Sick grandchildren

Yes i do - that is something I said I would do - i.e. cover holidays that Mum and Dad can't cover and sick leave - it would mean that my daughter would have to give up precious holidays if she stayed at home with the sick child. Yes I have caught the occasional cold but I am very careful washing hands etc etc when caring for them. I t gets better as their immune system starts to mature and from about 8 years old they don't (with luck) get so many bugs. But yes children's bugs are vicious.

Since I live with my grandchildren I used to catch all their 'bugs'. I have noticed that since I had the flu jab for the last two winters I haven't had even a sniffle.

Yes I do. If one is sick at school I am the first responder. I've caught numerous colds from them and the odd tummy bug. That's life.

I used to teach and there you have no choice as you're stuck in a warm classroom with 30 children all coughing and sneezing germs at you on a daily basis.

Think my immune system is all the better for it anyway.

Yes, I look after my little dgd and dgs as they only live 3 minutes away from me.
I can either go to their house or dgd gets dropped off at mine when dil goes to work (at the crack of dawn!)
It doesn't happen too often and I don't catch much

We have never had so many colds as since we had grandchildren ...

My immune system is not good but we do look after DGD2 and will be looking after DGD1 as well in the holidays. I hope the number of bugs will lessen as they get older.
I really loathe tummy bugs though, can't stand being sick

Ps we take our vitamins plus extra vitamin d in winter

It's the one downside of being a grandparent we catch everything they have. Although my DIL calls upon her parents as well to help out, since her mum got cancer she must avoid germs if poss, so it does tend to fall on us to help out.

No, although at a push I would, my DD is very aware that my DH's immune system may not be all it should be and will not even risk bringing them to us when they are ill with a virus. She also feels that the best place for a sick toddler and baby is with their mummy.

Yes!! I looked after DD1's two, one day per week, from birth until they went to school so I relish any chance to snuggle up in front of a dvd or reading a story with them.

I look after my DGS two days a week and collect others from school. So far since November I have had four colds and one tummy bug. Maybe the flu vaccination is called for next year

My DGD come over and spread copious snot around - sometimes we catch it and sometimes we don't. It all goes with the territory.

But if I or OH had a compromised immune system I would probably think again.

We are happy for the grandchildren to come round with any bugs going it is my DD who is worried we will catch something. I do see her several time a week normally. I am often covered in snot and my little DGC's face is like a shiny current bun for a week at a time. He seems to pick up everything that pre-school throws at him.

Had to clean DGD2' s 'snail trails' from the patio door yesterday! (She had been beaming at us from the conservatory, pressing her nose against the glass)

It's the "green candles" that are the worst - yuk!

DM used to call them Jimmy Crows - I have no idea why

We call them fangs

They are "candles" to me, but DD didn't have a clue what I meant when I used that term.

I live a bit too far away for an instant drop round. Toddlers generally seems to get poorly and better again very quickly. I am waiting for the next chicken pox outbreak though, I don't know when it's "due."

Hi everyone, I'm rather new to this.
We looked after DGS from when he was 8 weeks old , for 4 days a week, until he went to school ( he is now nearly 8 years old) . So we went through innumerable coughs, colds, ear infections etc etc.but didn't succumb to many illnesses ourselves, thankfully.
We now look after our 2 granddaughters one day every other week. They have both, one after the other have just had chicken pox, & I must say that I was worried that we might get shingles, but, touch wood we are ok ( smile).
I remember " green candles " when my brother was small, they were gross, I agree with you Mishap .

It is supposedly the other way round, Joelise, you can't catch shingles from chickenpox but someone who has not had chickenpox could catch it by touching shingles spots.

However, the nurse at our practice said she always notices a rise in shingles cases when there is an outbreak of chickenpox. Perhaps it reactivates the virus, which sits in the nerves at the base of your spine.

Oh I didn't know that , thank you Margaret, whew !

Supposedly!

If you were 70 or 79 between 1 Sep 2012 and 1 Sep 2013 you can be vaccinated against shingles. The dates will move forward every year. I got done in the first year, but DH will have to wait until next autumn.

We wondered how they picked this criterion as neither DH nor I were eligible. He go shingles before Christmas.

You can get it either way round! Shingles from chickenpox or chickenpox from shingles
It's herpes zoster.