Is it only Harry that is ill approx 2 weeks out of every 4? I'm SO sick and tired of paying £40 a day for him to go to nursery, get ill, then have the following week off with me and my husband having to use our holiday entitlement to look after him... only for him to get better, have one ill-free week and then get something else. He's only there 3 days out of 5 for god sake! The final slap in the face is - the week he is well, me and my husband are ill with whatever it is that he's just recovered from. It's like one relentless cycle of disease and misery.

It was only 2 weeks ago that he was off for a week with an ear and throat infection... then last week he was well... and now he has a stomach bug and diarrhoea. And if you're wondering - to complete the cycle, I had tonsillitis last week too!

Everyone keeps saying "well, it's better he gets all his illnesses now before he starts school".... WHY?! School is FREE... nursery is certainly not! Another repeated phrase is "he'll be building up a good immune system".... well, when is it going to be built? I'd like to know the answers to these questions.

Tell me about it! My LO isn't old enough to go to nursery yet. But every time we see my sisters LO's we catch the latest bug from them, well actually I do more than Dylan does. I'm on day 10 of the current cold, and it's the 5th one I've got from them since New Year!

Poppy isn't in nursery but still tends to pick up bugs once a month. A friend of mine has recently put her child in nursery a couple of days a week and her emails are pretty much the same as your post. Her LO has had every bug going and my friend and her OH have had to take so much time off, and she has only just started a new job so it's not ideal.

Not much I can say to make you feel better but let's just hope there is at least some truth in the immunity thing and things improve for you all soon xx

I know just how you feel - my LO is sick more often than he is well! Apparently the first 6 months at nursery are the worst then things settle down a bit - although I'm still waiting for the settling down part! Sometimes I will take sick leave so I can save my holiday otherwise I have to take it as unpaid leave. Hope LO is feeling better soon.

No amelie is off all the time too. I feel your frustration. Ive used a lot of my holidays too. However i hear the first 6 months are bad then it gets better.

Finlay has been in nursery since he was one and I know exactly what you mean!!! He is (supposed) to be 5 days a week and the only plus side is he now does seem to be building up some kind of immunity and doesn't seem to get quite as ill - it has took 6 months though lol!

Liams been in since 5 months and the first few were really bad

Omg i feel your pain, i sent Paddy to nursery 1day a week when he was 7 months old...he lasted 2 months! He had everything...and brought a bug home that OH then got so i was looking after them both! Never again its the closest ive come to walking! I took Paddy out after 2 months as he was constantly ill and miserable. x

Thanks everyone... although most of you say it's generally the first 6 months that are the worst, but Harry has been in nursery since he was 4.5 months old and is now 13 months old and still getting ill!! Anyway - all your well-wishes obviously worked because he's ok today thankfully!! That is of course until Friday when he has his MMR jab!

Hannah was bad over the first few months but she is fine now. She always has a runny nose... we call it the 'Nursery Cold'. But apart from that she has been fine.

With regards to work, Do you have to use up your holiday? I'm sure companies are supposed to have some sort of policy where if your child is sick you are entitled to have some time off without taking it out of your holiday entitlement.