Chickenpox Party...For Kiddies Only

Spots spots everywhere! It is the most expected disease that your child will get and almost somewhat a rite of passage perhaps. The virus is so easily passed and undetectable in the beginning that your child may have caught and spread it to someone else in a matter of minutes! With something as contagious as this you'd think parents would keep their kids home from school during the late winter and early spring (when the virus is at its height). Not so fast! Even though many children receive a vaccine now for chickenpox there is still a chance that they may contract it and this is where your duty as a parent and party aficionado can come in handy.

Gather the moms in the neighborhood and invite them over for an afternoon play date with a purpose. You want them to interact with the infected child for an afternoon so that they can catch the virus and get the process if itching and scratching underway. The reason for this is so that you are sure that your child contracts the virus early on in life and get over it quickly and maybe with a few friends in tow. Make it a simple play date occasion complete with orange juice popsicles and mittens (if needed).

In this circumstance it isn't necessary to pull out the decorations or bake a cake, but if you'd like to make the mood more festive it wouldn't be a bad idea! Nothing says let's get healthy once this is over like toy stethoscopes and doctor's kits for the kiddies while the parents get a goodie bag with a thermometer, calamine lotion and oatmeal inside!

Enjoy and try not to scratch!