This coming school year our schedule has changed for a family of 6. My husband works full time. I've started school. My two older sons are back in school and now my 3rd child is in preschool and daycare AND my 4th child is now in daycare for the first time. Lots going on. Schedules are chaotic.
This is our official FIRST week of school/daycare, etc. I've noticed that my 2 younger children started to have runny noses a couple of days ago and now my 4th child has a mild cough.
I've heard from other parents that once their children were off to school or daycare..they would have a higher chance of getting colds and getting sick. I'm starting to believe it. What can I do now ...now that they are in preschool/daycare? With my 2 older boys, I've reminded them to wash their hands, sneeze/cough inside the arm and I've done the same with my 2 little ones at home or when we're out.
I know we can't afford to have the children get sick, if one gets sick..eventually 2 or all of them will and that means mom or dad has to stay home and play doctor. If one of us did that, we'd miss school or work. I know that's part of the package, but I have always tried to prevent the children from getting sick. I've tried doing my part at home or when I'm with them. So...any suggestions? Thank you!
Don't fight it just accept that they are going to get sick...
Tips to stay healthy.... I live by these!!
Wash Hands
Vitamins
Healthy Meals
Lots of sleep!
Dont stress over it too much because it will happen - they will indeed get sick (and often). :-( And you are doing a great job already. My only advice is to definitely use hand sanitizer (especially when they get in the car from school/day care. And take vitamins. And eat healthy food. Also make sure you have the proper humidity at home (low humidity = dry mucus membranes ---> no mucus to trap the germs). And a good nights sleep.
:-)
The number one way to reduce the chances of your child getting sick is HANDWASHING.
For the daycare, I suggest asking about their handwashing policy. My boys went to a military child care facility where kids were required to wash their hands upon arrival to cut down on the germs they brought from home. They also washed before AND AFTER meals (they're touching their mouths, right?) and after they came indoors. My boys rarely got sick while attending there.
For the school, well...schools tend to overdo it on the hand sanitizer and not enough on the hand washing. Kids will get dry, chapped hands. I recommend letting your child know that it's best to wash with soap and water instead of immediately going to the sanitizer.
The next most important thing your kids need to stay well is a healthy balanced diet and plenty of water.
And EXERCISE! Keeping muscles and bones healthy and strong aids in healing throughout the entire body.
Good luck to you!
Yup, Handwashing is what it's all about. At my daughter's preschool everyone (parents too) washes their hands upon arriving at school. It helps keep allergens out of the school environment, but more importantly, it keeps germs down. Make sure they wash their hands before eating, and again after leaving school.
I keep some natural (not alcohol-based) hand spray in my car and I'm a little obsessive about spraying everyone's hands as soon as we get in the car no matter where we've been.
Good luck.
They are going to get sick, either now at child care when they get exposed or during their first year of school where their absences count against them. It is better for them to be exposed to all the germs and build their little immune systems while they are younger and then when they start school they don't get sick like everyone else. Missing a day or two of classes is do-able, just tell the teachers you have sick kids and that you need to get class notes and the homework.
Give them vitamins tell them to make sure they wash their hands. There really isn't much else you can do. My daughter started preschool last year and was sick at least once a month.
After years of this, last school year in addition to hand washing right when they come home from school, I also put the toothbrushes in the dishwasher every couple of weeks, and wiped down all of the door handles, phones etc with anti bacterial wipes.
These things made a significant difference in illnesses in our house but most importantly, not everyone got every illness the others got.
Another thing, if you're really serious and you have several kids. Get them all their own tube of toothpaste. The opening of the tube is a great transmitter of germs.
Couple things - good handwashing (have them sing the ABC's while washing their hands), probiotics (yogurt or powder form you can add to their cereal), vitamins that include minerals and proper sleep!
Good luck!
I swear by vitamin D. Buy the liquid kind and give to your kids in their OJ in the a.m with breakfast (D3 is a fat soluble vitamin, so it helps if it's taken with food that contains fat). The recommendation is 1,000 IU per 25 lbs. of body weight. Most liquid D3 comes in 1,000 IU per drop.
Teach them proper hand washing.
ShakleeKids vitamins were a great help for us.
There's a natural herb called Briar Rose that helps build your immune system. You can put 12 drops in children's milk or water once a week and I swear it has helped so much. My 4 1/2 year old who used to be sick so much has only gotten very minor colds since taking it for the last 4 months. You can go to drfeder.com, a homeopathic doctor's website, to learn more and order it. Good luck!
Vit d3 is good & u could check a health food store for other daily immune boosting supplements for children.
My hubby's studying to be a doc and he noticed when he was shadowing a doctor that they, of course, wash their hands a lot, BUT they also DON'T touch their eyes/nose/mouth with their hands.
If they have an itchy eye/nose, etc, they rub the itchy spot on their wrist/sleeve. The reason is that the hands convey germs to the mucus membranes in our eyes/noses/mouth and we touch our faces a LOT.
So hand washing with regular soap is fine, and avoiding touching your eyes/nose/mouth as much as possible. It's really hard to start a new habit, but might help :)
Check your daycares handwashing policies. Our kids went to 1 daycare for about 2 monhs and were constantly sick because they weren't hygene concious. They've been at thei current daycare for almost 2 years and hardly eve get sick or the sniffles. They wash constantly when they get there, before/after meals, restroom (ofcourse) and everytime they come in from playin outside. They wash the toys more thn other places too. It al makes a huge difference. God luck.
I will echo what everyone else has said: hand washing. Really there is no other defense & even this is not fool-proof. Regardless of your school's hygiene policy, have your child wash hands upoon arrival in the classroom & then before they leave at pick up time. Again once in the house. I have gotten in the habit w/our 2 boys that we all wash hands as soon as we enter the house. Coughing into the elbow, not touching their own eyes, nose & mouth & then some one else. Don't touch other's faces. Good luck!
here is my "trick" for kids staying healthy at back to school time. 1 month before (sorry too late this year!) beef up on their vitamins (multi, vitamin C-you can not OD on vitamin C but don't over do it... they usually take 2 instead of 1 for about a month around when school starts) and probiotics! Very important...if you are interested at all in natural wellness-health care rather than oops too late already sick "health" care- find a good wellness care (not crack and pop pain managment) Chiropractor. My kids have been getting adjusted their whole life and when school is ready to shut down cuz 90% is out sick my kids are still healthy and going strong. Helps with allergies too- my youngest had severe wintertime allergies -starts in october runs through may- she used to cough so bad and so much she would vomit multiple times a day and throughout the night starting at age 1. By last year we had it under control with only natural changes- more adjustments, different vitamin,small diet changes, removing stuffed animals as much as possible,etc and she didn't have any problems. Took 3 years to get the whole process figured out but it was worth it. Not 6 straight months of antibiotics, allergie meds, chest xrays cuz it developed into pneunomia etc.
Even now I would pump up the vitamin C and zinc (if you can get it in them) as well as a good multi- this will help them kick it. Antioxidents are very important too...i know it sounds weird but if you can't get it any other way- Chocolate milk! We had our family antioxidents checked and the one with the highest level was the youngest (poor allergy sufferer) and by diet analysis realized hers were so high because she drank so much chocolate milk.
Good luck.
