Schools and child care centers are teeming with
\ngerms and contagious illnesses. Common infections like the flu, colds, stomach
\nbugs, ear infections, and pink eye spread like wildfire.<\/p>\n
Most parents wish they could do more to protect
\ntheir children.<\/p>\n
Even worse, kids bring these illnesses home and
\ninfect their siblings, parents, and other family members, which can be
\ndangerous if there\u2019s an infant or elderly family member in the home.<\/p>\n
There are three reasons why school-age kids catch infections so easily: Their immune system is still underdeveloped, they\u2019re in close contact with other sick and unhealthy kids all day, and they tend to have germy habits like touching their faces and sticking things in their mouths. To protect your kids at school, you must deal with these three issues.<\/p>\n
Strengthen their Vaccination is by far the best way to boost However, there\u2019s a timing challenge with the flu shot. It can take up to 12 weeks to build immunity after getting vaccinated, so ideally, you should get a flu shot towards the end of fall and beginning of winter. Getting the timing right sometimes means that parents must make a special trip to the doctor or pharmacy.<\/p>\n Encourage them to wash Washing your hands is pretty basic, but it Make sure your kids wash their hands as soon as they come home from school. If possible, set up a handwashing station right inside the door to help them remember; consider letting them choose a favorite soap.<\/p>\n Secondly, provide hand sanitizers for older Teach them not to It might go against the golden rule of Keep them home when As much as possible, sick kids shouldn\u2019t go to The two lines of defense that usually never fail when it comes to protecting kids from illnesses are vaccinations and good hygiene. The latter is more challenging because you can\u2019t follow your kids around all day, reminding them to wash their hands, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough, and not stick things in their mouths.<\/p>\n It takes a while for certain habits to take hold \u2013 especially when a kid doesn\u2019t like doing them or finds them unpleasant. But, keep teaching them until it sticks and be a good example when they\u2019re home.<\/p>\n Photo by CDC<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Schools and child care centers are teeming with germs and contagious illnesses. Common infections like the flu, colds, stomach bugs, ear infections, and pink eye spread like wildfire. Most parents wish they could do more to protect their children. Even worse, kids bring these illnesses home and infect their siblings, parents, and other family members,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1564,1602,1517,1519],"aware":[1753],"class_list":["post-6353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","tag-childrens-health","tag-flu","tag-hygiene","tag-vaccines","aware-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nImmunity<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nimmunity. It not only keeps your kids from getting sick but also protects other
\nfamily members whose immune system is weak or compromised, which is why many
\npediatricians are big fans of the flu shot!<\/p>\n
\ntheir hands<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nworks! You wouldn\u2019t believe the number of kids who don\u2019t wash their hands
\ndespite knowing better. One study by the CDC found that 97% of kids know that
\nhandwashing prevents illnesses, but most still need encouragement to do it!<\/p>\n
\nkids. They\u2019re a cheap and easy way to kill germs when hand washing isn\u2019t an
\noption. However, they\u2019re not ideal for young kids because, apparently, children
\nlove swallowing hand sanitizer! But if it\u2019s the only thing you have, use it!<\/p>\n
\nshare personal items<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u2018sharing,\u2019 but your kids need to know what to share and what not to share.
\nTeach them not to share personal items like water bottles and lip balms. If
\npossible, pack water bottles for your kids until they learn how to drink from
\nwater fountains without putting their mouths on them.<\/p>\n
\nthey\u2019re sick<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nschool until they\u2019re well. If they have a fever, keep them home until they\u2019ve
\nnot had a fever for at least twenty-four hours. Protect healthy kids, and any
\nchildren with compromised immune systems by keeping your lovable, cuddly,
\ncharming little petri dish at home<\/p>\n