On Monday I had the call that any mum with a little one dreads: my son was being sent home from nursery due to a cough and needed a COVID test before he could return.
As discussed in our post on the problems with COVID tests and the working mum, this is a situation that’s going to happen time and time again now we approach winter and if your kid is mixing with other children at the nursery.
Obviously, I was worried about him but as he seemed okay in himself and didn’t have a temperature, I was also worried the results would take ages to come back. Let’s be honest, nursery is EXPENSIVE and the stress of being a self-employed mum isn’t fun either.
Luckily, I managed to get a test straightaway for that day on the site (tip: I’ve heard they get uploaded at 8 pm and 8 am each day so worth refreshing then if there’s none in your area) and the results back with just over 24 hours.
I was quite daunted at taking my son for his first test-which, thankfully, was negative-so thought I’d share my top tips if you’re doing a COVID test with a little one for the first time too.
1. Bring another person if you can
Obviously, I’m not suggesting you round of friends and families to have a day out at the testing center but if you’ve got someone in your household you can bring, it makes it so much easier as you’ll need to park up, clamber into the back seat without leaving your vehicle, attempt to swab and then climb back with the swab in your hand (making sure it doesn’t touch anything!) If you can have someone on hand in the back to hold their hand or distract them then it’s so much easier.
2. You don’t need to swab the tonsils.
As the attendant saw me attempt to access my son’s tonsils, she helpfully chimed up that children under 12 only need to have one nostril swabbed which is obviously SO much easier!
Obviously double-check with your centre about what their requirements are but we had to just stick the swab under one nostril.
3. Take snacks
The area wasn’t very well sign posted so we needed plenty of snacks whilst we attempted to locate the testing centre, then you need peace for a few minutes whilst you read the instructions properly (hence why a helper is so useful) and a distraction whilst trying to seal the bottle up. If you have multiple kids, this is even more crucial.
4. Bring a tablet
Or any kind of distraction really to stop drawing attention to the fact you’re poking their nose with a stick. Thank you five little ducks for helping us get through it! Anyone else toddler hate anything touching their nose?
5.You don’t need ID
When you order the test it’ll ask you to bring your child’s photo ID: cue panic and googling as Jude hasn’t got a passport! Luckily, they only ask for the QR code when you arrive and didn’t ask for ID at all (not for me or Jude) so don’t worry if your little one doesn’t have one either.
6. Bring wipes and hand sanitiser
Another annoying instruction that doesn’t apply to babies and toddlers is the suggestion to ask your child to blow their nose!
Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen with Jude so I just wiped around his nose area before I began. You’re also advised to bring your own hand sanitiser to sanitise your hands when giving the swap back to the tester.
7. If you are testing multiple kids, take a photo of where they were sitting
I’ve heard of so many people getting the tests mixed up so make sure you jot down who is sitting where before handing the tests back. They do give you a card to mark where people are seating in your car but to be honest I found it really confusing so it could be worth taking a photo too.
Impressively, test results came back in just over 24 hours and were negative so my son was back at nursery today (not sure if he has a chest infection though so I’m considering ringing the GP tomorrow) Let me know your experiences: have you had to get your baby or toddler a test? How was it?
Where next?
Stuck at home with a baby or toddler whilst you wait for results? Read our 7 easy equipment free ideas to keep 0-2 year olds entertained.
Fancy winning some toddler ready meals? Read here
This is really helpful. We’ve so far managed to avoid our kids having to take a test but have had to take ones ourselves. I always wondered what it was like trying to get a child to take it.
These are good tips. I have taken 2 tests, one more unpleasant than the other. My youngest hasn’t needed to get none yet.
This is sucn a helpful post as I am sure there are a lot of parents out there having to face this or will do at some stage.
Thankfully I’ve not had to have a COVID test yet but I can’t imagine how tough it must be to do it with kids, but these seem like great tips x
These are all so helpful! We haven’t had to have any tests yet and I am dreading it as my daughter hates anything like it but these are great tips, I would never have thought to take a photo!
This is a really useful post with lots of sound advise for those who find them selves in this situation.
Great tips, I would have attempted to swab the tonsils too, so it is good to know you don’t need to
Thanks so much. My 2yo son needs a test today and after much googling this is the only info I found on the actual test itself. Everything else relates to preparing for it. Very helpful 🙂
Thank you! Finally some good advice! The government advice tells you to explain to your child what’s going to happen but that’s not possible with a one year old!