Disclaimer: This photo is unrealistically cheery.
Most people will catch chickenpox at some point during their childhood. While some kids deal well with it, others don't and it can be an incredibly challenging week. Luna was a little gremlin during chickenpox, we were walking on eggshells most of the time. The tiniest thing went wrong and she would throw her head back and wail in despair. By the end of the first day we were going mad and decided to ask every parent under the sun for their best advice re: chickenpox. By day 3 we had a relatively workable system going, with the help of Calpol.
- Distraction is your best friend
Keep them as busy as possible. We would do a mixture of activities and tasks. Tasks were relatively easy as we felt back for her, just little things like helping make dinner (guide to toddlers and cooking here) or washing toys with a small bucket and sponge. For activities it was anything we could get our hands on. - Getting naked
Fabric can sometimes make the itching worse and buttons or zips can make spots really sore. Instead, make sure the house is nice and toasty, get their clothes off and let them run free. - Improvise with water
Provided she was sat in warm water, Luna was pretty content. After the first couple of days I got sick of sitting on the bathroom floor for hours, and she quickly became bored with her bath toys. Instead, she would sit in the kitchen sink (watched like a hawk, of course) while I had a cup of tea or made our lunch. Or we'd fold up a towel on the living room floor and sit her in a washing up bowl in front of her toys. Or soak flannels in warm water for her to place on her body when she was on the sofa. Just try and avoid using any bubble bath or strong soaps as they may exacerbate the issue, and make sure if you've recently cleaned your sink or bath with harsh chemicals it's all been thoroughly rinsed away. - Oats
Oats are well known for easing the itching. We found the best way to make an oat-y bath was to boil the kettle, fill a mug half way with oats, then pour boiling water straight over them. Then let it sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, before draining and binning the oats, and keeping the milky liquid. This was then added in while we ran her bath. Other people find that simply popping a stocking full of oats in the bath while it's running works well. - Talk to your pharmacist/GP
I cannot stress enough how helpful pharmacists can be. If you have any worries, burning questions or even just recommendations on which treatments are best, talk to your pharmacist. If you would like to ask something more specialist, have your child checked over for peace of mind or have any other concerns, talk to your GP. Just remember that the current advice from Public Health England is to keep your child at home for 5 days and to ensure they don't come into contact with any newborn babies, pregnant women or people with a weakened immune system. For this reason you should call your GP or pharmacist before you bring them in, or see if someone can visit you at home. - Pick your battles
We are a pretty anti-screen-time household and don't like Luna having much involvement with screens or watching TV. However, it may be worth letting small bugbears such as these go when it can make your week a lot easier and keep your child happy. The occasional bit of ice cream or a kids film in the evening will give you all a chance to relax a bit. - Keep your curtains open
Being cooped up inside can mean children (and adults) don't make enough vitamin D, which can in turn affect their mood and sleep cycles. Whilst it may not have a huge impact, its worth keeping your curtains open if it might avoid another sleepless night. - Make use of your garden (if you have one)
For the same reasons as number 7, but also so they can run around a bit, get some fresh air and burn off some steam. - Order ALL of the things
The internet is brilliant if you are stuck at home. Ordering in our shopping meant we didn't have to take her to the supermarket. Having a Chinese delivered meant we could unwind in the evening and not have to worry about making dinner. We even found a place that would deliver craft supplies to keep her occupied. There is nothing happier than a toddler with a box of sequins. - Complain
Sometimes you just need to vent to a friend about how crap your week has been. And a week stuck inside with a stir-crazy, ill, frustrated toddler can be pretty crap. Don't hesitate to complain to a friend or family member. Just maybe try and pick someone who's already been through the chickenpox stage, so as not to terrify them completely.
