The blessing and curse of Varicella Zoster

So here is the thing, varicella zoster or as you might know it Chicken pox is one of those childhood diseases.

You know the kind when people say things like ‘ooh i hope my little johnny/jenny gets it’ or you get requests from people to come round and have a chicken pox party..which im told involved the infected person being ‘rubbed’ on those who are not.

Now… i get that apparently its supposed to be easier to have when they are little and that its one of those things that they need to get out of the way..but there is no way i really understand people who would rush toward their kids being ill. Personally i would rather my kids aren’t ill. It sucks when they are, they don’t sleep, we don’t sleep, they are miserable, we are miserable. It seems a strange thing to want to go and wish down on yourself.

On the other hand a lady was in a lift with me just this last week with her precious first born 12 month old in the buggy, when another lift traveller commented on my LO’s very healed spots and asked if it was chicken pox. When i replied yes quickly adding ‘but she is over it now.’ The woman with the buggy cried in alarm ‘Oh let me out, let me out!” Which i think is maybe a little bit too far the other extreme and  a little bit over the top as we all know its generally an inevitability getting the pox.Its not convenient when they do but its not the end of the world. Most kids do eventually get it. Shove them in a nursery environment for any length of time and boom…pox. Its a pretty easy thing to catch, airborne virus and lets face it toddlers are not exactly the most discreet with their body fluids! yeah…ick.

But anyhow my children have had it in two batches. Primarily because the first time we had it the two little ones were not even born. My oldest picked it up and then two weeks later the next one and then 10 days later the next one. That’s almost a MONTH of chicken pox. So not fun.

Now my 4th baby is pretty much over it and just in the last couple of days my 5th and final baby has come down with it and ahead of us are sleepless nights, coaxing to eat and drink and topping up on the piriton and nurofen…and whilst i do understand the ‘ahh its better that they get it when they are young’ idea. Its hard to explain to a 19 month old why their skin feels like it is being stabbed with needles and their mouth and throat feel on fire…and actually its just whethering out a miserable, grumpy baby who has no idea what the heck is going on.

Yes there is an element of finality now. We are done. Topped up on our immunity, antibodies for everybody!  For me,  im not sorry that we are bidding chicken pox farewell in my journey as a parent. But i still wouldn’t wish the poorly days on my little ones regardless of how much they are supposed to ‘need’ it.