Our little darlings are back in school….yay for some boo hoo for others. But with the joys of beginning another school year comes the increased risk for our little precious ones being exposed to many more germs.
The common cold for one. You know our little munchkins sneeze….and rather than use a Kleenex they wipe that snotty little nose with their hand or the sleeve of their shirts. Never intending of course to pass the germs along but they do. Think of all the items they touch just after sneezing….their desk….the teachers desk….the building blocks….the books….the door handles the list goes on.
So what can we as parents do to help minimize the spread of these germs. First and foremost we can teach our children the basics of good hand-washing and why it is so important. I know this may sound so elementary to most but a lot of children don’t understand why it is we nag at them about washing their hands, not just when they finish in the bathroom, but when they come in from outdoor play, or sneeze. Most classrooms have a sink and towels encourage them to use it. Now days you can buy those small antibacterial soaps that they could keep in their desks…..or better yet insist that your child’s school installs the hand cleanser dispenser outside the classroom door and in the class room.
There is study after study proving how simple hand washing eliminates many of the common germs, and decreases the risk of spreading germs and other diseases dramatically. So why aren’t we insisting that the hand dispensers are provided for every classroom? If it only costs a couple of bucks to provide one for your child or have the school install(more dollars I know)isn’t it worth it? Think about all the lost days of school that happen because children are passing the cold or flu bug around? Thousands of instructional hours are lost. And what about the poor teacher who has to deal with the sniffles of every other student in the class.
This brings me to another topic….Immunization. What is wrong with people who don’t keep their child’s immunizations up to date? What are they thinking? I was shocked when I heard about the Mumps outbreak in Abbotsford. That should never happen…..people have gotten lacked when it comes to immunization. They were initiated because immunization do save lives. I know there are groups that don’t believe in them….part of me thinks that’s because they have never experienced it…and why is that…..because the rest of the population has dutifully ensured their child’s immunization are kept up to date. Believe me you don’t want to see your child get the mumps….or what about Polio….something that was totally eradicated as a result of the immunization…..do we want to go back to those days? I don’t think so.
And while I’m on the topic…..please please please don’t use the school as your babysitter. If your child is sick…keep them at home…no one needs them coughing or sneezing all over them, and they will recover much faster at home rather than sitting in a stuffy not well ventilated classroom. Here are some statistics about the common cold:
“From the time a cold virus enters the nose, it takes 8-12 hours for the viral reproductive cycle to be completed and for new cold virus to be released in nasal secretions. (13) This interval is called the incubation period.
Cold symptoms can also begin shortly after virus is first produced in the nose (10-12 hours). (13) The time from the beginning of the infection to the peak of symptoms is typically 36-72 hours. (1, 2)” So what does that mean…that means we need to keep our little darlings at home during that time….don’t you think it is worth it in the long run?
You can get more information about the common cold here: http://www.commoncold.org/undrstn3.htm
Anyhow, that is my rant. Let’s try and make this a cold and flu bug free year for our little munchkins.
Good health to you all and your little darlings….
Well if you like contests and are interested in winning a little something jenn At my kids are the world to me has a September give away....who doesn't like free stuff...please go check it out.
Have a great day all!
11 comments:
I am so glad school is back because teenagers get kinda annoying after a whole summer of driving them here and there. LOL
Thanks for entering! Good luck!
Awesome blog! I look forward to really spending more time searching and reading.
Thank you for visiting my new blog. And thank you for giving you opinion!
I usually babysit my 8 year old nephew on the weekends. Just in time to get the colds or other germs he's picked up from his new playmates.
I also work in a call center filled with mothers who have been exposed to germ after germ after germ. Hand sanitizers and tissues are de riguer at my desk.
Thanks for your visit.
I just read your post about your husband's ex. I didn't comment cos the discussion was kind of closed, but I think everything that was said there and what your husband did were spot on. I think the internet can be dangerous in that respect - it enables people to very easily rekindle old friendships (and more) that ended for a reason and are best staying dead and also it enables them to rekindle them too quickly without any real consideration for what will happen as a result or who will be hurt. It just feels like harmless fun on msn or wherever.
I'll be back here too. I'm glad you found me although I'm unsure how you did!!
I work in a school but thankfully I don't have very much contact with the pupils so don't pick up their germs. :)
All this is so true. And I don't understand how come more kids don't sanitize their hands. You can pack a bottle in their backpacks and teach them to use it a few times a day.
Great post, and I hope it helps our kids stay healthier.
Dorothy from grammology
www.grammology.com
I still remember the year my son started pre-school, every week he came home with something new!
How true this is! And most counties in the U.S. have Health Departments where you can have your youngsters get their immunizations free of charge. I had two of my grand children to our Health Department last Wednesday to catch them up on their immunizations and while I was there, I paid $15. to get my Zooster Vaccine (Shingles). If your insurance doesn't cover it, as mine doesn't, it will cost you $200. at the doctors office to get it. Use your local Health Department...........it's there for your benefit!!!
This post is very appropriate for right now. When I was teaching, I actually bought my own antibacterial soap and had it at the sink at the back of the room. Boys especially are terrible about washing their hands and if I saw grubby ones after lunch playtime, they were told to wash!!! With soap and hot water!!! And I checked them after they were done. After a while, the kids learned that Mrs. C. didn't put up with dirt! lol
And it is also very important that we adults do the same. I went through a LOT of hand cream when a teacher because I washed my hands a zillion times a day!
So true! Last year, after only three days in her pre-school, Maya managed to pick up a cold and brought it home where she promptly shared it with ME! At least this year, we made it through the whole first week and she hasn't given us any of those type gifts -not yet, anyway. Wish Pennsylvania had a program where folks could get the shingles vaccine for a reasonable fee! My insurance company doesn't cover that vaccine either!
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