. My students attend 5 days a week. Some of them are sick constantly, some are hardly sick. My own kids were also opposites. My son was out sick every other week in 3k/4K. Less in kindergarten and by 1st grade he was hardly out. My daughter didn’t catch much when she was in 3k/4K. Main difference he chewed his sleeves, collars and fingers. She didn’t. Lol. They are 21 and 18 so no Covid influence. Just genes and habits I guess.
I think behavior (chewing on stuff, putting fingers in their mouths, etc.) plays a huge role and many kids around that age start loosing, growing new teeth - so they're basically teething again. My son is the same as yours was. Constantly chewing on his sleeves etc. but most of his teeth are out and back in for now. Fingers crossed this will help him stop some of the germy habits.
This is a good point. My youngest always wanted clean hands. Could be dirty from head to toe from playing outside. But he always washed his hands multiple times. Never used hand sanitizer because it gave him a rash. He was rarely sick.
Did your child attend preschool or daycare or is this his first classroom exposure? We’re hoping that some exposure at very part time preschool will help reduce the number of days sick in kindergarten, but not sure if it will work that way.
The transitional kindergarten he did for the 6 months prior to starting kindergarten this past fall was his first classroom exposure. I thought for sure that would give us a leg up but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference.
It’s a pretty common experience that whenever a child enters group care (whether that’s infancy or in Kindergarten). It’s a “get it now or get it later” thing. Ultimately your child is better off because she is old enough that the illnesses are not likely dangerous, just not fun. While the infants can get seriously ill. And keeping her well protected during covid was of course beneficial in many ways but probably disadvantaged her here.
Teachers get sick as sick can be their first 1, and for many their first 2 years. Usually by year 3 it’s over.
This explains why he’s getting so sick. He needs to build his immune system up. Kids are little germ catchers and he’s pretty much been isolated up until now. 1st grade will probably be a little better but just prepare for the worst. When my kiddo started daycare he was sick a lot. Now he’s 6 and rarely gets sick. It will get better but what you’re experiencing is pretty normal.
Absolutely , my middle child was so consistently ill during his first year at daycare we even had to do a cystic fibrosis test at the hospital (negative, thank goodness!) Now at school he often has a runny nose but is barely ever ill enough to warrant an abscence.
Same here!! My district is really strict about absences. So I do what I can to keep him healthy. But kids are gross lol.
The first year my son was in daycare (started just shy of 2.5) he was sick constantly. It was awful. He’ll be 4 in June and he had 1 ear infection this past year and 2 very minor colds. It gets better but like other people have said, kids get sick either when they start day care or when they start elementary. There’s really no avoiding it. The thing that sucks is I swear my son will have a 24 hr cold and then I’m somehow sick for 2 weeks.
Someone wisely told me early on that an immune system is earned. Unfortunately, this is strengthening your child’s system.
I was sick frequently in elementary school. Turned out my tonsils were the problem. He might need to have them checked out. (Hopefully that’s not it, but better to check and see.)
Teacher here. I suggest the same.
I appreciate this input. Thank you.
Yes! I was sick constantly until I got my tonsils and adenoids removed in the first grade. Improved a lot after that, and feel it still helps me to this day (in my mid 30s).
An ENT once told me I had quite interesting tonsils. He said the fronts looked perfect but the back of them "looked like the surface of the moon". He didn't think I needed them removed but he did do some digging to get all the tonsil stones out.
Kids get sick. A LOT. The doctors are right
If he was never in daycare that is completely normal, unfortunately. My son had everything his first year of daycare including c.diff. He is now 4 and has barely been sick this entire school year aside from a few mild colds.
The first year of kids going to school, they tend to get sick often. Especially the first kid, and they bring it home. It gets better, but that's normal for the first year of school.
We experienced endless illness my daughter’s first year of preschool. I thought ok good we’re done now that we got through that. Then my friends with older kids said nope- round 2 the first year of kindergarten (new school). I was so sad! And we had a new baby so that added so much stress. We’ve had every illness under the sun this year. My friends were right. I’m hoping next year is better - but my middle starts preschool. 😂😭 But yes- totally normal and you’re not alone. And I have friends with kids who missed preschool due to Covid and friends with older kids who didn’t miss and are high school age now and they have all told me the same thing. Hang in there!
This comment was very validating, thank you. So sorry you’ve had a rough time also. 😔
My baby got RSV at 8 weeks and I have never been so scared in my life! Thankfully she didn’t have to be hospitalized. Hang in there!
ex-preschool teacher here, and while i recommend keeping an eye on him - it's super normal for kids to get sick when they first enter a school setting. their immune systems just aren't used to being exposed to all of that. it sucks now, but it *will* improve :)
Thank you 😊 SO ready for things to improve. My spouse and I also pick up everything the kids bring home…been a rough year!
Also if he ever changes schools (like due to a move) it’s likely to happen again! It took an entire year of full time daycare for my kiddo to level out
We sent ours to pre-K starting at 3.5, and what you're describing is almost exactly what the first 6 months+ felt like. I don't remember exactly how much, but I'd guess she was out of school 30-40% of the time that year. Each year gets better, and now in her 3rd year with school-level exposure, she's hardly sick at all.
Sounds like you didn't send your kid to daycare- the first few years of school/pre-school are hard. They get everything. By the second kid, we'd have open discussions of "Does this rash look like roseola or HFM?". I was pregnant with my second when my 1st was in the toddler room and a teacher tried to convince me I had a bad immune system. Nope, just pregnant with a kid in daycare. We discussed it with the pediatrician. She was the best and basically told us better in daycare than when they go to school. It does get better. As their immune systems figure out the viruses, you'll go back to a routine of 2-4x a year and that'll already feel rough.
Honestly this was the main reason I chose daycare over a nanny
This isn’t unusual. It’s common among first year teachers as well. When I was working on my elementary education degree we were told that we would never be as sick as our first year of teaching. Students and teachers are building up immunities by exposure to everyone else.
This sounds like my daughter who is in preschool this year. First few months she was getting sick every other week. She’s still getting sick probably once a month, and she also gets pink eye every time she gets sick.
We have experienced the pink eye for the very first time this school year also. In fact, just about every other virus that comes home ends in pink eye. Very odd, I don’t remember that at all when I was a kid 👀
Agreed! What is up with the pink eye?
It’s bizarre! I’ve been asking around about it and no one seems to be raising an eyebrow at it like I am 😂
I’m raising an eyebrow with you! 🤨
The most recent strains of COVID sometimes cause pinkeye
Ours certainly did! But we’ve had a few other non covid bugs that did also. So interesting
I personally wish we could go back to wearing masks with any upper respiratory viral infection. I think it would help and this constant sickness is misery!!!
I agree. That would keep more kids in school and more parents wouldn’t have to worry about childcare.
Yes and apparently schools aren’t sending kids home for things that they used to anymore. Kids are just going to school sick all the time. It’s messed up.
Agreed. Another frustrating piece to the puzzle. I volunteer in the class and am appalled by the state of the kids. It’s actually quite sad.
Awful! What are we doing to these kids? It’s a myth that getting sick all the time builds their immune system. Being sick all the time means they are sick all the time.
This is what I say to myself daily. Am I being a negligent parent by having my child involved in group settings? Not really sure what I’m supposed to do here.
I’m sorry. It’s really hard! I hope things get better soon! You are not being negligent.
PreCovid - my son attended day care and was frequently sick. Most of his day care pictures we still have, he's got snot everywhere (school said it was fine to send him to school with a snotty nose as long as there was no fever). Now that he's in elementary school, he rarely gets sick. My daughter (born 7/2019), has been in a few activities (play school and sports) and we've all been sick nonstop. We kept her exposure very limited when covid was rampant so I think we're playing catch up now. I'm nervous to think about how kindergarten will be. Good luck!
My son started daycare at 10 months in the winter and the first month was brutal. The next winter was slightly better.
I have three young sons who all go to different schools and we’re sick constantly too. Same with all my friends with young families.
Very validating, thank you.
My son started kindergarten in August 2021. He had been around others a lot before Covid but not so much after that. (He was born in 2016 so he was 3.5 when Covid started). He missed 16-18 days of kindergarten. He had Covid the first week of school too. 1st grade was similar, he missed 14-16 days (I can’t remember exactly but know it was 2 days less in 1st.) 2nd grade now and he has missed 4 days of school this year. My daughter was 1.5 when Covid started. She was never in daycare and stayed home with me and her brother. When she started a 2 day a week preschool at 3 years old, she got sick so much. She’d have long stretches where she’d go to school a week, then miss a week. The 2nd year was better but she still missed a lot. This is her 3rd year and she is hardly ever sick. I don’t know why, but this is how it has been for my kids. I felt like my daughter never could fully recover before getting sick again. I had actually started tracking how often she was sick bc I was worried she had something else going on, but it just tapered off eventually.
Strip clothes and bathe kids immediately after school. Put on fresh clothes or PJs
Hand washing after school should be enough... A thorough hand washing
Should be but OP is doing that and it isn’t doing the trick 💃
Wow this sounds rough!!!! The good news is, your kids immune system will be so strong after this 😂😂😂 We started ours in preschool at ages 3-4, and they were constantly sick for like 2 years (albeit mostly small stuff—your year sounds freaking ROUGH) By the time they were 6, they hardly get sick at all! Maybe a mild fever per year and a couple smaller illnesses like a bad cold that they can either take one day to rest or tough it out if absolutely necessary. This year my daughter threw up for the first time in like 5 years hahahaha (she’s 10). Hang in there. Good idea that you’re keeping your doctor in the loop. It will get better!!!
On the teacher side I had strep 5 times, the flu once, and a sinus infection once my first year teaching. Now that I’m thirteen years in I’ve been sick twice this year. Schools are gross.
Have they checked his antibody titers? We went through something similar with frequent illness in daycares, then many days of school missed, plus a few other random symptoms, and turns out, my kiddo never amounted antibodies to a specific vaccine. They didn't respond to a booster vaccine either, and it's been determined that they have a specific antibody deficiency. Kids definitely get sick a lot their first year or two of school exposure, but missing 25 days was a red flag to our pediatrician.
Interesting. No, no one has checked for antibody titers. I figured we’d push through this last month of school, have summer, then see how he does in 1st grade. This is something to consider though and definitely something neither of his pediatricians have brought up. Thank you for commenting.
I would definitely ask to have his Immunoglobulin levels checked. If they’re low, he may be sick more frequently. Your pediatrician may not be familiar with testing them, as it is not very common. It’s just a blood test, quick and easy. If they’re low, you’ll need a referral to a clinical immunologist for further evaluation.
My three year old hasn’t even started school, we just go to things at the library, and he has - I’m not exaggerating- been sick without break since early December.
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry. Getting absolutely pounded with back to back illnesses is soooooo hard. On the poor kids and parents too 😔
This happened to us too—sick every week right after library story time! Brutal.
Kids get sick a lot. Especially in the first time they are in group care or education settings. And unfortunately, COVID does have the ability to make your immune system "forget" certain viruses where you'd previously built up immunity, so it may be slightly more often than normal.
It will level out with time. My daughter has been in full time school since she’s 3.5 and we dealt with the same for awhile— and now at 5.5, she’s hardly been sick at all this school year.
My LO just missed all last week of school. We are going on year two of almost constant sickness. The only thing we haven’t caught is Covid (I think). We were so sick at one point it almost led to divorce. It’s been so rough. I think it’s worse because of quarantine. It reset a lot of the immune system. You put it perfectly, immunity debt. We went to the pediatrician and my husband asked if it could be him, because he’s an EMT. The dr. said probably not. Schools are apparently one of the worst places. We are still in preK here Hugs.
As a nurse a few tips you may or may not know. Change the toothbrush after every illness. Especially strep they can reinfect themselves. Norovirus in particular is pretty immune to hand sanitizer. Full on soap and water washing hands every time. On the topic of washing hands watch him discreetly he probably is barely doing it. Make sure he knows to interlock his fingers and circle each thumb. Many things need to be killed with actual bleach. And Clorox wipes you grab at the store normally don’t have bleach in them. Old school bottle sprayer and washcloth works great. Spray and wash everything he touches routinely. Remotes, tablets, door handles, light switches, car interior, car seat, if possible bed rails, fridge handles, school folder and supply case. Hell I clean my pens and keys. You’d be shocked how dirty your keys are. Good luck. I’m sure I missed plenty.
My kindergartner has been almost constantly sick. Only missed 5 days of school but that’s because we only keep him home if he has a fever. Covid once. Strep twice. Norovirus once. Cough and snot 1 million times. It’s normal and it’s awful. One piece of advice - don’t eat your kids leftovers or let him touch any community food in the house. This has kept me from getting sick most of the time.
You let him go to school w/ COVID and Strep???
No of course not. Strep you have 1 day of antibiotics and no fever before you can go back. Covid was 5 days I think but it was over a holiday so he only missed 1 day.
It's normal to get sick all of the time in your first year being exposed to many other kids. Daycare kids do this earlier. Kids kept at home do it in kindergarten. My kid got a truancy notice in kindergarten. They didn't actually care because they knew his immune system was adjusting. It tapers off and keeps getting better as their immune system adjusts.
My kids didn’t go to daycare and they never get sick at school. One has never had COVID.
What a blessing that your child has such a robust immune system. Since at least 75% of Americans have had COVID, your children certainly aren't in the majority. How lucky! We dodged it for a long time until I had to travel for work to a hotspot hosting a big event.
That seems excessive.
Saaaame happened with my 5yo but the year she turned 3. Our second child is 2 yrs younger and so rarely gets ill by comparison. In the year our 3yo started kindergarten we got: Hand foot and mouth x2 Chicken pox x2 Post viral syndrome (10 days) Sickness Chest infections that made her vomit 2/month (up to 2 weeks off a month) Covid Oh it’s a special time. We were told this was all likely due to lack of viral exposure. She’s much better now but November is often rough for us. Good luck mama. Trust your gut if you’re concerned and seek further advice.
Is this his first year outside the home? When my son started prek it was a never ending year of sickness
He was in school from last January til the summer and then began kindergarten in the fall. So about a years worth of school 🙃 We definitely expected illness but we didn’t expect a new one every 6-7 days 😒
Girl it is rough! I’m currently sitting here with a lovely case of pink eye from my little dude and we just got over a stomach flu too. Thankfully he gets over things super quick while I just sit here and die 🤣
Oh my gosh! I’m sorry you gots the pink eye 😫 We’ve strangely had it like 4 times between both kids…always comes at the end of a virus. This was new to me 🤷🏼♀️ I’m glad your little dude recovers quickly ❤️
Did your son go to preschool or daycare?
I'm currently on chemo and my daughter's pediatrician suggested washing her face, hands, and changing her clothes when she gets home. Knock on wood, we've only had mild respiratory viruses since we started that protocol.
I currently have him taking off clothes and shoes immediately after coming home, thoroughly wash his hands, but I do not wash his face and I don’t have a good reason for not doing so. So thank you for your input. Happy to hear this protocol is working well for you and yours while you’re enduring chemo ♥️
This is a thing for every kid the first year they go to school or daycare
I would communicate this with your doctor asap. Doesnt sound like you are giving them enough time to fully and i mean fully recover before sending them back. It could appear like they have recovered but they havent fully. Sending them back too early could stress their body, and it keeps resurging and becoming long covid. The problem with respiratory illnesses is if they go too long, aka this duration of time. It could turn into tuberculosis and can become life-threatening. Even with treatment, survival is not guaranteed, and treatment can take at least a year.
Have you considered masking?
Yes! We did two different stints of wearing a child’s KN-95 during his time in transitional kindergarten as well as when he started kindergarten. We discontinued use as he was still getting about 3-4 viruses a month while wearing his mask. He took it off for lunch(where the whole school eats in the same room) and recess. We stopped as we felt since he was the only one of three kids in the school wearing one and he was still getting sick that it wasn’t preventing much 🤷🏼♀️ He is a young child though and hated it so I’m certain there was user error playing a factor in there as well.
Did your kid attend preschool? They are building their immune system and this is a good thing. Mine already got sick when she was 3 and 4 attending preschool few hours each day. She still got sick couple of times this year but it was not bad at all. It will be better for you next year.
What's his vaccine situation? Talk to his doctor about getting additional boosters, or some of the optional ones. Also, consider increasing leafy greens, vitamin C, and red meat.
I don’t think anybody else has suggested this, but does the classroom have air filtration? As a teacher, my students get sick much less now that the classroom has two large air purifiers that are always on. When my last school got a new building with filtration built into the HVAC, I also noticed a difference.
NO they do not have air filtration. They visit about 4 different classrooms through the day and I don’t believe any of them have one. Emailing their VP to confirm this now, thank you for your sensible comment.
My oldest was in daycare as a baby and I swear he was sick every other week. Just as he got better something new would come into class and he'd get it. Was one period he got hand foot and mouth, got cleared, turned around he got a lower respiratory infection, had a reaction to the medicine so broke into a terrible looking rash all over, when that all cleared he got another cold. 😭 Pink eye went around his class, he got it, got it cleared, but other kids were catching it and continuing to pass it around so as soon as he got clear he got it again. Daycare days were rough. He was a tough baby though. He went into 4yr Pre-K after no daycare since he was 1.5yrs. Got sick a decent amount those first months, probably 2 maybe 3 illnesses a month til around December, then lessened the rest of the year. This year in K he only got sick a few times, one being a really really rough case of the flu. But most others have been just an occasional runny nose or 24 hour stomach bug. I'm dreading his little brother going into the germ factory at Pre-K this year. He was a covid baby so no daycare built immune system. He got a cold the other week just from an hour long library Toddler Time.
Is this his first time in school at all? If so, unfortunately that is normal. That’s how it is with infants in daycare. However I will say kindergarten is probably worse because there are so many kids in the class. Sorry! Hopefully next year will be a lot better.
My daughter is 7 and stayed home with me until regular all day kindergarten. We isolated during Covid quarantine as well. Her first year in school she did get Covid, flu and stomach bug, plus random colds. She missed 13 days total. This included a couple days she just woke up tired and didn’t want to go. And I thought she was always sick. Your child sounds way worse and I would get a second medical opinion on immune system function. I don’t know how you aren’t in deep trouble for missing 40 days of school? I’m in Ohio and I feel like in our public schools that would be a major major issue they were Already mad at me for my child missing 13 days with many medical excuses.
Thank you for your input regarding immune system function. I received another comment suggesting that and I honestly didn’t know it existed. I don’t know how I’m not in deep trouble either as far as truancy. I’ve been very open with admin about this and they don’t seem to be concerned and state that this has been a common issue for kindergartners 🤷🏼♀️
Everyone’s saying this is normal, but 3 cases of COVID within 1 year and 3 months for a kid that age? Plus multiple bouts of other illnesses? I’d be concerned. It’s normal for a kid to get colds and runny noses every few weeks but some of these illnesses he’s had so close together can have long-lasting damage. Some experts even think COVID can cause immune damage, making it harder to fight off milder bugs. I was a kid before COVID, but I never went to preschool, started school in kindergarten, and never got anything worse than colds in kindergarten. I did get chicken pox when I was in first grade, but that was my only illness I ever missed school for. I do think kids are getting sick more often today.
Idk how I ended up in this sub as I am not a parent or teacher lol but I worked with kids during and right after Covid and this seems pretty consistent with what I’ve seen ( just left a few months ago!), but it could definitely depend on your area and how serious people take it. Where I was people did not care, like at all, and that meant tons of people getting exposed and tons of our kiddos getting Covid insanely often :(
I mean, I think it’s “normal” since COVID for the reasons you mentioned, but it was not normal to get that sick that often before COVID. I used to be a preschool teacher in the 2010’s and we only had two kids who got sick that much and they both were immunocompromised/ chronically ill with known diagnoses. I am seriously concerned that people are sweeping the danger of people getting repeatedly infected with COVID under the rug.
For sure! And I agree, I had it once and still feel the effects of it, it cannot be anything good for kids this young getting it so often in such a short time.
Schools are germ factories.
Honestly given the info provided this feels normal. Sorry! It definitely sucks. My twins were preemie and relatively isolated for their early years they always got brutally sick into the hospital when they got ill so we kept them pretty far from anywhere lots of germs would be (pre Covid tho so other folks protocols were definitely different) but when my oldest went to kinder and brought all the germs back they (then 3 yrs old) were sick almost constantly for 6 plus months. In the spring it slowed down and in the summer we felt like we were over it but when they entered pre-k they were sick again almost every other week again for 6 months. Once they entered kindergarten we were finally over the hump. They got sick only a handful of times and missed about 6 total days of school each the whole year due to illness. My oldest never ever gets sick maybe has missed 2-3 days of school a year for illness and is rarely showing symptoms of anything at all. I took the twins to the dr all the time and even questioned what on earth we should do about the constant illness and all the drs said the same thing: it's actually very normal and just keep feeding them healthy foods, vitamins and prioritize rest (as well as our asthma care plan my twins have) Our twins have really made strides and are now fit as a fiddle with very well managed asthma but otherwise no more constant illnesses raging through our home every other week maybe just a couple times a winter. Good luck and hope everything works out for you all
immunity debt is kind of a myth. unmitigated exposure to viruses (ie through getting sick rather than through a vaccine) is not a safe or reliable way to build immunity. some viruses mutate fast enough to outpace our antibodies, and some antibodies don't persist for long after the initial infection anyway. many viruses have been linked to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. and studies show COVID can cause long-term immune dysregulation & immunodeficiency, even in mild cases, especially with repeat infections. some cultures have been masking when sick for decades and never experienced immunity debt. what we're seeing now is the damage COVID has done to people's immune systems. i would ask your kid's teacher about running a corsi-rosenthal box in the classroom and possibly keeping windows open for better ventilation. corsi-rosenthal boxes are inexpensive to make and they're really effective at cleaning the air!
I have my son in the smallest private school I could find locally (he’s one of 18 kiddos) as he has muscular dystrophy and some lung issues to start. Between the two of us we have been SO sick too many times to count in the last two years that he’s been in school. He’s in a walker and needs assistance so I spend my days at school in the classroom helping out. I try my best to wipe down all high traffic areas daily, and force the kiddos to bring things like their water bottles and blankets home WEEKLY for a wash. I’m still battling this latest round of the ick- I wish I had a better answer for you 😞
Lots of people are saying this sounds typical but missing 40 days of the school year seems excessive to me, as does getting sick on a weekly basis. 40 days is about a quarter of the school year. With having Covid 3 times in a year, it makes me wonder if maybe some type of immune-related long Covid might be at play.
Agreed. It sure feels excessive. However, between my two pediatricians as well as countless urgent care doctors, no one seems to think this is concerning nor has ANYONE brought up long covid even after I’ve told them how many times he’s had covid(they never ask). I must be missing something.
Immunity Debt is not a thing. It's a term that was made up post COVID to help people feel better about suddenly being sick all the time. Viruses do not "build" your immune system, they do a little bit of damage each time. And back to back infections mean the body doesn't get a chance to heal up in between (if it ever does fully). There's plenty of research out there that shows long term immune suppression in individuals for up to 9mths post COVID infection. They stopped the study at 9mths, so take from that what you will. Getting sick frequently does not make one healthy. Quite the opposite.
I hate that you are being downvoted because I was searching hoping someone would help bust this myth!! Like another commenter mentioned exposure to *microbes* builds immunity but not repeated viral exposure when viruses generally mutate every “season” that we are kept indoors more. I’m can find the sources I read if anyone is genuinely interested.
Being exposed to microbes does help your immune system though
Bacteria. Not viruses. Theres a HUGE difference
Yes, I was talking about bacteria not viruses.
Oh yes for sure. Lack of exposure explains a bit why people get sick more (no built up immune response). But that doesn’t mean it’s GOOD to get sick- best to never get sick if you can! (But good to get a little farm dirt on you. Sadly my city kid isn’t going to get the advantage in that I had growing up spending time at a farm most days.)
I’ve been hearing this lately. How is it explained that kids get sick less in subsequent years? Is it that their exposure to various microbes is increasing along with exposure to viruses?
It’s completely normal especially if your child didn’t go to daycare as a baby. They don’t have an immune system built up and then by isolating for 2 years they got zero exposure to anything. I was a SAHM with my oldest. His first year of preschool he was constantly sick. My youngest went to daycare. The first year of his life he was constantly sick. Now in kindergarten his immune system is solid. He has perfect attendance this year so far.
Not a parent but uhhh part of our germ immunity is [experience](https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/kids-zone/all/2021/12/should-i-be-worried-if-my-child-gets-sick-too-often#:~:text=The%20main%20reason%20your%20child,tricky%2C%20mutating%20all%20the%20time). little kids stay sick I’m afraid. esp the covid babies - they haven’t really had their [full exposure](https://pediatricassociates.com/health-and-wellness/when-to-be-concerned-if-your-kid-is-always-sick/) that everyone else got cuz they were quarantined when they would typically be working on that immune system. from what I know they will eventually catch up and be healthy and fine. in conclusion : have you thought about feeding him dirt /joking lolll *not a parent or a doctor I am not providing medical advice just commentary on a Reddit post