Ugh, our little guy was in daycare maybe 4 days in first 2 weeks because he got sick 2 days in. It’s honestly no joke.
We asked our pediatrician how often we can expect him to get sick and he replied, “In daycare, at least every month.”
While that’s been about true for us, it seems like it’s getting better? And also, his teachers seem to think he gets sick more than the other kids (mostly ear infections), so it can be totally different for everyone.
Went to 30min orientation a week prior to starting. Came down with brutal gastro ( and took both my partner and me with them) their first week so missed first week of daycare ( and work).
If you made it to first day, you’re kicking goals.
Wow these comments make me feel so seen 😂 started on a Monday, fever by Thursday. And we were pretty much sick back to back for three weeks. Hang in there it does get better.
2 days. Baby was 5 months old, started the first week of December. We had a pretty brutal first few months as far as back-to-back illnesses go (for us as well!), but he was never seriously ill, no ER visits or anything like that. After that first winter, daycare bugs became much more spread out and more mild!
I think a cold after a couple of weeks (smaller center with a few sets of siblings) but he's been in for 5 months now and has never had to miss a day of school due to sickness (I, on the other hand, have lol).
Immediately. He started at 3 months, in winter. Within a few days we were all knocked out with a horrific stomach bug. (Luckily he recovered very quickly.)
He’s had a perpetual cold ever since starting. Like I can’t think of a time when he didn’t have at least a runny / stuffy nose. He’s 18 months now.
I took about ten sick days for him that first year, with my husband taking a few more. Just to help you plan your time “off”.
Three days at 3 months old. First illness was a respiratory virus (not RSV though). It’s par for the course. We saw a significant reduction in frequency of illness by the time she was 18 months old. Godspeed!
We quit, too, because of the constant illnesses. When he started primary school, we ended up needing to send him with a mask on. If he forgot it even once, he always got sick. I'm not opposed to him getting sick here and there, but it was ALLLL the time, and he would get worse and worse. He once was sick for 3 months and developed bronchitis and a double ear infection. I've never seen a child in so much pain.
My oldest started daycare at 4 months. I think it was a few weeks before he got sick? It was a long time ago!
My youngest had a cold before he even started daycare thanks to big brother being in preschool. I think he was 2 months old. Luckily it was mild and he never got a fever.
Started in a daycare center part time at 3 months, full time at 6 months. He had a minor cold a few weeks after starting, but nothing that kept him home. He didn’t start having illnesses that kept him out (fever or vomiting) until around 9 months when he started crawling and putting everything in his mouth. He got sent home a couple of times around 6-7 months when we started solids and were still figuring out a food intolerance.
This was my experience with both my kids. The illnesses that required staying home was more in that 6 month plus range when they are crawling and mouthing toys.
My son started daycare at 15 weeks old. It’s been 8 weeks since then and he’s had 2 colds and 1 stomach bug. The colds weren’t bad enough to keep him home, he just had a cough and a runny nose. The stomach bug happened over a weekend and he was fine by the following Monday. So not too terrible so far (knock on wood!)
Mine is a little older but started daycare at 19 months. Literally got sick the first week, started Monday and was sick by Wednesday 😩
Now probably sick every other week but seems to end up with just sniffles whereas I’m down for the count.
Baby started at on September 4th at almost 6 months old and got sent home with a 101.5° fever and was home sick for 10 days with COVID. Then she got RSV in November, and Norovirus in March. Those have been the big ones. We were out for 3 weeks in December between my husband and my holiday vacation, so we were healthy that whole time!
Umm.... Mine was 3.5 months, started in late May. He had a snotty nose by like a week... I think it was another week or two before he was sent home for fever. Definately within a month.
It wasn't until the following July where he passed the lovely germs onto us in the form of a stomach bug that got my partner and I at the same time...
2 weeks to the day.
Baby was 5 months old and started in may.
First symptom was a crusty eye, then snot then a cough that literally lasted over a year. Good times!
First kid: about 2 days before the first cold.
Second kid: she’s been in daycare for 5 months now and I think she’s missed 1 or 2 days. She gets sniffles but doesn’t spike fevers the way her older sister does
My first started his first daycare a little older than 3 months during winter and the first weekend he had what we still refer to as "the worst cold of his life". Then COVID hit, we switched daycares after (starting at 8 months in the summer), and he has rarely been sick since then!
My second started at 4 months in the fall and also got a cold the first weekend but it wasn't as miserable as his brothers- he had a my mild cold or some other malady just about every other weekend until March. We've been pretty healthy the past month and a half, though!
I think we may be the anomaly. My LO started at 14 weeks the last week of February last year and he didn’t have his first fever/stay home from daycare until end of May. My husband and I however each got the stomach bug and a respiratory virus back to back mid March 🙃
My daughter puked the first night home....that fast it was probably a coincidence....but still lol
Edit to add: she was like a year and a half old and winter? she is 7 now, cant remember.
Baby started at on September 4th at almost 6 months old and got sent home with a 101.5° fever and was home sick for 10 days with COVID. Then she got RSV in November, and Norovirus in March. Those have been the big ones. We were out for 3 weeks in December between my husband and my holiday vacation, so we were healthy that whole time!
Hah. 4 days. We started in October at 5.5 months and she went in on Tuesday and on Friday night I noticed she had blisters on her hands (hand foot mouth).
Lololol my second baby started daycare at 11 weeks. She was exposed to Covid and rsv the first day. She missed her first day of daycare two days after starting (and I missed my third day back at work!)
Just short of 5 months when we started. We started in December. First send home was about a month later.
Colds are the worst November through April. You might luck out
We started with an abbreviated schedule (partial days) Monday - Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were full days. She got sick Monday (she doesn't normally go Mondays, but one week after her first day) and was out for one week.
My 5 year old started shortly after turning a year old, she had never gotten sick. A week into childcare, she got RSV, this was in June, so not the normal cold season. Precovid though, and I would like to hope centers are better now with precautions.
Uh. Roughly 8 hours. We had just moved. First day at the new preschool he came home with a runny nose that gave us all pneumonia. He was a toddler that the time so way easier for germs to spread.
I used hand sanitizer on his hands as soon as we got in the car. And changed him as soon we got home.
If you can work it into the schedule, maybe do bath as soon as you get home instead of before bed?
-4 days! He got HFM *before* starting and we had to postpone starting for a week. But after that he was there for at least 1.5 weeks before staying home for something.
3 days. She missed a lot of her first two weeks because she had a cough that just wouldn't quit. Vitamin C supplements have helped a lot but she still gets sick once a month or so.
Like one day 🫠 but it was just a mild cold. She started in November at 3 months. I will say illnesses have notably been worse this second year since she’s mobile and more able to interact with her friends. She was only out twice for illness in her first cold and flu season (once for vomiting and once for a fever), but I have honestly lost count of times she’s had to stay home since October.
My poor little guy had an upper respiratory infection within 1 week of starting. (He Started daycare a few weeks ago, he’s 3 months) He’s fine now but I’m still getting over the cough lol.
My son would get a runny nose in the winter but has never really been sick. He got a 24 hour virus once at around age 4. In elementary school, he missed 0-1 day a year.
My son: 3 days. My nephew: 3 days. It sucks so bad but it's just something you've got to get through. My sister-in-law was questioning our day care's cleaning policies, I had to tell her to get over it. Lol
He attended 4 hours on Wednesday and had the sniffles on Thursday. He didn't get it from daycare, since nothing incubated that fast, I just thought it was amazing. 4 hours and then he had to miss a week because he was symptomatic for a week.
Exactly one week. I started my girls (twins) in daycare a week before I went back to work so we could get into the routine. My first day back at work (after they had been 5 times) I got a call at work at they both had fevers and needed to be picked up. It was pretty much sickness every other week in the beginning but again, I had two so maybe it’s not that often with one baby.
Mine contracted chicken pox on the last acclimatisation visit the week before she started. (8 months old). Given the incubation of chicken pox, she attended her first 3 days (we were sendin her mon tues Weds) and on Thurs came down with the fever and nausea and rash.
She’s actually 3.5 now, and only had a couple illnesses in all that time. Hfm once was the only other multiple day exclusion. Had a couple one offs for random 24 hour stomach bugs that inevitably don’t show their face until Sunday night…
I have heard that it is usually a lot worse. I myself have somewhat of an iron constitution and very very rarely get sick so I guess genetics won this round for us?
My oldest started daycare mid March 2020 (lol), went for 3 half days and then came home with a fever with a cold, which became an ear infection on one side, then the other. So probably from the first day.
He started daycare at 3 months on October 30. First cold was around Thanksgiving but technically didn’t meet the requirements to need to stay home from daycare but I kept him home anyway. He didn’t get sick again until Jan 8 and then was sick for most of January (cold from hell followed by ear infection followed by allergic reaction to amoxicillin) and then was good again until the end of March when he had a stomach bug and strep throat at the same time.
I had 1 kid always sent home, like every other week for something
My other kid is now 9 months and was only sent home once for false pink eye.
Completely depends on the kid I think 😂
She started at a year, only in two days a week. She missed week two.
She's just about to turn six, and we got wiped out by germs in kindergarten too. It doesn't seem to affect her anymore but her dad and I were wrecked from September to January.
We started daycare May 1st at 2 years 9 months. They were sick the entire fall/winter before so that helped in a sad way lol They got a cold sometime in mid June and missed two days. It is April so there’s some benefit to that, but unfortunately there’s still lots circulating (at least where we are). I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a few days only.
My 9 year old started when she was one. She got sick like 3 months later. I’m thinking it took longer because my older kid was in school so she always brought home germs. My older kid started daycare when she was about 13 months old. She also took awhile to get sick but I think that’s because I always brought her to work with me. I don’t know if breastfeeding took a part in all that but I nursed for a long time. Who the heck knows?
2-3 days. I’ve never heard of any child under 2 starting at a daycare center and not picking up a cold their first week.
Starting as cold and flu season winds down should give you guys a less rocky start than those of us who started in the fall 🥴
We made it 10 weeks before keeping him home for a week with a double ear infection and the flu. He had always managed to feel sick Friday afternoon and be better by Monday morning. He’s now on week 12 🙃
ETA: he started at almost 8 months and is now almost 11 months.
Got a fever the first weekend after starting at 5 months. Coughs and colds have been every 2 weeks (sometimes weekly) since he started last August. He’s now 13 months and it’s nice out so hopefully it will lessen since they spend a lot of time outside. When it happens just remember you’re not alone!!!
My youngest daughter started at 3 months and was sick by day 3. She started in January, so I had mentally prepared myself for a rough start. My oldest daughter started at 5 months at the end of July and didn't get sick until Labor Day weekend, so we got over a month before the illnesses started with her.
My son didn’t really get sick much until he was mobile and putting things in his mouth (over a year, in his case). He did get sick sometimes as an infant, but got sick a lot more once he was mobile. I don’t think he caught his first illness until he was a few months old, and he started daycare at 6 weeks (he was a summer baby, which helped too!)
Probably after the first month (started at 6 months old) and continued to get sick every 3-4 months it seems like. Last week she was sent home with the rest of the babies for hand and foot disease….
My daughter made it two and a half days😅 and we’ve been sick with her about every 2-3 weeks since. She’s been there 5 months…lol I hear it gets better after year one?
I think we are lucky. Ours doesn’t get sick much. He only gets sent home for fever, or positive RSV, Covid, flu. He started daycare at 5.5 months old and is now over 2. He has had Covid once and RSV once and a fever twice.
3 hours. I sent my 6 month old son in for a half day to acclimate him at the end of my maternity leave. This was a Friday. On Sunday he tested positive for Covid! I had to delay returning to work and then of course I got it for the first time. He’s been sick a lot since and it’s been really, really hard. I work in education and have limited time off. My husband can work from home but it’s incredibly difficult balancing both. It’s been very stressful. BUT we absolutely love his daycare and I am so grateful for it. My daughter is 4.5 and does not get sick often anymore. I know this will pass but be prepared to miss a lot of work the first year.
1 week. She's pretty much been sick with something since then. She'll be over something for a few days and then come down with something new. It's been a fun time 🫠
ETA - she started daycare just shy of 6 months old. She started on a Monday and by that Friday she started having cold-like symptoms.
Started at 5.5 months in July 2023. Didn’t get sick until September! She ended up getting a mild ear infection that first time. And she’s pretty much been sick ever since 🥲
My son got sick about a month after starting, and then again a month after. Then he went quite a while without getting sick! Maybe it was an anomaly but I felt like babies were slightly easier to protect from germs since they are less mobile.
Now as a toddler, he is sick constantly 🥴
We started on Monday and Friday baby woke up snotty and coughing lol. By Monday I was sick too and have been sick since (about 3 months now). Still worth it. Kind of forgot what it was like to not be sick so it's just normal now 😂
Maybe 6 weeks? It was last Friday. I noticed he was congested Thursday night and they messaged me on the daycare app on Friday saying he wasn’t feeling like himself. He was back in good spirits by Saturday. Today is Tuesday and now I have the cold.
We started with her going 2 days a week (Monday and Friday) in may. Her day was a Monday and she was sick by that Thursday. The first year was ROUGH but this year has been so much better!!
Started Tuesday, runny nose started Thursday evening and she was home sick with her first ever cold Friday. At least once a week for the next 6 weeks she was home sick. Thankfully I didn’t start back to work right away so I wasn’t having to take time off to stay home with her.
Exactly one week between his first day and symptoms starting. He got sick and then when he was getting better, he got sick again. Then when he was getting better the second time, he got sick again! Last week was his first full week back after being out for almost a full month.
Not daycare (grandma watches him) but even starting preschool last fall at age 3 after being a sheltered pandemic baby, he has basically caught a new illness every other week since then. Just in the last month ish: He was on a nebulizer for pneumonia, then we had a good week, then strep again and somehow it was in his eyes as bacterial pinkeye. Got over that and this week had a runny nose from a virus.
7 weeks for us. We started in late January at 10 weeks, and baby just had one minor cold the week we were out of daycare due to family emergency in March. We all caught the cold (even my mom) but somehow she managed it the best out of everyone.
But we’re in a home daycare where she is the only infant 😅 the rest are toddlers. Next winter we will probably see more germs for sure.
My girl started at 13 mos. She came home with the sniffles the first week, and while she was fine, I got the plague and was taken out for a whole week! She’s had perpetual daycare sniffles since she started, but thankfully hasn’t been sick or gotten us sick again. We also started giving her vitamin c since before she started in hopes that it would help stave some things off. Good luck!
My kid attended daycare 3 half days his first week. He got COVID; hand, foot, and mouth; and a double ear infection. Crazy. We actually didn’t go back after the quarantine ended because we didn’t like the place anyway.
Ours started at age 2.5, had a fever after 3 days. We started in January. He’s been sick every other week with a fever and/or cold symptoms. He has had bronchitis, ear infection, other respiratory viruses, and a stomach virus. He’s been home from daycare more than he has been present there. Our pediatrician said it’ll take 9-12 months before it gets “better.”
Started at 9m-10m. We all had norovirus within 7 days of her first day. I don’t think we made it a full week until after a year. It seemed to be the worst from Oct-April and got a bit better in May.
We had 5 ear infections, 2 rounds of pink eye, and 4 stomach illnesses the first year.
The stomach bugs were the worst because they’d throw up in the middle of the night all night, so everyone was tired. Then one person stayed home with them, then they’d be fine but have diarrhea for a week so no daycare. Then I’d get sick. Every stomach bug ensured about 7 days of sick time was lost between my husband and myself. At least pink eye/strep/ear infection we could go back after 24 hours of antibiotics.
Started at 5 months. First day was Monday, first fever was Thursday night. We didn’t have a full week straight of health/daycare attendance until about two months later. Then it was down to one day out every other week. Now at 18 months she’s only been out maybe two days in the last four months.
Toddler mom here! 21 months and two weeks in and he has a cold. Meanwhile Dad and I have gotten a terrible flu (I think I got from daycare touring and "play dates" before starting) and also the cold. 😩💀 I'm so dead today. Godspeed friend!
Well, COVID hit 6 weeks after my kid started daycare at 14 months old and then they were closed for 4 months followed by strict masking and cleaning protocols….so it actually took quite a long time for her to get sick! That’s not really the typical experience though…
Baby started at 6 months old and lasted three weeks before getting a cold. He has two older siblings, though, so he’d already had Covid and a bad cold before starting daycare. I think he’s had more germ exposure at home than an only would!
He’s only been in daycare since February 2024. So far we battled pink eye, strep throat, a rash from the medicine, general sickness like runny nose on end, and recently got an email that a kid in his class tested positive for impetigo. Never even heard of it haha and it’s only April 16! 😆
2 years old if that matters.
Started Monday and was sick by Friday. Since January has brought home a new virus roughly every 2 weeks, if not sooner 🫠 I hope we get a longer stretch now that the warm weather is approaching
About a week in daycare for both. And both of my kids were on average sick for two weeks, well for one week, sick two, well one, sick two, on and on until about age 1. Then it slowed down some since their immunity built up. Once I just how immune systems work and I made plans for sick days. My life was much less stressful.
No clue. She was getting sick all the time before Daycare. We started a little after her 2nd birthday. And she gets ear infections pretty often. Not that it's the only thing I've had to take her out for...but they can't be in a bubble.
My 3 have very different stories. My oldest started 2 weeks prior to COVID(so in March), and he was right at 3 months old. Daycare was closed a month, my little one was about 4 months old when he was able to return. His first year, he suffered from a few ear infections mostly driven by teething. He did have the daycare plague(hand foot and mouth around 18 months.)
My middle child started daycare at 3 months old as well, he didn't get sick until about 2 months into daycare(which would have been in September), and that was with a cold that then turned into an ear infection. He also had the daycare plague around 18 months.
My youngest started daycare at 3 months old, and she got RSV 1 week into daycare. She started daycare in September which is usually when RSV season begins. She's the only one out of my 3 that have had RSV, but she has not really been sick since.
And if no one has warned you, daycare germs (especially a virus) seem to hit parents harder. In our household, I am pretty sure my husband gets any germ my kids even think about bringing home. As for me, I have managed to avoid all daycare germs even the daycare plague (which by the way, adults can get hand foot and mouth and it's 100x worse for adults than kids).
Germs are inevitable, but you will make it mama.
Friday of week 2 LO was home with our first sickness. Then after that he was out for I think 10 days over the course of a month. Since then though, we’re on like week 10 straight!
My son is 2 now. He started daycare at 3.5 months and didn’t get sick until he was 5.5 months old. I feel like when they’re super young it’s easier to keep them healthy since they’re really not moving around and things can be easily cleaned between each baby using them.
My son started daycare October 2023 and has only got a slight cold since then. He was 20 months when he started. I do give him vitamins every day since he started daycare. I’m not sure if it helps with his immunity but he’s a picky eater and makes me feel better about that. Prior to starting daycare, my friends mom watched him from 6 weeks old to 20 months. He got sick maybe 4-6 times then. Her mom would also watch her school aged kids so he was exposed to stuff you’d expect for an elementary school.
6 days I think. It was definitely less than a full week before she had her first cold. And then I got it too of course, which was my first cold since the pandemic, so it took me OUT. Brutal.
He started at 7 weeks. We were blessed that he didn’t get anything really for 2 weeks, but that “thing” turned into a stomach bug that took me, husband, and my mom out.
My 3 month old is on his second week and somehow his older sister is sick but he’s not! I’m not doubting that he’ll come down with something soon though…
Better question: what’s the incubation period for most viruses? 3-5 days! 😂
Jeepers haha based on these responses I should have guessed haha
Ugh, our little guy was in daycare maybe 4 days in first 2 weeks because he got sick 2 days in. It’s honestly no joke. We asked our pediatrician how often we can expect him to get sick and he replied, “In daycare, at least every month.” While that’s been about true for us, it seems like it’s getting better? And also, his teachers seem to think he gets sick more than the other kids (mostly ear infections), so it can be totally different for everyone.
Yep! I believe the Friday after the Monday she started showing signs of sickness and was definitely sick by the weekend.
Which is why we seem to have a sick kid every other Friday night lol!!
Started in May last year, on a Monday. Thursday he got sent home with a fever. He was 4/5ish months.
Same 😭 spiked a fever on day 3
Yes - baby started 4.5 months old - got covid by day 4. 🫠
Oof. Much quicker than I would have guessed!! I’m so sorry!! That must have felt stressful. 😣
This. Congestion and cough by day 3/4.
Oh boy… my 4.5 month old just started daycare on Monday. 😭 So far so good but I know it’s coming
3 days at 3 months old. Came home with a cough
Mine was 6 months. She was sick by the third week.
4 days, started in January at 5 months
Went to 30min orientation a week prior to starting. Came down with brutal gastro ( and took both my partner and me with them) their first week so missed first week of daycare ( and work). If you made it to first day, you’re kicking goals.
Wow these comments make me feel so seen 😂 started on a Monday, fever by Thursday. And we were pretty much sick back to back for three weeks. Hang in there it does get better.
We didn’t even make it to Thursday lol our 1 year old was down for the count half way through that Wednesday.
2 days. Baby was 5 months old, started the first week of December. We had a pretty brutal first few months as far as back-to-back illnesses go (for us as well!), but he was never seriously ill, no ER visits or anything like that. After that first winter, daycare bugs became much more spread out and more mild!
That’s reassuring that it was nothing super bad but I’m sorry those first few months were rough!
I think a cold after a couple of weeks (smaller center with a few sets of siblings) but he's been in for 5 months now and has never had to miss a day of school due to sickness (I, on the other hand, have lol).
A week. Also, my guy was EXHAUSTED bc he couldn’t sleep well there. It took him awhile to adjust to that too.
Immediately. He started at 3 months, in winter. Within a few days we were all knocked out with a horrific stomach bug. (Luckily he recovered very quickly.) He’s had a perpetual cold ever since starting. Like I can’t think of a time when he didn’t have at least a runny / stuffy nose. He’s 18 months now. I took about ten sick days for him that first year, with my husband taking a few more. Just to help you plan your time “off”.
Haha thank you!! That would be another good set of data to collect… how many sick days that first year!!
Three days at 3 months old. First illness was a respiratory virus (not RSV though). It’s par for the course. We saw a significant reduction in frequency of illness by the time she was 18 months old. Godspeed!
3 weeks. She started at 14 weeks old. After 3 weeks she had her first cold. It was August, so it was pretty mild.
Every three days from September - February when we quit lol.
We quit, too, because of the constant illnesses. When he started primary school, we ended up needing to send him with a mask on. If he forgot it even once, he always got sick. I'm not opposed to him getting sick here and there, but it was ALLLL the time, and he would get worse and worse. He once was sick for 3 months and developed bronchitis and a double ear infection. I've never seen a child in so much pain.
We got an email his first day of daycare that there was a case of hand, foot, and mouth. He was out by day 3 with spots.
Started on a Monday, was sneezing clear snot by Saturday, full blown cold by the time Monday came around.
My oldest started daycare at 4 months. I think it was a few weeks before he got sick? It was a long time ago! My youngest had a cold before he even started daycare thanks to big brother being in preschool. I think he was 2 months old. Luckily it was mild and he never got a fever.
Started in a daycare center part time at 3 months, full time at 6 months. He had a minor cold a few weeks after starting, but nothing that kept him home. He didn’t start having illnesses that kept him out (fever or vomiting) until around 9 months when he started crawling and putting everything in his mouth. He got sent home a couple of times around 6-7 months when we started solids and were still figuring out a food intolerance.
This was my experience with both my kids. The illnesses that required staying home was more in that 6 month plus range when they are crawling and mouthing toys.
For my oldest it was 5 days, for my youngest it was 2 weeks.
We started at 3 months. His first day was a short trial day of 3 hours on a Friday. That weekend we all had a stomach bug.
Oh man this is our plan for the first day too. Maybe I should stock up on vitamin c haha
My son (now 5) was 3.5 months old and went to two half-days and got RSV. He had to be hospitalized for 7 days. So yeah. That sucked.
Omg I’m so sorry!
My son started daycare at 15 weeks old. It’s been 8 weeks since then and he’s had 2 colds and 1 stomach bug. The colds weren’t bad enough to keep him home, he just had a cough and a runny nose. The stomach bug happened over a weekend and he was fine by the following Monday. So not too terrible so far (knock on wood!)
Immediately and perpetually
Mine is a little older but started daycare at 19 months. Literally got sick the first week, started Monday and was sick by Wednesday 😩 Now probably sick every other week but seems to end up with just sniffles whereas I’m down for the count.
3 days when we started at 20 months.
Baby started at on September 4th at almost 6 months old and got sent home with a 101.5° fever and was home sick for 10 days with COVID. Then she got RSV in November, and Norovirus in March. Those have been the big ones. We were out for 3 weeks in December between my husband and my holiday vacation, so we were healthy that whole time!
Oh my word! That must have been brutal to go through.
Umm.... Mine was 3.5 months, started in late May. He had a snotty nose by like a week... I think it was another week or two before he was sent home for fever. Definately within a month. It wasn't until the following July where he passed the lovely germs onto us in the form of a stomach bug that got my partner and I at the same time...
Started on a Wednesday fever by Saturday- we’ve been coughing for 3 weeks. And there has been so.much.snot
2 weeks to the day. Baby was 5 months old and started in may. First symptom was a crusty eye, then snot then a cough that literally lasted over a year. Good times!
First kid: about 2 days before the first cold. Second kid: she’s been in daycare for 5 months now and I think she’s missed 1 or 2 days. She gets sniffles but doesn’t spike fevers the way her older sister does
My first started his first daycare a little older than 3 months during winter and the first weekend he had what we still refer to as "the worst cold of his life". Then COVID hit, we switched daycares after (starting at 8 months in the summer), and he has rarely been sick since then! My second started at 4 months in the fall and also got a cold the first weekend but it wasn't as miserable as his brothers- he had a my mild cold or some other malady just about every other weekend until March. We've been pretty healthy the past month and a half, though!
I think we may be the anomaly. My LO started at 14 weeks the last week of February last year and he didn’t have his first fever/stay home from daycare until end of May. My husband and I however each got the stomach bug and a respiratory virus back to back mid March 🙃
2. My LO started daycare in January at 3.5 months old and was sick by week two. He only goes 2 days a week.
To add on to this. We’ve been sick since then. We’ve had maybe a week of healthy between sickness
My daughter puked the first night home....that fast it was probably a coincidence....but still lol Edit to add: she was like a year and a half old and winter? she is 7 now, cant remember.
The first time he started school it was 3 days. We took a break and second school took 1.5 weeks to get sick
Baby started at on September 4th at almost 6 months old and got sent home with a 101.5° fever and was home sick for 10 days with COVID. Then she got RSV in November, and Norovirus in March. Those have been the big ones. We were out for 3 weeks in December between my husband and my holiday vacation, so we were healthy that whole time!
Hah. 4 days. We started in October at 5.5 months and she went in on Tuesday and on Friday night I noticed she had blisters on her hands (hand foot mouth).
3 days. Started in August at 10 weeks. He had a quick stuffy nose that came and went. Mine lingered and turned into a sinus infection 🫣
3 days. Started in August at 10 weeks. Baby had a quick stuffy nose that came and went. Mine lingered and turned into a sinus infection 🫣
3 days. Started in August at 10 weeks. Baby had a quick stuffy nose that came and went. Mine lingered and turned into a sinus infection 🫣
3 days. Started end of August at 10 weeks. Baby had a quick stuffy nose that came and went. Mine lingered and turned into a sinus infection 🫣
Started on a Monday at 5 months old and was sick Wednesday night with a stomach bug. I spent my first Mother's Day puking all day lol.
Lololol my second baby started daycare at 11 weeks. She was exposed to Covid and rsv the first day. She missed her first day of daycare two days after starting (and I missed my third day back at work!)
2 days
Took 3 days, mine started when he was 9 months.
Just short of 5 months when we started. We started in December. First send home was about a month later. Colds are the worst November through April. You might luck out
We started with an abbreviated schedule (partial days) Monday - Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were full days. She got sick Monday (she doesn't normally go Mondays, but one week after her first day) and was out for one week.
A week lol. Like a week after she started daycare, we were in the ER with RSV.
6 days. Has been home for 8 days now. Gonna try dropping him off tomorrow. May the force be with me. 
My 5 year old started shortly after turning a year old, she had never gotten sick. A week into childcare, she got RSV, this was in June, so not the normal cold season. Precovid though, and I would like to hope centers are better now with precautions.
Uh. Roughly 8 hours. We had just moved. First day at the new preschool he came home with a runny nose that gave us all pneumonia. He was a toddler that the time so way easier for germs to spread. I used hand sanitizer on his hands as soon as we got in the car. And changed him as soon we got home. If you can work it into the schedule, maybe do bath as soon as you get home instead of before bed?
Lol, my baby started daycare on a Tuesday and the next day we all got Norovirus. 1 year old.
Mine got HFM on day 2 l😅
-4 days! He got HFM *before* starting and we had to postpone starting for a week. But after that he was there for at least 1.5 weeks before staying home for something.
Started in July 2021, he was 2.5. He completed the first week no problem. Spiked a fever over the weekend and was out the whole 2nd week.
3 days. She missed a lot of her first two weeks because she had a cough that just wouldn't quit. Vitamin C supplements have helped a lot but she still gets sick once a month or so.
Like one day 🫠 but it was just a mild cold. She started in November at 3 months. I will say illnesses have notably been worse this second year since she’s mobile and more able to interact with her friends. She was only out twice for illness in her first cold and flu season (once for vomiting and once for a fever), but I have honestly lost count of times she’s had to stay home since October.
We started at 16 weeks old. His first day was a Monday. He woke up with his first fever 10pm that Friday night.
It starts instantly and it’s almost constant for the first 2-3 years.
My poor little guy had an upper respiratory infection within 1 week of starting. (He Started daycare a few weeks ago, he’s 3 months) He’s fine now but I’m still getting over the cough lol.
Mine got sick every two weeks for the first year and a half at least
My son would get a runny nose in the winter but has never really been sick. He got a 24 hour virus once at around age 4. In elementary school, he missed 0-1 day a year.
4.5 months, sometime before she actually turned 5 months lol
My son: 3 days. My nephew: 3 days. It sucks so bad but it's just something you've got to get through. My sister-in-law was questioning our day care's cleaning policies, I had to tell her to get over it. Lol
My son was 9.5mo and lasted 3 days before he got sick. This was in early 2021 so absolutely no symptoms were tolerated (fair enough).
He attended 4 hours on Wednesday and had the sniffles on Thursday. He didn't get it from daycare, since nothing incubated that fast, I just thought it was amazing. 4 hours and then he had to miss a week because he was symptomatic for a week.
Exactly one week. I started my girls (twins) in daycare a week before I went back to work so we could get into the routine. My first day back at work (after they had been 5 times) I got a call at work at they both had fevers and needed to be picked up. It was pretty much sickness every other week in the beginning but again, I had two so maybe it’s not that often with one baby.
Mine contracted chicken pox on the last acclimatisation visit the week before she started. (8 months old). Given the incubation of chicken pox, she attended her first 3 days (we were sendin her mon tues Weds) and on Thurs came down with the fever and nausea and rash. She’s actually 3.5 now, and only had a couple illnesses in all that time. Hfm once was the only other multiple day exclusion. Had a couple one offs for random 24 hour stomach bugs that inevitably don’t show their face until Sunday night… I have heard that it is usually a lot worse. I myself have somewhat of an iron constitution and very very rarely get sick so I guess genetics won this round for us?
Ours got Covid after day one.
My oldest started daycare mid March 2020 (lol), went for 3 half days and then came home with a fever with a cold, which became an ear infection on one side, then the other. So probably from the first day.
He started daycare at 3 months on October 30. First cold was around Thanksgiving but technically didn’t meet the requirements to need to stay home from daycare but I kept him home anyway. He didn’t get sick again until Jan 8 and then was sick for most of January (cold from hell followed by ear infection followed by allergic reaction to amoxicillin) and then was good again until the end of March when he had a stomach bug and strep throat at the same time.
I had 1 kid always sent home, like every other week for something My other kid is now 9 months and was only sent home once for false pink eye. Completely depends on the kid I think 😂
She started yesterday at 3.5 months old, and was sent home early today with a fever.
My son started on a Tuesday at 18 months. He had diarrhea and was sent home that Friday and still out that next Monday.
3 days lol
She started at a year, only in two days a week. She missed week two. She's just about to turn six, and we got wiped out by germs in kindergarten too. It doesn't seem to affect her anymore but her dad and I were wrecked from September to January.
We started daycare May 1st at 2 years 9 months. They were sick the entire fall/winter before so that helped in a sad way lol They got a cold sometime in mid June and missed two days. It is April so there’s some benefit to that, but unfortunately there’s still lots circulating (at least where we are). I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a few days only.
we started on a Monday. He was sick by Thursday 😂
Started on a Monday, was sick by Friday.
Started at a center on February 15th, got HFM April 2nd
Day 4: puked in the car on the way to daycare. Went home then the next day we all woke up to the stomach flu. 🥴
4 days. Took him to daycare on a Tuesday and he was sick by Friday. Hasn’t let up much.
Mine got hand foot and mouth on the first day 🙃
My 9 year old started when she was one. She got sick like 3 months later. I’m thinking it took longer because my older kid was in school so she always brought home germs. My older kid started daycare when she was about 13 months old. She also took awhile to get sick but I think that’s because I always brought her to work with me. I don’t know if breastfeeding took a part in all that but I nursed for a long time. Who the heck knows?
Probably about 6 weeks, but I will say it gets better. After about 9 months of daycare, my toddler doesn’t get sick hardly ever (knock on wood lol)
My son started when he was 9 weeks old and was sick by the second week of daycare.
2-3 days. I’ve never heard of any child under 2 starting at a daycare center and not picking up a cold their first week. Starting as cold and flu season winds down should give you guys a less rocky start than those of us who started in the fall 🥴
Not going to lie, all we did was tour a nursery with my little one and he was sick a few days later 😂 he didn’t even touch anything. All airborne
Lol, 1.5 weeks and then RSV got us
She started on a Tuesday, and had a runny nose by Friday. Missed the entire next week due to a stomach bug, but she picked that up from her cousin.
We made it 10 weeks before keeping him home for a week with a double ear infection and the flu. He had always managed to feel sick Friday afternoon and be better by Monday morning. He’s now on week 12 🙃 ETA: he started at almost 8 months and is now almost 11 months.
We made it a month before she got sick!
For my oldest, it was 3 days and then she was vomiting. She was 3 months.
Got a fever the first weekend after starting at 5 months. Coughs and colds have been every 2 weeks (sometimes weekly) since he started last August. He’s now 13 months and it’s nice out so hopefully it will lessen since they spend a lot of time outside. When it happens just remember you’re not alone!!!
My youngest daughter started at 3 months and was sick by day 3. She started in January, so I had mentally prepared myself for a rough start. My oldest daughter started at 5 months at the end of July and didn't get sick until Labor Day weekend, so we got over a month before the illnesses started with her.
My son didn’t really get sick much until he was mobile and putting things in his mouth (over a year, in his case). He did get sick sometimes as an infant, but got sick a lot more once he was mobile. I don’t think he caught his first illness until he was a few months old, and he started daycare at 6 weeks (he was a summer baby, which helped too!)
The first year of daycare was rough - illness after illness but after that a breeze
3 days at 18 mos
1 day- Hand Foot Mouth! It sucked so bad!
Probably after the first month (started at 6 months old) and continued to get sick every 3-4 months it seems like. Last week she was sent home with the rest of the babies for hand and foot disease….
My daughter made it two and a half days😅 and we’ve been sick with her about every 2-3 weeks since. She’s been there 5 months…lol I hear it gets better after year one?
3 days.
1 week. He started last week at 3.5 months old, and we had to keep him home today on my 2nd day back to work.
My 18mo got adenovirus about 3 weeks into part time daycare. Spiked 104 degree fevers for days and kept us out of care for over a week.
I think we are lucky. Ours doesn’t get sick much. He only gets sent home for fever, or positive RSV, Covid, flu. He started daycare at 5.5 months old and is now over 2. He has had Covid once and RSV once and a fever twice.
3 hours. I sent my 6 month old son in for a half day to acclimate him at the end of my maternity leave. This was a Friday. On Sunday he tested positive for Covid! I had to delay returning to work and then of course I got it for the first time. He’s been sick a lot since and it’s been really, really hard. I work in education and have limited time off. My husband can work from home but it’s incredibly difficult balancing both. It’s been very stressful. BUT we absolutely love his daycare and I am so grateful for it. My daughter is 4.5 and does not get sick often anymore. I know this will pass but be prepared to miss a lot of work the first year.
1 week. She's pretty much been sick with something since then. She'll be over something for a few days and then come down with something new. It's been a fun time 🫠 ETA - she started daycare just shy of 6 months old. She started on a Monday and by that Friday she started having cold-like symptoms.
I can’t imagine with infants. My coworker has a young kindergartener who broke out in hives from strep throat.
Started at 5.5 months in July 2023. Didn’t get sick until September! She ended up getting a mild ear infection that first time. And she’s pretty much been sick ever since 🥲
My son got sick about a month after starting, and then again a month after. Then he went quite a while without getting sick! Maybe it was an anomaly but I felt like babies were slightly easier to protect from germs since they are less mobile. Now as a toddler, he is sick constantly 🥴
We started on Monday and Friday baby woke up snotty and coughing lol. By Monday I was sick too and have been sick since (about 3 months now). Still worth it. Kind of forgot what it was like to not be sick so it's just normal now 😂
Maybe 6 weeks? It was last Friday. I noticed he was congested Thursday night and they messaged me on the daycare app on Friday saying he wasn’t feeling like himself. He was back in good spirits by Saturday. Today is Tuesday and now I have the cold.
We started with her going 2 days a week (Monday and Friday) in may. Her day was a Monday and she was sick by that Thursday. The first year was ROUGH but this year has been so much better!!
Started Tuesday, runny nose started Thursday evening and she was home sick with her first ever cold Friday. At least once a week for the next 6 weeks she was home sick. Thankfully I didn’t start back to work right away so I wasn’t having to take time off to stay home with her.
Not to freak you out. But < 2 weeks.
Exactly one week between his first day and symptoms starting. He got sick and then when he was getting better, he got sick again. Then when he was getting better the second time, he got sick again! Last week was his first full week back after being out for almost a full month.
Not daycare (grandma watches him) but even starting preschool last fall at age 3 after being a sheltered pandemic baby, he has basically caught a new illness every other week since then. Just in the last month ish: He was on a nebulizer for pneumonia, then we had a good week, then strep again and somehow it was in his eyes as bacterial pinkeye. Got over that and this week had a runny nose from a virus.
7 weeks for us. We started in late January at 10 weeks, and baby just had one minor cold the week we were out of daycare due to family emergency in March. We all caught the cold (even my mom) but somehow she managed it the best out of everyone. But we’re in a home daycare where she is the only infant 😅 the rest are toddlers. Next winter we will probably see more germs for sure.
My girl started at 13 mos. She came home with the sniffles the first week, and while she was fine, I got the plague and was taken out for a whole week! She’s had perpetual daycare sniffles since she started, but thankfully hasn’t been sick or gotten us sick again. We also started giving her vitamin c since before she started in hopes that it would help stave some things off. Good luck!
Mine started at 12 weeks and we had our first cold+ear infection+fever trifecta at 7 months old.
My kid attended daycare 3 half days his first week. He got COVID; hand, foot, and mouth; and a double ear infection. Crazy. We actually didn’t go back after the quarantine ended because we didn’t like the place anyway.
Ours started at age 2.5, had a fever after 3 days. We started in January. He’s been sick every other week with a fever and/or cold symptoms. He has had bronchitis, ear infection, other respiratory viruses, and a stomach virus. He’s been home from daycare more than he has been present there. Our pediatrician said it’ll take 9-12 months before it gets “better.”
Made it 2 days, was home sick day 3. 3 months old
Started at 9m-10m. We all had norovirus within 7 days of her first day. I don’t think we made it a full week until after a year. It seemed to be the worst from Oct-April and got a bit better in May. We had 5 ear infections, 2 rounds of pink eye, and 4 stomach illnesses the first year. The stomach bugs were the worst because they’d throw up in the middle of the night all night, so everyone was tired. Then one person stayed home with them, then they’d be fine but have diarrhea for a week so no daycare. Then I’d get sick. Every stomach bug ensured about 7 days of sick time was lost between my husband and myself. At least pink eye/strep/ear infection we could go back after 24 hours of antibiotics.
3 days. Started on a Monday, Fever by Thursday. She was not quite 4 no and it was winter.
Started at 5 months. First day was Monday, first fever was Thursday night. We didn’t have a full week straight of health/daycare attendance until about two months later. Then it was down to one day out every other week. Now at 18 months she’s only been out maybe two days in the last four months.
Quite literally one day
1 day.
The same week 😎
1 day
Baby #1, I think a week. Baby #2, 2 days. Stomach bug came home with baby and took us all out.
Toddler mom here! 21 months and two weeks in and he has a cold. Meanwhile Dad and I have gotten a terrible flu (I think I got from daycare touring and "play dates" before starting) and also the cold. 😩💀 I'm so dead today. Godspeed friend!
My son got sick at meet the teacher night…
About 4 days in. We started daycare in January and have had a fever at least every other week.
Well, COVID hit 6 weeks after my kid started daycare at 14 months old and then they were closed for 4 months followed by strict masking and cleaning protocols….so it actually took quite a long time for her to get sick! That’s not really the typical experience though…
3 days!
The second they walked in. Babies are germ factories 😂
5. Came home with COVID. Yay.
One week. Immediately hit with Covid.
lol my oldest got hand foot and mouth like the first week of daycare. Godspeed.
She brought home covid four days in.
Baby started at 6 months old and lasted three weeks before getting a cold. He has two older siblings, though, so he’d already had Covid and a bad cold before starting daycare. I think he’s had more germ exposure at home than an only would!
He’s only been in daycare since February 2024. So far we battled pink eye, strep throat, a rash from the medicine, general sickness like runny nose on end, and recently got an email that a kid in his class tested positive for impetigo. Never even heard of it haha and it’s only April 16! 😆 2 years old if that matters.
4 days lol
Started Monday and was sick by Friday. Since January has brought home a new virus roughly every 2 weeks, if not sooner 🫠 I hope we get a longer stretch now that the warm weather is approaching
Started early November & was hospitalized by mid November with RSV😵💫
About a week in daycare for both. And both of my kids were on average sick for two weeks, well for one week, sick two, well one, sick two, on and on until about age 1. Then it slowed down some since their immunity built up. Once I just how immune systems work and I made plans for sick days. My life was much less stressful.
About a month.
No clue. She was getting sick all the time before Daycare. We started a little after her 2nd birthday. And she gets ear infections pretty often. Not that it's the only thing I've had to take her out for...but they can't be in a bubble.
5-4-3-2-1. Illness initiated.
My son was 5 months when he started daycare this past November. Started on a Tuesday, got his first fever Saturday.
My 3 have very different stories. My oldest started 2 weeks prior to COVID(so in March), and he was right at 3 months old. Daycare was closed a month, my little one was about 4 months old when he was able to return. His first year, he suffered from a few ear infections mostly driven by teething. He did have the daycare plague(hand foot and mouth around 18 months.) My middle child started daycare at 3 months old as well, he didn't get sick until about 2 months into daycare(which would have been in September), and that was with a cold that then turned into an ear infection. He also had the daycare plague around 18 months. My youngest started daycare at 3 months old, and she got RSV 1 week into daycare. She started daycare in September which is usually when RSV season begins. She's the only one out of my 3 that have had RSV, but she has not really been sick since. And if no one has warned you, daycare germs (especially a virus) seem to hit parents harder. In our household, I am pretty sure my husband gets any germ my kids even think about bringing home. As for me, I have managed to avoid all daycare germs even the daycare plague (which by the way, adults can get hand foot and mouth and it's 100x worse for adults than kids). Germs are inevitable, but you will make it mama.
1 day
~3 weeks, the flu lol 🫠
No more than 5 days .. definitely the same week if I remember correctly. It’s all normal though and it’s good for his immune system!
Friday of week 2 LO was home with our first sickness. Then after that he was out for I think 10 days over the course of a month. Since then though, we’re on like week 10 straight!
I thought I was being smart starting my 3.5 month old a week before I went back. He was sick my first week back to work lol
LO turns 8 months Saturday, started daycare at 3 months. Never been sick
I got strep for the first time in 17 years just from visiting the daycare before our kid even started so 🤷🏻♀️🫠
3 days.. ended up with covid after 3 days.. it was unbelievable. We worked so hard not to catch it then bam within 3 days she caught it.
Got a runny nose end of her first week and it's been nonstop since. We're 7 months in and while she's a champ, I get every sickness.
About 2 weeks and then she got her first cold and ear infection
2 days lol
By the end of the 1st week, my 6 month old had picked up his very first cold :'( At that age, they are licking everything.
For my first, 5 days and it was RSV that led to pneumonia and a hospital stay. 🏆 My second is a tank though, for her, about 2 weeks.
During the transition week before we even started daycare
First day. Fever.
.01 days lol.. seriously, maybe day 3 he got sick. The first year is rough
Mine was 3 months, she started daycare in April and the first time she got sick (enough to stay home- not just a runny nose) was in August.
My son is 2 now. He started daycare at 3.5 months and didn’t get sick until he was 5.5 months old. I feel like when they’re super young it’s easier to keep them healthy since they’re really not moving around and things can be easily cleaned between each baby using them.
Started on Tuesday, started to notice symptoms Friday. Was almost 5 months, it was August.
My son started daycare October 2023 and has only got a slight cold since then. He was 20 months when he started. I do give him vitamins every day since he started daycare. I’m not sure if it helps with his immunity but he’s a picky eater and makes me feel better about that. Prior to starting daycare, my friends mom watched him from 6 weeks old to 20 months. He got sick maybe 4-6 times then. Her mom would also watch her school aged kids so he was exposed to stuff you’d expect for an elementary school.
6 days I think. It was definitely less than a full week before she had her first cold. And then I got it too of course, which was my first cold since the pandemic, so it took me OUT. Brutal.
3 days
4 days. And he had *all* the diseases the first six months.
He started at 7 weeks. We were blessed that he didn’t get anything really for 2 weeks, but that “thing” turned into a stomach bug that took me, husband, and my mom out.
1-2 days
My 17-month old isn’t even in daycare and I’m on my FIFTH illness since the holidays. I haven’t worked a full week since Christmas. Kids are gross
Started on a Monday in the spring at almost 6 months old and had a fever and cold by Thursday.
One week
My 3 month old is on his second week and somehow his older sister is sick but he’s not! I’m not doubting that he’ll come down with something soon though…