KELLY BROWN Mum's the Word...Spots don't stop play, but will '˜man-flu' strike as a grown-up?

Well I say his life, when in reality I should say everyone else’s lives.

Because while he has been pampered, played with and cuddled for a week, our whole family has had to rejig their work, plans and even boring chores to cope with this little outbreak.

Naturally he is banned from his nursery – most likely the scene of the crime – until he is no longer contagious. So it’s been a real mission to sort out a week-and-a-half’s worth of childcare to overcome this mini crisis.

Me, my husband, my in-laws, grandparents – everyone has stepped in to help (we are so lucky) – leaving work early, starting late, taking the day off, changing plans.

And my plans to see two tiny newborns at the weekend were shot down in flames by our mini quarantine situation.

Now before I’m condemned as a cruel mother whose poor child is suffering while I complain, let me just set the record straight.

In the entire time he has had chicken pox, my son has been feeling poorly for about eight hours of it.

We had one day of cuddles on the sofa, curling up and napping together on the sofa, and watching Bob the Builder together on the sofa because he was feeling poorly. The rest of the time he has been running around the house and garden like a looney.

Apart from being covered in the pink stuff – oh the childhood memories which came rushing back – and eating just a little bit less than normal, you would not have thought there was anything wrong with him.

I’m not complaining. He is such a happy little munchkin all the time and he never lets a little thing like being poorly get in the way of all-important playtime.

And, despite knowing in the long-run it’s good to get these things out of the way, I would do anything to take away his illness and make him all better. (If only mummy’s kisses were magical).

I just wonder if his ‘won’t let it get me down’ attitude to illness will last when he is all grown up, or will that pesky ‘man-flu’ get the better of him?