If your kids are in the 1st year of daycare

[vanillacourage]

Are they pretty much always sniffly? Not overtly sick or enough to affect their mood, but just a teensy bit under the weather with a runny nose or other minor symptoms?

Both my kids were like this, and my mom is irritating me with her insistence that DS2 is always getting her sick (despite the fact that she's out in the world, takes lots of business trips on germy airplanes, etc - no, she just KNOWS it's him ^o) ). He just always has what I call "the daycare ick", plus he's teething so there's a ton of drool. I will always cancel her babysitting if they're obviously ill, but right now there's nothing I can do about his minor sniffles. Are my kids more susceptible to school germs or has my mom just forgotten what it's like to have baby in daycare?

[Ashley&Scott]

Yes & it sucks, he'll have a cold/cough for 2-3 weeks, then maybe 1-2 weeks not sick, then he catches it again. I hate it because his colds often turns into an ear infection.

I will say it wasn't too bad from 9w - 4.5 mo because he was in a non mobile room. Once he changed rooms it got worse. All of the kids are moving around more & putting everything in their mouths.

[Deleted]

DS gets very sniffly when teeth are coming in, which has been constant for the last few months. He runs around and is completely fine otherwise though. The daycare teachers tell me that this is very common, especially for the age group DS is in.

Sorry your mom is being annoying with the comments.

[kittycatlove]

I agree with you, DS was constantly sick at first at daycare. Now it's more if one kid is sick the whole class gets it and then they are all better after a week or two. We just got over a cold, plus teething.

[eddy]

Leo has had a runny nose for a month now. He gets a bit stuffy at night but otherwise it isn't really getting in the way of how he feels.

[eddy]

Also my ILs always point out when our kids get them sick. They also choose to live as shut ins so yeah normal germs probably do take them down. Get out in the world once in awhile. It irritates me so I feel ya.

[vanillacourage]

Well and to be clear, I'm not foisting my kids on her or trying to be entitled. I have told her she's under no obligation to keep them, but then I get guilted with "I miss them so much.....!"

Hmph.

[elocrates]

This is normal in my experience. It gets better every year. Unless your DS is coughing or sneezing in her face, your mom is really the one who needs to make sure that she is washing her own hands thoroughly, not touching her face, no sharing cups or treats, etc. (I hesitated to even write that for fear of sounding mean.) I can understand why you are frustrated. Does she have any long term illnesses that would make her more likely to get sick in general?

[Deleted]

My son was only sick 1x at his first daycare, but has the sniffles a lot at his new daycare and I suspect its because she has 3 elementary school kids, so it just brings more germs there. My dad always blames his colds on my DS despite the fact that his symptoms have sometimes started before he even sees him. Its annoying.

[atouchofklasse]

Tell your mom to wash her hands more often.

[marclovesme]

DD had a continuous cold the first 3 or 4 months at daycare, in addition to all sorts of lovely illnesses like pinkeye, hand foot and mouth, and roseola. She rarely gets sick now.

[hocus]

My kids were not in any sort of daycare until 2 months ago and they've always gotten colds in the winter. Winter sucks. People get colds. Daycare does make it worse but I doubt your kid is the only exposure your mom gets during the season.

[froggy76]

DD was pretty good for the summer, but now the snot is back.

[hannamaren]

I am glad I am not the only one with meddling, lots of opinions ILs

[cjeanette]

My kids weren't in childcare until 13 months but they really don't get the sniffles other than allergies. *knocks wood*

Now I do manage to get sick every time I fly on a plane. So there is that.

[arch01]

We are on cold #3, he's been in DC since he was 16 weeks old. Other runny noses have been attributed to teething, but he had a cold for 2 weeks, was ok for a week, and now we're back to coughing again.

[pacificrules]

This is our first fall with DD in daycare. She has been at a friend's house for the last two years. I thought she was old enough and had been around enough kids (playdates, storytime, etc.) to not be affected, but she's been mildly sick pretty consistently for the past month. I think you're right and it's just the way it is.

[badtzmaru22]

DD started an in-home DC at three months. At six months, she had croup. I don't notice her particularly sniffly now, but there aren't a ton of kids there.

I worked at a children's museum for three months once, and was sick the entire time. And half of my job was spraying things down and cleaning. It was a germ factory. On the plus side, I am hardly sick anymore, so I think I became immune to quite a lot during that time. I was worried DC would be like that, but it hasn't been so far.