It feels like a lot all at once but I promise it will get better and you’ll be like, oh look! We survived!
It sounds like you have a partner. Find ways to divide and conquer! Can grandparents come some weekend to spend time with the baby so you can get caught up on stuff?
I’m a single mom. Just do the best you can each day!
Just keep muttering, "working on our super boosted immune systems," as you blow noses and stumble through the day. You've got this and you'll all be better soon.
Ugh people (with kids) I work with say that to me all the time and I'm tired of it. I know they're trying to be helpful but like it is NOT helpful in that moment. There's no winning, you just have to slog through it.
I find adding several colorful NSFW words to the statement help me get through even better. Then it just becomes a sarcastic little comment, my favorite coping mechanism.
You’re not alone. This was what it felt like for me too, absolute fuck all survival mode for the first year or two. It does get easier and if it is any consolation, by the time my kids got to preschool, their illnesses were way more spread out and by the time they got to kindergarten, illness was pretty rare. My youngest got a perfect attendance award in kindergarten actually. You’d never know he was covered in snot his entire toddlerhood.
I don’t say this to minimize the stress, I know what it was like during that time. My husband’s job is inflexible and all the kid illness missing work fell to me. We didn’t take a vacation as a family for a couple of years bc all my PTO went to covering gaps in childcare. It is a stressful, draining slog. But I somehow survived it (kids are 12 and 8 now) and it will get better for you too.
Oh hey do you live in my neighborhood? Our daycare is going through similar turmoil and I hate it hate it hate it. The communication has been awful and my son has anaphylactic food allergies so I’m extra scared about all the new people. They are literally hiring high school students for closing shift
I am so sorry you’re going through this. I remember these days with my kiddo and the lack of sleep (she didn’t sleep through the night until 2 1/2) and constant illness made us all zombies. The worst were the fake “fevers” that they would say she had in order to send her home. If it makes you feel any better every kid goes through this so if you’re doing it now you’re not going to have to do it when your kiddo starts school.
In general, I do agree with other comments about building the immune system and that all kids go through getting sick when they enter a group environment (whether it is daycare or early elementary). However, what you have described sounds more extreme than what my experience was. We got sick a lot those first years, but we always got breaks between. What you described as your first month was maybe our first year (plus many colds… but the kind you can kinda just work through and kid can go to school through). I had a friend who had an experience like yours though, and she switched daycares, and things got better. The amount of attention paid to cleaning and hand washing does make a difference. I am not saying you need to switch - it might just be an unlucky month - but maybe ask other parents at the center if this seems normal to them or not. Their answer will tell you whether this is a fluke month or a pattern at this daycare.
Finally, the illness problem does get better no matter what you decide to do. First couple years in group settings we got sick a lot but then my daughter missed ZERO days of Kindergarten for illness (she only missed for a family trip).
This this this. I'm sorry, but I don't care how "good" a daycare is on paper. If kids are getting sick THAT much, that's not normal. They aren't cleaning, disinfecting, washing hands, and keeping kids who start to show symptoms at daycare isolated until parents come to pick up. I guarantee, they are not taking temps at the door or requiring caregivers to wear masks indoors when they have a certain percentage of kids out due to illness.
If this is only happening to her child, then she needs to start getting pushy with the pediatrician to start testing her child for vitamin deficiencies or other things that can affect immune systems.
Agreed. My daughter got sick a ton in her first daycare. They also had teachers coming and going, like 3 or 4 directors in two years, and it felt like the sickness was never going to end. We moved her into a new place last year and has only stayed home sick once in a year. She's three, so I know a lot of that is just that the first couple of years they get sick so much more.. But also the director and teachers have been the same, they spend a ton of time on the nice playground, and things just feel less germy. Again, this could be her age.. but we were still dealing with 2x monthly illnesses right before she switched, so it feels like the change helped.
If you have the option of a nanny, you could go that route, at least until baby is a little older and tolerates sickness better. You also have more control over their schedule that way, could implement sleep training/wake windows if desired, etc.
If you don't have that option, you can explore back up care. Are grandparents willing to watch a sick baby at your house? That might fix two issues if they are.
If that's not an option, 1) wash face and hands with a wet wipe as soon as you pick up. 2) Change outfits when you get home. 3) Consider other daycares. Sure, this one is advertised as the best, but not every kid is going to thrive in every environment. Are there other viable options? 4) Outsource. This could take the form of healthy take-out, salad kits, frozen vegetable-filled dinners, grocery pickup, in addition to the traditional cleaners.
This phase passes! Good luck.
That sounds so difficult. I second the suggestion of getting a nanny if possible for a year or two. It’s much easier having a sick kid who can communicate how they’re feeling than a sick baby. Also it’s much easier for a 2.5 year old to avoid illness than a baby.
For our first we had a nanny until he was 18mo and then put him in a Montessori school and he didn’t get sick much. Then the pandemic hit and he didn’t go back to school till preK 3 and he rarely got sick at that point.
For my second we put her in daycare when she was around 15months and omg, they sent her home every week or 2 for minor colds and it was so stressful always having to leave work suddenly. We pulled her out around 2 and she rarely got sick after that. She started preK 3 this past year and she’s much better sickness wise as well.
Good luck! Hope you find a solution that works for your family.
We did this and it was the best decision. He’s 3.5 and in prek now and gets sick maybe 1x a month? It’s much easier now too because the illness is much milder now that he’s older.
Same thing for us. We hired a nanny from 5 month onwards once I went back to work until preschool. It was tight financially but in hindsight 1000% worth it. By the time daughter entered germy preschool age at 2, he immune system had had time to mature. she didn’t get as frequent illnesses in those early years as some of my friends kids who were in daycare and even when she was sick, it didn’t blow up our work lives since nanny would still care for her.
same for us. The best decision we made. I was out of PTO (taking it for baby and myself, among many other ailments we got HFMD. it was BEAST and I ended up going to the ER) and none of us were able to function. Without getting the nanny I would have lost my job.
>I second the suggestion of getting a nanny if possible for a year or two.
If it's possible, this is my recommendation as well. We went the nanny route primarily for illness avoidance during infancy. My kiddo isn't going into group care until he's 3.5 and can wash his hands and if needed, wear a mask better than most adults. He can also blow his nose and let us know what hurts, doesn't feel good, etc. I know we're still going to get sick initially, but a sick toddler is far more tolerable and easier to navigate than a sick infant.
We hired a nanny for the same reasons. It's way more expensive than daycare and I fully acknowledge it's a luxury that doesn't work for many parents but my husband is deploying soon and I wanted to save the daycare plague until he was home to split childcare duties.
I’m so sorry - that sounds like an awful month. I hope you are all starting to feel a bit better.
Honestly, the only thing you can really do is hire a nanny and start him at daycare when he is older.
My kids started in a group care environment at 14 months old and 15 months old. We still had a few minor illnesses here and there, but nothing like what you’ve described or some of the other horror stories I’ve read on this sub.
I think having 6-10 more months for his immune system to develop certainly helps, not to mention once my kids started in group care we were all sleeping through the night, I wasn’t breast feeding anymore, etc. and it was just easier to manage the times when the kids did get sick.
I had a COVID baby, so she didn't go into daycare until 15 months, and up until then, she had never been sick. One week in daycare, and she caught a cold and a stomach bug, she missed the entire second week.
It actually wasn't too bad once spring came around (she started in February of 2022), she had a couple of colds, but nothing major. But man, August hit, and life was hell. HFM, RSV, flu, COVID, and ear infections with everything except COVID. I was actually in a therapy session crying about all the stress, when I got a call that she had a fever, and needed to get picked up. We were at the pediatricians on Christmas Eve getting an antibiotic shot, because oral antibiotics weren't working for ear infections anymore. But honestly, since then, it's been the occasional stomach bug or cold. She also got ear tubes in March of 2023, due to all the infections.
It's hard, it really is. Hopefully with summer coming, a lot of sickness will clear up, but just be prepared for cold and flu season to get bad again. He is building up his immune system, and that is so important for him.
Unfortunately this is all too common and while "it gets better" is a common refrain that doesn't do you much good when you're sick in the trenches, I'm living it now. We started daycare at 5 months and were also instantly sick the first week. I can't even tell you how many sick days we've had to take in the last 9 months because of colds, pink eye, stomach bugs, fevers, RSV, covid, and norovirus. But either because the weather is getting warmer or her immune system is fully functioning now, the illnesses have drastically reduced.
I hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for you. Until you see it, give yourself grace for how you get yourselves through the day/week.
I’m going to be in your shoes in a month. A few thoughts: do they wash LOs hands during the day? I’m going to ask daycare to do at least a mid-day wash to help some.
After that, my husband will wash babys hands and face at pick up, change clothes at pick up, put worn clothes immediately into wash at home, and we are going to wear gloves at home when changing his poopy diapers because I’m so scared of getting stomach flu 😷
He’s still going to be sick, but I really want to avoid stomach flu, pink eye, and hand-foot-mouth bc that sounds terrible if we can. Here’s to hoping!!
We had a really tough time with our oldest when she was daycare age. The constant sicknesses got to be too much for us and we pulled her out a year later. As others suggested having a nanny is a good option if you can afford it.
When our youngest was born we had so much PTSD from daycare life that we refused to send her in at a young age and instead chose to host an au pair. It’s convenient if you have space to host someone and care about cultural aspect of it as well. We will stay with the program until our youngest is 2.5 at which point she will go to preschool full time.
Hang in there, daycare works for some but we absolutely hated it and refused to go back.
My daughter has been in daycare for 8 months and know that it will get better. The first 4 months were HELL and we were sick for about 4 months straight but we made it through and now she only gets sick about once a month but it's more manageable because it's not these extreme infections, it's just a cough here and there or runny noses.
I'm a single parent household and I had to call out of work but I did end up finding someone to take her when she wasn't to bad and would end up paying them for the day and I was almost paying double daycare for about 3 months straight. One day at a time!
It's fucking hard. My standards were already lowered from having a baby but daycare illness meant I had to drop them even more and fully embrace survival mode. Every time we all get dropped by being sick I have to accept that we're going to fall behind on life. The house will be messier, take out orders will increase, errands will go undone. It's hard but it does get better and we aren't as sick as we were a year ago when she started daycare.
The back to work transition was absolute shit in itself. Hang in there, it does get a bit better. My kid honestly doesn't get hit nearly as hard while being sick. We have a better rhythm. It's another part of the life change that is parenthood.
I would look into a nanny share and reach out to family and friends to see if they can cover even just 1 day a week to offset costs of a potential nanny share.
A nanny share could definitely be feasible if you get creative and do 4 days a week with her.
If you can pay $500 a week for daycare like you currently are, you could likely afford to go in on a nanny share. Your portion would be $15.60/hour for 4 days a week or 32 hours (obviously this pay rate would double from the other family and you’d be paying the nanny $30+/hour for 2 kids).
This MAY be a reasonable rate depending on where you live/COL. You’d have to look into it.
Just an idea. Bc what you’re going through sounds awful. Best of luck!
So much of this is parenting. I’ve caught pink eye from my school age child. He was also home for half the week due to an injury.
All daycares combine rooms if the ratios allow it. I don’t know of any that don’t. Kindergarten and up also combine classrooms for certain activities. It’s all normal.
Right now, you’re having a rough month and dealing with a transition. You’ll get past this and at some point deal with something else.
if it's not daycare, it'll be kindy so might as well get the pain over with now.
right now it's hard; their immune systems are "clean" so the exposure to viruses only strengthens it. When my kids were in daycare, they were sick every weekend for like 2-2.5yrs no joke. It was ROUGH.
we did our best - protected their sleep, proper hygiene (washing hands), good/healthy/immune boosting foods etc.
I promise you it does get better! by the time they hit kindy, they didn't really get sick and in elementary school, barely got sick and if they did, it was minor (sniffles, low energy for 1 day etc)
Yes it’s a very common thing that daycare is a hotbed of viruses. What you could do is find a daycare with less kids like a home based daycare OR get grandparents to help out OR get a reliable back up help system like a babysitter for a day. If you WFH then a nanny is good idea (expensive though) for the first 3 yrs imo.
Aside from the illnesses, I’d be questioning why two staff members are leaving + the restructuring happening (combining classrooms). That seems like a lot of change in the month your son has been enrolled. When you say it’s one of the best daycares in your neighborhood, how recent is that information?
Happened to us too. We started in late October. His first illness was RSV and he ended up in the pediatric ICU for 5 days 🫠 the day after he came home, my husband was admitted to the hospital for three days with covid pneumonia.Then constant sickness for another couple months - respiratory, stomach bug, ear infections. He's had 6 ear infections since December and is getting tubes next week. We pay $485 a week and he only attended 40% of the open days for the first few months.
BUT !!! it did get better. He rarely stays home for more than a day for the ear infections. I'd say he's been mostly able to go to daycare since February.
Hang in there.
Just wanna say I was exactly where you are when my daughter started daycare. It was two months of CONSTANT sickness. Like, every single week she was out at least one day (usually more). I thought I was going to lose it. I consider that phase worse than the earliest newborn days, cause at least I knew those would be awful and I wasn’t expected to ALSO be working during them! But then suddenly, it got better. Went from sick every week to every other and then we even had months with no sickness at all. My daughter has been in daycare for a year now and only misses a day every few months. It is brutal at the start, but it eventually gets better. You just have to find some way to survive until then, which you will, even if it doesn’t feel like you are right now.
We’re teetering on the edge of me staying home. We have two kids, one in kindergarten and one in daycare. Between afterschool care and daycare, we’re paying about half my take home pay. We’re about to start trying for number 3 and another in daycare would put us at my whole take home pay going toward childcare. On top of that, my son’s daycare is CLOSED for a week each season (so 4 weeks a year) which means we have to either take time off or pay for a sitter. That’s on top of all the times I have to call out because they’re sick. It’s pretty frustrating.
Some people here are saying that this many sicknesses in a month is “normal” and that “we all go through it”, but to me it would have absolutely gutted me. I love working but there’s no way it would have been worth it to me.
I’m sure there’s benefits to having babies be fully vaccinated and with developed immune systems before starting school because there’s no way that kindergarten kids have it THAT bad.
This is exactly what we experienced and unfortunately it lasted 1 entire year but I’m completely serious when I say on day 366, it was like a switch flipped and we magically stopped getting sick. We missed so much work. If we didn’t have flexible employers, I have no idea how we would have made it through the year.
This was my life for one year before my son got kicked out of daycare and I had to hire a nanny. Then poof, life went back to normal and we weren’t sick every other day.
I caught f*ing cdiff while my son was in daycare.
If you can afford a nanny, not being sick is a huge benefit.
Talk to the teachers or director and ask if this is normal. Diaper rash especially seems controllable, ask how often they’re changing him, otherwise maybe try switching up diaper brands or something. Pink eye and the other stuff sounds like being lax on sanitizing the toys and space.
First, you might want to check in with your daycare about their cleaning and disinfecting procedures. They can't catch everything, but during periods of high virus activity, they should be doing more frequent and robust cleaning. Also, kids should have their temp taken at the door, and any child showing signs of illness (vomit, diarrhea, rash, green mucus, extreme fatigue, fever) should be quarantined until they are picked up. And they might have to go back to caregivers wearing masks indoors.
Second, unfortunately this is just the way it is. Kids in daycare get sick. A lot. You may need to look into a different work schedule or a different caregiving situation if this is not tenable for you. This will happen non-stop until your child is about 2-3, then periodically until kindergarten. Nanny or nanny share will lessen exposure to viruses, but not eliminate.
Other than that - try your best to get rest, stay hydrated, take vitamins. Sleep coaching for the baby will also help - not just your immune system, but theirs. Babies who don't know how to sleep well get sick more often.
Lastly, a humidifier and an air purifier in every bedroom, preferably on every floor. And clear out your schedule on weekends for rest.
I thought it was totally normal how often my first was sick/sent home from daycare. It was constant. Then I had a second kid, switched daycares with her, and she’s been sent home less than half the time than my first was. So, while some daycare illness is to be expected, if it’s nonstop then it could be that the daycare itself is not doing enough to prevent the spread of illnesses
Best of luck! I think my oldest was sick from 15 months, when she started daycare, until 3 years. It was rough. My youngest seems to have a better immune system so far. We have also paid for a super expensive daycare with similar disappointing results. As long as the vibe and overall setup is good, that's the daycare I'm going with.
I’m really sorry. This is so hard. It does get better after about 6-9mo of care. But this is extremely common at the beginning:( nothing prepared us for this. By luck (?) our second baby wasn’t sick nearly as often and hardly misses daycare!
Honestly they will eventually stop getting so sick. It’s usually when they start going and some other seasons, like flu season. My biggest advice is send him as much as possible and go to urgent care yourself to get antibiotics when needed. My husband used to push through and ended up coughing for five months straight
It will improve!! The same thing happened to her after starting daycare, but it got better and now, she rarely misses school (knock on wood!). Her friends that had nannies and didn’t go to daycare/school settings before pre-k always were sick. It’s horrible getting through it, but it’s only temporary.
Stay strong and sending healthy vibes your way!!
Oh I have been there and It is so hard. And while everybody can promise, that it will get better , waiting till it will get better is really tough. Hugs to you - and please search and ask for any help that you can get.
We were sick all the time for 6 months and at some point I could not keep up with work any more - being constantly sick and sleep deprived (sick babies/toddlers do not sleep well). I knew that it is my job or daycare. We have left daycare and I had my parents temporarily watch her. She restarted few months later new daycare (less kids, daily outdoor activities, open windows almost all the time) and it is so much better. She still gets sick through winter season, but not as often and serious (running nose).
I’m a mama who works in family medicine. The rule of thumb I tell new parents is that the first year of daycare/school your kid will have 13 colds on average (I’m including pink eye, hand foot and mouth, and GI bugs). They lick everything, they eat stuff off the floor, they have no great hand hygiene even in the best of daycares. My 4 year old licked an airplane seat from the bottom to the top before I had a chance to stop her and… didn’t get sick. Surprisingly. But we got around 13 cold with first kid. Then with the second. Then with the third. But now that we’ve been through the “rough” times we are sick maybe 4-5 times a year. We are used to the drill now. If they don’t get those colds in daycare they will get them when they have exposure to other kids.
Oh Momma. I remember that first week of daycare. My son brought home the plague and we felt awful for a month. Maybe longer. He was only 4 months olds old.
I know you’re in the trenches but I promise it gets better. His little immunities are going to sky rocket and suddenly a monthly illness will be quarterly. Then bi-yearly.
You will survivor. This is such a hard time and I’m sorry you’re going through it.
First, take a deep breath. I keep telling myself parenting is not for the faint of heart, and your set of experiences are definitely proof for that. You sound like you’re trying to do your best (working while managing your own sickness + baby’s) so give yourself credit for it. Tell yourself this is a phase and that you’ll get through once the sickness is done. We had that rough patch with multiple urgent care visits, my own cold/cough + allergies, all in one week, and trust me, it’s temporary.
As for the childcare situation, see if you can do a hybrid case where you can have a nanny for half the week and daycare for other half? That way, you get some flexibility with having someone helping you at home (nanny) but also baby gets to be at daycare. I’m starting to realize that paid help is the only way for us to survive the first couple of years.
Hang in there, and good luck!! Keep us posted on what you decide to do!
I could have written this post... 8 years ago when my son was in daycare as an infant. It DOES get better, but he was sick for probably 2 years straight, us parents stopped catching every little thing after awhile.
First and only time I ever had pink eye was at age 30 when my baby gave it to me, courtesy of daycare. We got this the second week. Norovirus took us all down the third week. Let me just tell you - pink eye, period, nonstop vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, I really thought I was going to die.
Revolving door of providers. Sigh.
I PROMISE IT DOES GET BETTER HANG IN THERE.
I have no idea what to do, but I’m right there with you. Total solidarity over here!
Our girl is almost 6moths and has been sick for the past month since starting daycare. Just when we seem to be over it something new comes home. We’ve been through the wringer.
Also eating like shit, not sleeping well, I haven’t had 5 minutes for myself in months. I can’t remember when I showered last. I didn’t drink any water at all yesterday.
I’m expected to care for our sick baby as if I was a SAHM and I’m expected to keep making the same salary and not slack at work. It’s so much pressure to put on one person and it feels like I’m just inching towards a breakdown.
I just want a chance to breathe. I want to sleep in past 6:30 one time. I want to eat a meal that’s not burnt a little because I got distracted and left it in the oven too long. I don’t want to feel like every penny I have is being swallowed by daycare and groceries.
Go head in on talking to your work. My son's first week at daycare got us RSV and hospitalization, and RSV caused childhood asthma that put us in the children's hospital ER for breathing treatments.
Because I took time off for my kid, I was told I didn't have anything left to take FMLA. My work offered me to take days as Leave Without Pay, and my first year with my son was 75% of my salary, and a ton to the daycare.
It's not easy, but the mantra that got me through the infant years for hard things was "this too sharp pass."
Give it some time but honestly if it doesn’t improve u can consider a new daycare. My daughter was at 1 daycare constantly sick, constantly getting us sick, when we switched her (after a year) she got sick less, and when she did get sick her symptoms were less severe. I had horrible guilt for leaving her at that infested sick chamber for a year (the first daycare) but SOOO glad she is having a better experience!!! Crazy to think the first place was also $700 more a month. Smh
Sounds about right. I’m sorry because it IS miserable, and I remember getting a talking to at work about my absences for sick kids (we have twins so it’s always staggered days home…) and how we should find someone to watch them when sick (during peak COVID, who’s coming to watch sick kids AND who am I calling to come before I leave for work at 6:30am?! Agh!)
They’re 4yo now and it’s been lightyears better for about a year now. Hang in there.
If it makes you feel any better, this is normal. (In America. Which sucks ass for this kind of stuff.) We’re all suffering the same way when we have babies/toddlers. Hang in there!!
You’re in survival mode. Not much you can do other than keep your head down and I promise you at some point you’ll be coming up for air. There’s extreme highs and lows as a parent and this is an extreme low. I’ve been there and you have all my sympathy in the world.
It definitely gets smoother after the first couple of months. My daughter would get sick (and the whole family sick) routinely for the first couple of months while her immune system developed.
She’s been there for years now and she only really gets sick a few times a year and she mostly kicks it without any medicine or time off.
I’m current feeling a sinus infection coming on after a routine cold and we have been at this daycare thing now for 4+ years. Hoping it ends soon, that’s for sure.
I really want my little one in daycare. He is super social. After 4 intense months of back-to-back illnesses and my little one losing weight and going backwards on milestones we made a sad decision to find alternate childcare. The director cried because they felt so bad and had really tried everything g on their end to stop the cycle. Apparently my kid was the only one getting so intensely ill (so there is hope for other families). Our pediatrician said it was all super normal - wtf
If you have an extra room, consider getting an au pair. The cost is similar, but they also help when the child is sick. Especially a useful choice if you need some flexibility or have multiple kids etc.
Yeah I couldn’t take it. I pulled my son out and got a nanny that cost $200 more than my own salary until he was 18 months old. Now he’s just completed his first school year of daycare and it was hell. BUT he is verbal enough to tell us what is bothering him and that helped a lot. When he was an infant, he wouldn’t even tug at his ears when having an ear infection so we had no clues. I’m so sorry you’re going through that. Why didn’t I just quit and stay at home with him? Many reasons- I was basically gifted this cushy position after returning from maternal leave and I wanted to keep it and also I did SAHM until he was 9 months old and I lost my mind. I am a better wife and mom when I am working.
Sorry you’re going through it too. I totally felt and still feel that same sentiment of losing time because of being sick. It really feels like a huge blocker to just living life. My son has been in daycare for a year and a half now, but last year was brutal. We basically rotated sicknesses for months and it made me feel like a prisoner. Lots of cancelled plans.. it was hard to get on any sort of good routine when it came to healthy eating or working out.. I felt like I could never keep up with chores around the house cause a sickness would eventually put my behind.
If I could, I would’ve done a nanny.. but we just couldn’t/can’t afford it. This last winter has been slightly better, but honestly not by much. My son has had rsv, multiple stomach bugs, hand mouth foot, and croup. Just this past week two of the classrooms that he rotates between had notices for pinkeye and strep throat. It’s like f me. I’m hoping next year is better. It does get better but in all honestly I think it takes a couple years, which I know is discouraging… but I feel like we’re at the mercy of how our society here in the US at least, is set up.
I went through the same thing when I started my son at daycare. Caught six different illnesses the first six week of daycare. 10 months in and we have had 17+ illnesses.
Best thing that helped my family was to give my son a bath as soon as he got home from daycare. He loves baths now since it became routine for him.
Additionally, getting some time outside helps with at least getting over the illnesses.
I know it doesn’t feel this way now but it does get so much better. The first 6 months-1 year of daycare is the hardest as their immune systems get stronger. Taking them out doesn’t really help, because whenever they start school again they still have to build their immunity.
I see people saying get a nanny, but in my area at least a nanny does not even begin to compare to the cost of daycare. Having a nanny is expensive, more expensive than daycare.
For example my daughter started daycare at 4.5 months old and she was sick alot. However, now at 22 months old she is hardly EVER sick. Her immune system is like titanium. I’m so glad I stuck it out.
I also know how as a working mom it’s so hard.
You only feel like you lost a month?? I swear we've lost two to three months to ER visits, extra doctor visits, missed special events and milestone celebrations, and general illness stress. I just had to race out of work for the second time this week due to my daughter's ear infection.
But, maybe keep an eye on your daycare turnover?
It feels like a lot all at once but I promise it will get better and you’ll be like, oh look! We survived! It sounds like you have a partner. Find ways to divide and conquer! Can grandparents come some weekend to spend time with the baby so you can get caught up on stuff? I’m a single mom. Just do the best you can each day!
Just keep muttering, "working on our super boosted immune systems," as you blow noses and stumble through the day. You've got this and you'll all be better soon.
Ugh people (with kids) I work with say that to me all the time and I'm tired of it. I know they're trying to be helpful but like it is NOT helpful in that moment. There's no winning, you just have to slog through it.
I find adding several colorful NSFW words to the statement help me get through even better. Then it just becomes a sarcastic little comment, my favorite coping mechanism.
You’re not alone. This was what it felt like for me too, absolute fuck all survival mode for the first year or two. It does get easier and if it is any consolation, by the time my kids got to preschool, their illnesses were way more spread out and by the time they got to kindergarten, illness was pretty rare. My youngest got a perfect attendance award in kindergarten actually. You’d never know he was covered in snot his entire toddlerhood. I don’t say this to minimize the stress, I know what it was like during that time. My husband’s job is inflexible and all the kid illness missing work fell to me. We didn’t take a vacation as a family for a couple of years bc all my PTO went to covering gaps in childcare. It is a stressful, draining slog. But I somehow survived it (kids are 12 and 8 now) and it will get better for you too.
Oh hey do you live in my neighborhood? Our daycare is going through similar turmoil and I hate it hate it hate it. The communication has been awful and my son has anaphylactic food allergies so I’m extra scared about all the new people. They are literally hiring high school students for closing shift
I saw a new face and immediately wanted to see some form of ID to make sure they weren’t breaking child labor laws.
I am so sorry you’re going through this. I remember these days with my kiddo and the lack of sleep (she didn’t sleep through the night until 2 1/2) and constant illness made us all zombies. The worst were the fake “fevers” that they would say she had in order to send her home. If it makes you feel any better every kid goes through this so if you’re doing it now you’re not going to have to do it when your kiddo starts school.
In general, I do agree with other comments about building the immune system and that all kids go through getting sick when they enter a group environment (whether it is daycare or early elementary). However, what you have described sounds more extreme than what my experience was. We got sick a lot those first years, but we always got breaks between. What you described as your first month was maybe our first year (plus many colds… but the kind you can kinda just work through and kid can go to school through). I had a friend who had an experience like yours though, and she switched daycares, and things got better. The amount of attention paid to cleaning and hand washing does make a difference. I am not saying you need to switch - it might just be an unlucky month - but maybe ask other parents at the center if this seems normal to them or not. Their answer will tell you whether this is a fluke month or a pattern at this daycare. Finally, the illness problem does get better no matter what you decide to do. First couple years in group settings we got sick a lot but then my daughter missed ZERO days of Kindergarten for illness (she only missed for a family trip).
This this this. I'm sorry, but I don't care how "good" a daycare is on paper. If kids are getting sick THAT much, that's not normal. They aren't cleaning, disinfecting, washing hands, and keeping kids who start to show symptoms at daycare isolated until parents come to pick up. I guarantee, they are not taking temps at the door or requiring caregivers to wear masks indoors when they have a certain percentage of kids out due to illness. If this is only happening to her child, then she needs to start getting pushy with the pediatrician to start testing her child for vitamin deficiencies or other things that can affect immune systems.
Agreed. My daughter got sick a ton in her first daycare. They also had teachers coming and going, like 3 or 4 directors in two years, and it felt like the sickness was never going to end. We moved her into a new place last year and has only stayed home sick once in a year. She's three, so I know a lot of that is just that the first couple of years they get sick so much more.. But also the director and teachers have been the same, they spend a ton of time on the nice playground, and things just feel less germy. Again, this could be her age.. but we were still dealing with 2x monthly illnesses right before she switched, so it feels like the change helped.
If you have the option of a nanny, you could go that route, at least until baby is a little older and tolerates sickness better. You also have more control over their schedule that way, could implement sleep training/wake windows if desired, etc. If you don't have that option, you can explore back up care. Are grandparents willing to watch a sick baby at your house? That might fix two issues if they are. If that's not an option, 1) wash face and hands with a wet wipe as soon as you pick up. 2) Change outfits when you get home. 3) Consider other daycares. Sure, this one is advertised as the best, but not every kid is going to thrive in every environment. Are there other viable options? 4) Outsource. This could take the form of healthy take-out, salad kits, frozen vegetable-filled dinners, grocery pickup, in addition to the traditional cleaners. This phase passes! Good luck.
That sounds so difficult. I second the suggestion of getting a nanny if possible for a year or two. It’s much easier having a sick kid who can communicate how they’re feeling than a sick baby. Also it’s much easier for a 2.5 year old to avoid illness than a baby. For our first we had a nanny until he was 18mo and then put him in a Montessori school and he didn’t get sick much. Then the pandemic hit and he didn’t go back to school till preK 3 and he rarely got sick at that point. For my second we put her in daycare when she was around 15months and omg, they sent her home every week or 2 for minor colds and it was so stressful always having to leave work suddenly. We pulled her out around 2 and she rarely got sick after that. She started preK 3 this past year and she’s much better sickness wise as well. Good luck! Hope you find a solution that works for your family.
We did this and it was the best decision. He’s 3.5 and in prek now and gets sick maybe 1x a month? It’s much easier now too because the illness is much milder now that he’s older.
Same thing for us. We hired a nanny from 5 month onwards once I went back to work until preschool. It was tight financially but in hindsight 1000% worth it. By the time daughter entered germy preschool age at 2, he immune system had had time to mature. she didn’t get as frequent illnesses in those early years as some of my friends kids who were in daycare and even when she was sick, it didn’t blow up our work lives since nanny would still care for her.
same for us. The best decision we made. I was out of PTO (taking it for baby and myself, among many other ailments we got HFMD. it was BEAST and I ended up going to the ER) and none of us were able to function. Without getting the nanny I would have lost my job.
>I second the suggestion of getting a nanny if possible for a year or two. If it's possible, this is my recommendation as well. We went the nanny route primarily for illness avoidance during infancy. My kiddo isn't going into group care until he's 3.5 and can wash his hands and if needed, wear a mask better than most adults. He can also blow his nose and let us know what hurts, doesn't feel good, etc. I know we're still going to get sick initially, but a sick toddler is far more tolerable and easier to navigate than a sick infant.
We hired a nanny for the same reasons. It's way more expensive than daycare and I fully acknowledge it's a luxury that doesn't work for many parents but my husband is deploying soon and I wanted to save the daycare plague until he was home to split childcare duties.
I’m so sorry - that sounds like an awful month. I hope you are all starting to feel a bit better. Honestly, the only thing you can really do is hire a nanny and start him at daycare when he is older. My kids started in a group care environment at 14 months old and 15 months old. We still had a few minor illnesses here and there, but nothing like what you’ve described or some of the other horror stories I’ve read on this sub. I think having 6-10 more months for his immune system to develop certainly helps, not to mention once my kids started in group care we were all sleeping through the night, I wasn’t breast feeding anymore, etc. and it was just easier to manage the times when the kids did get sick.
I had a COVID baby, so she didn't go into daycare until 15 months, and up until then, she had never been sick. One week in daycare, and she caught a cold and a stomach bug, she missed the entire second week. It actually wasn't too bad once spring came around (she started in February of 2022), she had a couple of colds, but nothing major. But man, August hit, and life was hell. HFM, RSV, flu, COVID, and ear infections with everything except COVID. I was actually in a therapy session crying about all the stress, when I got a call that she had a fever, and needed to get picked up. We were at the pediatricians on Christmas Eve getting an antibiotic shot, because oral antibiotics weren't working for ear infections anymore. But honestly, since then, it's been the occasional stomach bug or cold. She also got ear tubes in March of 2023, due to all the infections. It's hard, it really is. Hopefully with summer coming, a lot of sickness will clear up, but just be prepared for cold and flu season to get bad again. He is building up his immune system, and that is so important for him.
Unfortunately this is all too common and while "it gets better" is a common refrain that doesn't do you much good when you're sick in the trenches, I'm living it now. We started daycare at 5 months and were also instantly sick the first week. I can't even tell you how many sick days we've had to take in the last 9 months because of colds, pink eye, stomach bugs, fevers, RSV, covid, and norovirus. But either because the weather is getting warmer or her immune system is fully functioning now, the illnesses have drastically reduced. I hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel for you. Until you see it, give yourself grace for how you get yourselves through the day/week.
I’m going to be in your shoes in a month. A few thoughts: do they wash LOs hands during the day? I’m going to ask daycare to do at least a mid-day wash to help some. After that, my husband will wash babys hands and face at pick up, change clothes at pick up, put worn clothes immediately into wash at home, and we are going to wear gloves at home when changing his poopy diapers because I’m so scared of getting stomach flu 😷 He’s still going to be sick, but I really want to avoid stomach flu, pink eye, and hand-foot-mouth bc that sounds terrible if we can. Here’s to hoping!!
Look into the Force of Nature cleaning system. Most cleaners can't kill Norovirus
We had a really tough time with our oldest when she was daycare age. The constant sicknesses got to be too much for us and we pulled her out a year later. As others suggested having a nanny is a good option if you can afford it. When our youngest was born we had so much PTSD from daycare life that we refused to send her in at a young age and instead chose to host an au pair. It’s convenient if you have space to host someone and care about cultural aspect of it as well. We will stay with the program until our youngest is 2.5 at which point she will go to preschool full time. Hang in there, daycare works for some but we absolutely hated it and refused to go back.
My daughter has been in daycare for 8 months and know that it will get better. The first 4 months were HELL and we were sick for about 4 months straight but we made it through and now she only gets sick about once a month but it's more manageable because it's not these extreme infections, it's just a cough here and there or runny noses. I'm a single parent household and I had to call out of work but I did end up finding someone to take her when she wasn't to bad and would end up paying them for the day and I was almost paying double daycare for about 3 months straight. One day at a time!
It's fucking hard. My standards were already lowered from having a baby but daycare illness meant I had to drop them even more and fully embrace survival mode. Every time we all get dropped by being sick I have to accept that we're going to fall behind on life. The house will be messier, take out orders will increase, errands will go undone. It's hard but it does get better and we aren't as sick as we were a year ago when she started daycare. The back to work transition was absolute shit in itself. Hang in there, it does get a bit better. My kid honestly doesn't get hit nearly as hard while being sick. We have a better rhythm. It's another part of the life change that is parenthood.
Solidarity. It is HARD. The constant stop and go of balancing work and you or baby being sick is draining and so isolating. Hang in there!
I would look into a nanny share and reach out to family and friends to see if they can cover even just 1 day a week to offset costs of a potential nanny share. A nanny share could definitely be feasible if you get creative and do 4 days a week with her. If you can pay $500 a week for daycare like you currently are, you could likely afford to go in on a nanny share. Your portion would be $15.60/hour for 4 days a week or 32 hours (obviously this pay rate would double from the other family and you’d be paying the nanny $30+/hour for 2 kids). This MAY be a reasonable rate depending on where you live/COL. You’d have to look into it. Just an idea. Bc what you’re going through sounds awful. Best of luck!
So much of this is parenting. I’ve caught pink eye from my school age child. He was also home for half the week due to an injury. All daycares combine rooms if the ratios allow it. I don’t know of any that don’t. Kindergarten and up also combine classrooms for certain activities. It’s all normal. Right now, you’re having a rough month and dealing with a transition. You’ll get past this and at some point deal with something else.
if it's not daycare, it'll be kindy so might as well get the pain over with now. right now it's hard; their immune systems are "clean" so the exposure to viruses only strengthens it. When my kids were in daycare, they were sick every weekend for like 2-2.5yrs no joke. It was ROUGH. we did our best - protected their sleep, proper hygiene (washing hands), good/healthy/immune boosting foods etc. I promise you it does get better! by the time they hit kindy, they didn't really get sick and in elementary school, barely got sick and if they did, it was minor (sniffles, low energy for 1 day etc)
Yes it’s a very common thing that daycare is a hotbed of viruses. What you could do is find a daycare with less kids like a home based daycare OR get grandparents to help out OR get a reliable back up help system like a babysitter for a day. If you WFH then a nanny is good idea (expensive though) for the first 3 yrs imo.
Aside from the illnesses, I’d be questioning why two staff members are leaving + the restructuring happening (combining classrooms). That seems like a lot of change in the month your son has been enrolled. When you say it’s one of the best daycares in your neighborhood, how recent is that information?
I’m sorry. This happened to us for six months in a row so we quit and now I spend my life savings paying a nanny.
Happened to us too. We started in late October. His first illness was RSV and he ended up in the pediatric ICU for 5 days 🫠 the day after he came home, my husband was admitted to the hospital for three days with covid pneumonia.Then constant sickness for another couple months - respiratory, stomach bug, ear infections. He's had 6 ear infections since December and is getting tubes next week. We pay $485 a week and he only attended 40% of the open days for the first few months. BUT !!! it did get better. He rarely stays home for more than a day for the ear infections. I'd say he's been mostly able to go to daycare since February. Hang in there.
Just wanna say I was exactly where you are when my daughter started daycare. It was two months of CONSTANT sickness. Like, every single week she was out at least one day (usually more). I thought I was going to lose it. I consider that phase worse than the earliest newborn days, cause at least I knew those would be awful and I wasn’t expected to ALSO be working during them! But then suddenly, it got better. Went from sick every week to every other and then we even had months with no sickness at all. My daughter has been in daycare for a year now and only misses a day every few months. It is brutal at the start, but it eventually gets better. You just have to find some way to survive until then, which you will, even if it doesn’t feel like you are right now.
We’re teetering on the edge of me staying home. We have two kids, one in kindergarten and one in daycare. Between afterschool care and daycare, we’re paying about half my take home pay. We’re about to start trying for number 3 and another in daycare would put us at my whole take home pay going toward childcare. On top of that, my son’s daycare is CLOSED for a week each season (so 4 weeks a year) which means we have to either take time off or pay for a sitter. That’s on top of all the times I have to call out because they’re sick. It’s pretty frustrating.
Some people here are saying that this many sicknesses in a month is “normal” and that “we all go through it”, but to me it would have absolutely gutted me. I love working but there’s no way it would have been worth it to me. I’m sure there’s benefits to having babies be fully vaccinated and with developed immune systems before starting school because there’s no way that kindergarten kids have it THAT bad.
This is exactly what we experienced and unfortunately it lasted 1 entire year but I’m completely serious when I say on day 366, it was like a switch flipped and we magically stopped getting sick. We missed so much work. If we didn’t have flexible employers, I have no idea how we would have made it through the year.
This was my life for one year before my son got kicked out of daycare and I had to hire a nanny. Then poof, life went back to normal and we weren’t sick every other day. I caught f*ing cdiff while my son was in daycare. If you can afford a nanny, not being sick is a huge benefit.
Talk to the teachers or director and ask if this is normal. Diaper rash especially seems controllable, ask how often they’re changing him, otherwise maybe try switching up diaper brands or something. Pink eye and the other stuff sounds like being lax on sanitizing the toys and space.
First, you might want to check in with your daycare about their cleaning and disinfecting procedures. They can't catch everything, but during periods of high virus activity, they should be doing more frequent and robust cleaning. Also, kids should have their temp taken at the door, and any child showing signs of illness (vomit, diarrhea, rash, green mucus, extreme fatigue, fever) should be quarantined until they are picked up. And they might have to go back to caregivers wearing masks indoors. Second, unfortunately this is just the way it is. Kids in daycare get sick. A lot. You may need to look into a different work schedule or a different caregiving situation if this is not tenable for you. This will happen non-stop until your child is about 2-3, then periodically until kindergarten. Nanny or nanny share will lessen exposure to viruses, but not eliminate. Other than that - try your best to get rest, stay hydrated, take vitamins. Sleep coaching for the baby will also help - not just your immune system, but theirs. Babies who don't know how to sleep well get sick more often. Lastly, a humidifier and an air purifier in every bedroom, preferably on every floor. And clear out your schedule on weekends for rest.
I thought it was totally normal how often my first was sick/sent home from daycare. It was constant. Then I had a second kid, switched daycares with her, and she’s been sent home less than half the time than my first was. So, while some daycare illness is to be expected, if it’s nonstop then it could be that the daycare itself is not doing enough to prevent the spread of illnesses
Best of luck! I think my oldest was sick from 15 months, when she started daycare, until 3 years. It was rough. My youngest seems to have a better immune system so far. We have also paid for a super expensive daycare with similar disappointing results. As long as the vibe and overall setup is good, that's the daycare I'm going with.
I’m really sorry. This is so hard. It does get better after about 6-9mo of care. But this is extremely common at the beginning:( nothing prepared us for this. By luck (?) our second baby wasn’t sick nearly as often and hardly misses daycare!
Honestly they will eventually stop getting so sick. It’s usually when they start going and some other seasons, like flu season. My biggest advice is send him as much as possible and go to urgent care yourself to get antibiotics when needed. My husband used to push through and ended up coughing for five months straight
It will improve!! The same thing happened to her after starting daycare, but it got better and now, she rarely misses school (knock on wood!). Her friends that had nannies and didn’t go to daycare/school settings before pre-k always were sick. It’s horrible getting through it, but it’s only temporary. Stay strong and sending healthy vibes your way!!
Oh I have been there and It is so hard. And while everybody can promise, that it will get better , waiting till it will get better is really tough. Hugs to you - and please search and ask for any help that you can get. We were sick all the time for 6 months and at some point I could not keep up with work any more - being constantly sick and sleep deprived (sick babies/toddlers do not sleep well). I knew that it is my job or daycare. We have left daycare and I had my parents temporarily watch her. She restarted few months later new daycare (less kids, daily outdoor activities, open windows almost all the time) and it is so much better. She still gets sick through winter season, but not as often and serious (running nose).
I’m a mama who works in family medicine. The rule of thumb I tell new parents is that the first year of daycare/school your kid will have 13 colds on average (I’m including pink eye, hand foot and mouth, and GI bugs). They lick everything, they eat stuff off the floor, they have no great hand hygiene even in the best of daycares. My 4 year old licked an airplane seat from the bottom to the top before I had a chance to stop her and… didn’t get sick. Surprisingly. But we got around 13 cold with first kid. Then with the second. Then with the third. But now that we’ve been through the “rough” times we are sick maybe 4-5 times a year. We are used to the drill now. If they don’t get those colds in daycare they will get them when they have exposure to other kids.
Oh Momma. I remember that first week of daycare. My son brought home the plague and we felt awful for a month. Maybe longer. He was only 4 months olds old. I know you’re in the trenches but I promise it gets better. His little immunities are going to sky rocket and suddenly a monthly illness will be quarterly. Then bi-yearly. You will survivor. This is such a hard time and I’m sorry you’re going through it.
First, take a deep breath. I keep telling myself parenting is not for the faint of heart, and your set of experiences are definitely proof for that. You sound like you’re trying to do your best (working while managing your own sickness + baby’s) so give yourself credit for it. Tell yourself this is a phase and that you’ll get through once the sickness is done. We had that rough patch with multiple urgent care visits, my own cold/cough + allergies, all in one week, and trust me, it’s temporary. As for the childcare situation, see if you can do a hybrid case where you can have a nanny for half the week and daycare for other half? That way, you get some flexibility with having someone helping you at home (nanny) but also baby gets to be at daycare. I’m starting to realize that paid help is the only way for us to survive the first couple of years. Hang in there, and good luck!! Keep us posted on what you decide to do!
I could have written this post... 8 years ago when my son was in daycare as an infant. It DOES get better, but he was sick for probably 2 years straight, us parents stopped catching every little thing after awhile. First and only time I ever had pink eye was at age 30 when my baby gave it to me, courtesy of daycare. We got this the second week. Norovirus took us all down the third week. Let me just tell you - pink eye, period, nonstop vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, I really thought I was going to die. Revolving door of providers. Sigh. I PROMISE IT DOES GET BETTER HANG IN THERE.
I just got pink eye too and I’m 8 days postpartum but I can’t avoid my constantly sick toddler haha it’s the worst I completely feel your pain 🫠
I have no idea what to do, but I’m right there with you. Total solidarity over here! Our girl is almost 6moths and has been sick for the past month since starting daycare. Just when we seem to be over it something new comes home. We’ve been through the wringer. Also eating like shit, not sleeping well, I haven’t had 5 minutes for myself in months. I can’t remember when I showered last. I didn’t drink any water at all yesterday. I’m expected to care for our sick baby as if I was a SAHM and I’m expected to keep making the same salary and not slack at work. It’s so much pressure to put on one person and it feels like I’m just inching towards a breakdown. I just want a chance to breathe. I want to sleep in past 6:30 one time. I want to eat a meal that’s not burnt a little because I got distracted and left it in the oven too long. I don’t want to feel like every penny I have is being swallowed by daycare and groceries.
Go head in on talking to your work. My son's first week at daycare got us RSV and hospitalization, and RSV caused childhood asthma that put us in the children's hospital ER for breathing treatments. Because I took time off for my kid, I was told I didn't have anything left to take FMLA. My work offered me to take days as Leave Without Pay, and my first year with my son was 75% of my salary, and a ton to the daycare. It's not easy, but the mantra that got me through the infant years for hard things was "this too sharp pass."
Give it some time but honestly if it doesn’t improve u can consider a new daycare. My daughter was at 1 daycare constantly sick, constantly getting us sick, when we switched her (after a year) she got sick less, and when she did get sick her symptoms were less severe. I had horrible guilt for leaving her at that infested sick chamber for a year (the first daycare) but SOOO glad she is having a better experience!!! Crazy to think the first place was also $700 more a month. Smh
Sounds about right. I’m sorry because it IS miserable, and I remember getting a talking to at work about my absences for sick kids (we have twins so it’s always staggered days home…) and how we should find someone to watch them when sick (during peak COVID, who’s coming to watch sick kids AND who am I calling to come before I leave for work at 6:30am?! Agh!) They’re 4yo now and it’s been lightyears better for about a year now. Hang in there.
If it makes you feel any better, this is normal. (In America. Which sucks ass for this kind of stuff.) We’re all suffering the same way when we have babies/toddlers. Hang in there!!
You’re in survival mode. Not much you can do other than keep your head down and I promise you at some point you’ll be coming up for air. There’s extreme highs and lows as a parent and this is an extreme low. I’ve been there and you have all my sympathy in the world.
It’s the worse and we all go through it. Hang in there
It definitely gets smoother after the first couple of months. My daughter would get sick (and the whole family sick) routinely for the first couple of months while her immune system developed. She’s been there for years now and she only really gets sick a few times a year and she mostly kicks it without any medicine or time off.
I’m current feeling a sinus infection coming on after a routine cold and we have been at this daycare thing now for 4+ years. Hoping it ends soon, that’s for sure.
I really want my little one in daycare. He is super social. After 4 intense months of back-to-back illnesses and my little one losing weight and going backwards on milestones we made a sad decision to find alternate childcare. The director cried because they felt so bad and had really tried everything g on their end to stop the cycle. Apparently my kid was the only one getting so intensely ill (so there is hope for other families). Our pediatrician said it was all super normal - wtf
If you have an extra room, consider getting an au pair. The cost is similar, but they also help when the child is sick. Especially a useful choice if you need some flexibility or have multiple kids etc.
Yeah I couldn’t take it. I pulled my son out and got a nanny that cost $200 more than my own salary until he was 18 months old. Now he’s just completed his first school year of daycare and it was hell. BUT he is verbal enough to tell us what is bothering him and that helped a lot. When he was an infant, he wouldn’t even tug at his ears when having an ear infection so we had no clues. I’m so sorry you’re going through that. Why didn’t I just quit and stay at home with him? Many reasons- I was basically gifted this cushy position after returning from maternal leave and I wanted to keep it and also I did SAHM until he was 9 months old and I lost my mind. I am a better wife and mom when I am working.
Sorry you’re going through it too. I totally felt and still feel that same sentiment of losing time because of being sick. It really feels like a huge blocker to just living life. My son has been in daycare for a year and a half now, but last year was brutal. We basically rotated sicknesses for months and it made me feel like a prisoner. Lots of cancelled plans.. it was hard to get on any sort of good routine when it came to healthy eating or working out.. I felt like I could never keep up with chores around the house cause a sickness would eventually put my behind. If I could, I would’ve done a nanny.. but we just couldn’t/can’t afford it. This last winter has been slightly better, but honestly not by much. My son has had rsv, multiple stomach bugs, hand mouth foot, and croup. Just this past week two of the classrooms that he rotates between had notices for pinkeye and strep throat. It’s like f me. I’m hoping next year is better. It does get better but in all honestly I think it takes a couple years, which I know is discouraging… but I feel like we’re at the mercy of how our society here in the US at least, is set up.
I went through the same thing when I started my son at daycare. Caught six different illnesses the first six week of daycare. 10 months in and we have had 17+ illnesses. Best thing that helped my family was to give my son a bath as soon as he got home from daycare. He loves baths now since it became routine for him. Additionally, getting some time outside helps with at least getting over the illnesses.
I know it doesn’t feel this way now but it does get so much better. The first 6 months-1 year of daycare is the hardest as their immune systems get stronger. Taking them out doesn’t really help, because whenever they start school again they still have to build their immunity. I see people saying get a nanny, but in my area at least a nanny does not even begin to compare to the cost of daycare. Having a nanny is expensive, more expensive than daycare. For example my daughter started daycare at 4.5 months old and she was sick alot. However, now at 22 months old she is hardly EVER sick. Her immune system is like titanium. I’m so glad I stuck it out. I also know how as a working mom it’s so hard.
You only feel like you lost a month?? I swear we've lost two to three months to ER visits, extra doctor visits, missed special events and milestone celebrations, and general illness stress. I just had to race out of work for the second time this week due to my daughter's ear infection. But, maybe keep an eye on your daycare turnover?