Chicken pox and kids - What to do?

[Dr Murdoch]

My two boys have come down with the pox, aged 4 and 5. Both appear fine within themeselves, but they're like dogs, they need to be walked (burn off energy)

I'm just wondering what I can do with them to keep them entertained. I'm taking tomorrow off to look after them, so I would like to take them out. Clearly soft play centres and the like are a no go zone, but what about outdoors? Park? Playground?

Or should I accept that I'm going to watch cica 5/6 films tomorrow?

[SystemParanoia]

Bikes.. go get muddy!

[C0ffin D0dger]

Nowt wrong with going down the park provided the kids are up for it and/or out for a bike ride as somebody said.

Both my two were pretty unwell when they had it though - fever etc. so a day in watching movies would have probably been on the cards.

[One MoreDonkey]

I wouldn't do the park as unless the last spot has scabbed over then they are still infectious and you will run the risk of passing it on to others - It can be passed on via surfaces etc. and can be very serious for some people if they catch it.

Do you not have a garden for they to run around in / kick a ball?

[DoubleSix]

Invite their friends over, far better to get when young.

[Craikeybaby]

DoubleSix said:

Invite their friends over, far better to get when young.

I'm dreading my son catching it, as I never had it when I was young.

[One MoreDonkey]

Craikeybaby said:

DoubleSix said:

Invite their friends over, far better to get when young.

I'm dreading my son catching it, as I never had it when I was young.

Some Doctors surgeries offer the vaccine for Shingles for the older folks, not sure if you'd be eligible or not.

[SlidingSideways]

Craikeybaby said:

I'm dreading my son catching it, as I never had it when I was young.

My wife never had it as a child either. She ended up getting tested while pregnant as there was a massive outbreak at her school, and it turned out she wasn't naturally immune.
Despite this, she's still not had it, even after multiple further outbreaks at school, and both of our kids getting it a couple of years ago.

So it's not a foregone conclusion that you'll be infected.

[Craikeybaby]

SlidingSideways said:

My wife never had it as a child either. She ended up getting tested while pregnant as there was a massive outbreak at her school, and it turned out she wasn't naturally immune.
Despite this, she's still not had it, even after multiple further outbreaks at school, and both of our kids getting it a couple of years ago.

So it's not a foregone conclusion that you'll be infected.

That is good to know! My little brother had it when growing up, so I must have dodged it then, hoping that can happen again.

[Dr Murdoch]

Thanks for the replies / advice.

Turns out the elder just has a mild dose, confirmed by the doc (unbeknown to me) pretty much whilst I started the thread. So he went to school.

The younger one bless him, has spots where you wouldn't wish they appeared in the crevices of your worst nightmare! Added fever etc. During a 'moment' when calpol and anti-histamine were working, we went a played on the local green.

Managed to watch Star wars, return of the jedi, lego star wars (spot the theme, but lego star wars is good fun), angry birds (rubbish) and too much ceebies.

[Vroom101]

My eldest got it pretty bad. We stopped counting at 300! To top it all they then got infected. Ended up with three weeks off school, poor little sod.

We live on the coast so spent plenty of time outside and down on the beach. It was pretty deserted as it was winter, so no worries about giving anyone the lurgy. Don't know if the sea air helped, but it certainly took his mind off it.

Hope your boys feel better soon, Doc.