scared of getting ill

[bubblestar]

hiya

i work in a playgroup 2 mornings a week which i love but what comes with that is picking up alot of illness from the children. i dont mind the coughs and colds but its the sickness bugs im terrified fo getting.
im and emetaphobe.. and i know one day im just not gonna be able to avoid getting sickness.
im having full on anxiety attacks today as 2 little boys that i was working with yesterday both were off today due to sickness in the night. im so scared im going to get it..
how long wud it take b4 i no im all clear of it. i havent see them for 26 hours now... whats the incubation period. and wud they have been contagious yesterday morning if they were ill last night?!

i no its silly but i cant help it.

anyone help?? x

[Ma Larkin]

Hi, i'm no expert but I have worked with kids & i've got 3 of my own (single parent) the youngest are only 8 & 5, & they have had every illness going. I have never yet picked up a tummy bug or anything other than the odd cold. I can understand your worries working with children, but its highly unlikely you will contact anything contageous that will make you really poorly. Adults are quite resilient to picking up illnesses from children. I've nursed mine, slept in the same bed as them, washed them, cleaned up their sick (yuk!), but never caught anything from them, not even a temperature. The odd sniffle and thats about it. I do use an anti-bacterial handwash after i've had to wash their bedding/clothing etc, I think we all think to some degree that there is a chance we could catch something from them. Tummy bugs come in all shapes & sizes, some are viruses, mostly with kids its a case of over-eating or something just not settling on their tummy, or even getting upset over something (my 8 yr olds favourite to get her own way!) Please try not to worry about this, my eldest daughter is 17 & i'm yet to catch a tummy bug off her. Les

[bubblestar]

Hi
thanks for you post, it kinda helped set my mind at rest. but i still had a massive panic attack last night cos i had stomach ache!
was nasty, not had one so bad in ages and getting the 'aftershock's today.

i need to find something thats gonna help me get over it soon, been going on 8 years and ive had enough!

X

[Sue K with 5]

Hi


This sounds strange but in 18 years of parenting I have never picked up a sickness bug from my children. You build up your own immunities being around children.

Since November in my house we have had a combination of 16 colds five gastric bugs two lots of flu and the dog got sick and I have escaped the whole damn lot ! touch wood

its not silly to feel the way you do! I know how scared you must be !


Wish I could offer more help and advise on this subject


Sue

scknight