I pay for daycare only so my child would get sick

Iā€™m curious how often your kids get sick from daycare because I am this close šŸ¤šŸ» to turn into gaijin karen. I pay 7000 a month so my child would bring home a new virus or bug every single week. Last week he had norovirus. This week itā€™s the flu. What is it going to be next week? Chicken pox? And the worst part is that every single thing that he brings home, I get it too. I am losing income from taking so many days off and I am also paying the daycare just so the entire family could get sick. šŸ„“

24 comments
  1. Kids get sick. Some more than others. This strikes me as normal stuff, the joys of parenting: watching your child build up a strong immune system. If you’re worried about that, consult a pediatrician. In all likelihood you’re in the rough patch right now but brighter days are coming. I too have enjoyed every bug they brought home until it stopped.

  2. Kids are gross (germ/virus wise. Cute in general)
    Kids making each other sick at regular intervals is how it works.

  3. My understanding is that chicken pox has a vaccine (since 1993). So you could see what vaccines you could get for either you or the child to help mitigate some sicknesses.

  4. Norovirus is pretty worrisome, someone is preparing food with poop particles on their hands.

  5. I heard hoikuen sensei get all kinds of sickness during the first couple years too. Anyways Iā€™m sorry.

  6. You’re only paying 7k a month? That’s chump change compared to what I’m paying.

    I’m also almost out of PTO from taking care of my sick kids, and so is my wife. Soon I’ll need to dig into my unpaid sick care leave…

    Kids get sick often. More so than adults. But it will get better as they grow. By the time they go to elementary school, it will be a fraction of what it used to be. The only way to get through it is by persevering, like the rest of us.

  7. Itā€™s never too young to teach kids good hand hygiene and proper cough etiquette. As soon as they get home? Wash hands. Play outside? Wash hands. Time for dinner? Wash hands. Blow their nose? Wash hands. Have a cough? Cough into elbow only never hands or into air. Theyā€™ll still bring stuff home, but all that definitely helps and it creates good lifelong habits.

  8. It’s just a part of life I suppose. If it’s any consolation, it does get better as they grow up. My kiddo at 1-3 used to get sick every 2 or 3 months. When she turned 4 or 5 the illnesses requiring staying home went down to about once every 6 months.

  9. Ours definitely gets sick more often than before we sent him but not every week. Maybe once a month. Look into a new daycare?

  10. That’s normal . Kids don’t know how to practice good hygiene and play close to each others. But in the end it’s good for their immunity. It sucks for us.

    Like you I’m getting what my kid brings. Before having kid, I didn’t get sick much.

  11. Ya that happens a lot of the first couple years in daycare. Kids get exposed to bacteria and viruses their body hasn’t acclimated to.

  12. This post screams “I’m stressed out” and thinking irrationally. Kids get sick.. My wife has to call out all the time because the youngest gets sick. 7000 yen is insanely cheap and don’t dare bring this up to the school, because you’re just gonna look foolish. Instead, you need to give yourself some breaks to relax. If you have a partner, tell them you’re stressed out and need some time to yourself.. Hit the onsen up.

  13. Thatā€™s cheap. Iā€™m paying more than 70,000 a month lol.
    But my kid brings home colds all the time too. Many parents probably still take their kids to daycare even when the kid is a little sick . It happens.
    Mine brought home influenza so the entire family is currently sick .
    Luckily I work from home so doesnā€™t impact my PTO much.

    But ya my kid gets sick probably once every month and a half .

  14. IMHO, it’s good to get kids sick early, help them develop immunity. Frequency of getting sick will be lowered later. My elementary school kid almost never got sick in their entire elementary school life.

  15. Compared to day care where I’m from you’re stealing from them. There’s a great subreddit for dads all over the world and yes, many complain about being sick all the time.

    It does get easier as they grow. Ganbatte!

  16. Sadly, this is part of the deal when you have kids. Mine does the same.

    However it gets better over time. He has way better immune system than before, as he only brings back the big stuff now, at first he’d bring a random cold every week…

    You’ll get over it don’t worry!

  17. Been through this with all of my kids and currently going through it now with the youngest. That’s just having kids with developing immune systems. Currently have some kind of RSV infection, which is nice. In winter it’s about one thing a week or so.

    When they’re ill (especially if you get it too) is definitely one of the most challenging parts of parenthood. Especially because it messes with work.

    EDIT – it will end though. My older kids never get sick (apart from when the youngest brings it home).

  18. It wonā€™t stop when theyā€™re school age, either. There was a period where all 3 of my nieces were getting my sister sick back-to-back. Kids are germ magnets

  19. She’s gotten not-the-flu-or-covid virus four times in five months, two of which resulted in her being hospitalized with pneumonia. She’s also got basically a constant cough and runny nose.

    Daycare is basically free for us though.

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