When kids go off to school, they tend to get sick. Even kids who are normally healthy and not prone to illness. When they get sick, it often spreads through the whole family. It can be hard to control what you child does at school and impossible to regulate the behaviors of schoolmates, but there are a few things that you can teach your child to minimize illness.
No Sharing
We all want our kids to share, but sharing can also spread germs. Teach your child to never share food, drinks, lip balms, lotions, earbuds, and other personal items. After handling items that must be shared, they should wash their hands.
Frequent Hand Washing
There is no replacement for regular hand washing. That’s the soap and water variety. Hand sanitizers are all the rage, but they are not a replacement and should be a last resort when hand washing is simply not an option.
Keeping Hands Away From Mouth and Eyes
Try to teach your kids to keep their hands and fingers out of their eyes and mouths. Explain why. Their hands are likely to be covered in germs and if they touch their mouth they can get sick. If they touch their eyes they can get pink eye, which is painful. With little ones, don’t expect too much success, but as they get older it should start to sink in.
Covering Your Mouth When You Sneeze and Cough
The best method is to cough or sneeze into a tissue, immediately throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands. If that isn’t practical, cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow. You can enforce this at home, and it is crucial that you model this behavior for your children to learn.
Water Fountains
Water fountain spigots are covered in germs. One study found that they contained more than 800 times the bacteria of toilet seats. Send bottled water to school with your child as an alternative.
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