When your own kids get sick because of dc kids

Just after Christmas the 20 month old dc boy I have was exposed to chicken pox. I'm not sure whether his parents knew he had been exposed or not but they still brought him in. Once I found out it was chicken pox I had to ask that he stay home because his mom would still have brought him here. Now just yesterday my 2 month old has come down with the chicken pox. This makes me so furious because I feel horrible for him that he has to go through this at such a young age. Part of me thinks the little boy's parents knew he had been exposed but chose to send him anyways. I can't be sure of this but I just feel like letting this family go. I know I'm most likely over reacting but I hate that my infant son is now covered in big spots and looks so umcomfortable all the time. And also, I'm very worried about how this could affect him seeing as he is so young. Have any of you had kids get the chicken pox this young? I do really like this family and I know I won't let them go over this, but I just feel like it when I see my poor baby sick. I guess I'm just really worried and that makes me angry with them. I feel like just throwing in the towel and calling it quits on this home daycare but obviously that would just be a reaction to me worrying so much and wouldn't solve anything. I know my kids will be exposed to germs in their life, so calling it quits wouldn't solve anything. Do any of you ever get maybe too paranoid about germs coming into your home from other kids?

A few of my kids had chicken pox at two or younger with no I'll effects ..... Give benedryl for the itching and baths with baking soda help also and calamine lotion on the spots .... Most of the childhood diseases have an incubation period from several days to 2weeks when the child is contagious and usually you don't know until it's too late....

First find out if the child in question has the chickenpox. If he doesn't then your child likely contracted them from being out in the community too. I know the chicken pox vaccine has changed and is more effective than it used to be so there is a chance the few spots he will get will be missed.

There is really no way to stop this kind of thing from happening other than to have kept your 2 month old away from anything to do with the daycare and taken extra precautions yourself when holding such as always putting a clean blanket on your shoulder and washing hands before touching.

The incubation period for most childhood diseases is anywhere from 2-4 weeks and there is no way to exclude a child that long for every possible exposure they might have had. Schools don't even exclude a child with chicken pox anymore in most cases like they used to although a child usually needs to stay home because they feel sick.

The dc boy I have definitely had the chicken pox. He's seen the doctor and it was confirmed. It is hard to keep kids away from that sort of thing, I just hate that my son got them when he is only 2 months old. I took him to the doctor's office yesterday and the doctor confirmed it to be chicken pox so I know he got it from the dc boy that also had it.

Well I have to ask what you mean by they know he was exposed? I got a call after being on vacation back east that one of my cousins kids had come down with the chicken pox's and my kids would have been around her I certainly did not notify anyone that my kids were possibly?? exposed to the chicken poxs, they did never get it. If they attend your dayhome should I have kept them home on some small possiblity that they could've caught it? What did the doctor say about your two month old getting them? Is this dayhome child not vaccinated against the chicken poxs? I really don't think there is anything you can do some other family may do the same thing. It sucks but that is what happens with kids they spread germs.

No, this child was not vaccinated against the chicken pox. His mom said that when they went to a family gathering two kids there had the chicken pox. I would have appreciated she at least tell me so that I knew what might be coming. She herself is expecting a new baby any time now and I'm sure she would be concerned if her newborn were around someone who had been exposed and probably would like to at least know. I guess what is bothering me is just that she didn't tell me, because if it were my kids that had been exposed I would have told her. The doctor didn't really say how this will affect my son. He just said to keep a close eye for fever. I have to take him back next week for a follow-up.

When I had my children in daycare - I had my son (probably 15 mo) at the time come down with an eye infection and he was given antibiotics and we got it checked right away.
Sure enough - a few weeks later my daycare provider told me that her child had pink eye and said it in such an accusatory voice that I was quite upset. She said some sort of comment about how it must have been from my son.
I told her t hat my son had a different infection but didn't argue it because I really loved this dcprovider and didn't want to cause an issue.
my son had an infection but it was not pink eye ( don't remember the name of what he did have) and we nipped it in the bud right away and kept him home until the antibiotics worked etc

However...as a parent having been on that side of things - it can be upsetting to be accused. It hurts and it makes you feel like a total heel. I would never have sent my child if it was true

I can also understand how you feel about your 2 mo old son being sick now. I had someone with headlice come near my daughter when she was about 5 months old. I had to treat her with harsh chemicals and felt jsut awful that she had to go through that at such a young age. It really weighed heavy on my heart.

I hope your son feels better soon and overcomes the chicken pox soon.

I haven't accused them at all or even brought it up with them. I don't see what the point is and I know they feel bad about my son getting the chicken pox. I would never want to make anyone feel bad for something like that; that's just not who I am. However, I would have liked a warning. According to my doctor, chicken pox is very contagious a week before spots appear. I maybe could have taken extra precaution and would have tried to keep my son away somewhat. I wouldn't have asked them to keep their son home either because like momplus6 mentioned, it's not for sure that he would have gotten them. I think I'm just upset today because I see my son in pain and no parent ever likes to see their baby hurt or uncomfortable.

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Originally Posted by Marie

I haven't accused them at all or even brought it up with them. I don't see what the point is and I know they feel bad about my son getting the chicken pox. I would never want to make anyone feel bad for something like that; that's just not who I am. However, I would have liked a warning. According to my doctor, chicken pox is very contagious a week before spots appear. I maybe could have taken extra precaution and would have tried to keep my son away somewhat. I wouldn't have asked them to keep their son home either because like momplus6 mentioned, it's not for sure that he would have gotten them. I think I'm just upset today because I see my son in pain and no parent ever likes to see their baby hurt or uncomfortable.

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((hugs)) I know it is hard to see them suffer when they are so small :( and defenseless

Marie I can understand how upset you are. I have had chicken pox go through my daycare several times because the vaccine is a much more recent thing so it is something kids just got and by the time one of them had it it was almost always too late to prevent it in the others. Yes the contagious point with most diseases is before the rash is visible although the rash itself with chickenpox is contagious where it isn't with other ones.

An incident like this can be a time to reflect on some things too such as take a look at your contract and your illness policy. Is it so strict that the parent was afraid to be honest with you. Rethink how you integrate your 2 month old into the daycare area - does he need a play yard away from the main group till he is a bit older. The good news is that by the time your son is ready for school he will have an excellent immune system.

My girls 16, 22, 24 at the time got chicken pox and we sort of traced it to their dad who had a small patch diagnosed as shingles other than the incubation period was wrong so doctor things they all got it from the same unknown source it just became shingles for hubby. Girls had even had chicken pox in elementary school but were not very sick with it so we had been warned then that they could get it again as they might not have built up enough immunity. Non of my daycare group got it that time because the girls because we had actually gone to my mom's for a visit when they broke out so left them there for a week or so till they were well enough to travel back home.

Yikes... I feel so bad for your little man. :(
I don't think that they necessarily HAD to tell you about the exposure. Would it have been nice, and courteous? Yes, definitely. But I am sure that their rationale was "What if she says we can't bring him, and it turns out that he doesn't have it?". Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I can absolutely understand you being upset, I would be too. But I think this is one of the hazards of runnng a home daycare, or having your kids in a childcare environment.
PS: the vaccine does not guarantee that the child will not contract the illness. I know many kids who have had the shot, and still picked up chicken pox.