There’s a bug among us

The average American school aged child contracts 7 to 10 colds a year. Their teachers aren’t surprised by this number. Due to decreasing funds, teachers have to buy their own sanitizing supplies and clean up the classroom. Teachers are already strapped for time and can only do so much in this area.




obtained from US Kids

As you and I know…our kids can be little germ bags and when you group a bunch of them together you get a petri dish of illness waiting to happen. Why am I spouting off about something we all know? Well, there are things we can do to help each other in preventing additional illnesses from entering our homes.

Just like with forgetting the school routine, kids forget those important things to do to prevent bugs. Below are some helpful tips on helping to keep the bugs at bay:

1)     Make sure your children are up to date on their immunizations.

2)    Remind them on how and when to wash their hands. If there is visible dirt they need to use soap and water. (A disinfectant is fine with no visible dirt) Making hand washing fun can lead to them doing it more often. Have them sing a song while they wash or use super bubbly soap. Hands should be lathered up for 15 seconds. (The perfect amount of time to sing a little ditty.)

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3)    Have them bring their own pens, pencils, crayons etc. to school. Sharing these items can lead to the transfer of germs.

4)    It’s not being stingy to not share bugs…have them not share food, drinks, lip gloss, etc.

5)    Help them to build their immunity by making sure they have enough sleep, plenty of exercise, avoid stressors and eat a healthy diet.

6)    You could ask their teacher if they need additional disinfecting supplies or a hand in helping with clean up. Many teachers are now asking parents for help in cleaning up the classroom as opposed to classroom activities!

In addition to these tips, teach your children to sneeze or cough into the crook of their arm and not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth unless they’ve just washed their hands. And PLEASE don’t send your kids to school sick!! I know attendance is important, but not to the detriment of the rest of the class.

You might wonder why this is at the forefront of my mind right now (other than the fact of working in the hospital for years has made me a total germaphobe). The whole household has already gotten the first cold of the school year… Woo hoo!

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