Volume 5 Issue 1 Page 2 of 2
Winter 2005
Winter Health Spotlight
Simple steps that may cut your child's sick days
While it's practically inevitable that your child will get a few colds this winter
no matter what you do, it won't hurt to try these strategies to help keep bugs
at bay:
Make sure he washes his hands. Regular hand-washing is the
simplest, most effective way to help eradicate cold and flu cooties. So encourage
your child to wash his hands when he comes home from preschool, the playground,
or a friend's house, and have him lather up again before meals. You don't need
to pay extra for fancy antibacterial soaps, either — any soap will remove
germs from the skin's surface. If your child balks at bubbles, a good swipe
with a regular wet wipe (or even a 30-second rinse with no soap) will suffice.
Make sure you are vigilant about hand-washing, too.
Teach him not to touch his eyes or nose. At any given moment,
the unwashed human hand is covered with thousands of germs. When a child rubs
his eyes or nose, he's depositing those bugs directly onto his nasal passages
or mucous membranes, where they're rapidly absorbed into his bloodstream. If
any of the germs are viruses, your child will soon be sick. So in addition
to having him wash his hands frequently, remind him not to touch his eyes or
rub his nose. Instead, begin teaching him to use a tissue — or at least a clean
sleeve — to dab at teary eyes or an itchy nose. ( cont'd next column)
(cont'd next column)
– Please Help! —
… us find others just like you to work as a nanny. If you know anyone interested in finding a rewarding job caring for children, call us. When we successfully place your referral, we compensate you $75. Call us with the candidate’s name and telephone number, or have her call us. She needs to let us know that you referred her. Our toll free number is 800-765-6269. We always have great, interesting positions available. Be certain the candidate has childcare experience beyond his or her own family members, is a non-smoker and has a valid driver’s license.
Check into the "sick-kid" policy at your child's preschool. Make
sure your child's preschool has a reasonable policy on keeping sick kids
away from healthy ones. Most facilities require that a child with a fever,
flu, upper-respiratory infection, vomiting, diarrhea, eye infection, or
rash stay home until these symptoms subside. If you notice obviously sick
kids at your child's preschool on a regular basis, it's probably time
to chat with the caregiver or director about enforcing the rules on sick
kids more stringently. (Of course, these kids were contagious before their
symptoms showed up, but you still don't want them sneezing or coughing
around your child.)
Make sure his vaccines are up to date. You can virtually
guarantee that your child won't get these viruses simply by vaccinating him
against them: flu, measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox. z