Cold and flu season is upon us. We know how stressful this can be to new parents (especially those looking for childcare for babies). Although we know that we can’t protect everyone from getting sick, we have a few methods for keeping our teachers and students as healthy as can be this cold and flu season.
Wash hands ALL DAY LONG.
Anytime you’re think of it, wash your hands and the children’s hands. Wash your hands after every diaper change, or bathroom trip. Wash the children’s hands too. Wash hands before eating. Wash your hands after you wipe children’s noses. Wash your hands between wiping each child’s nose. Wash yours and the children’s hands after playing outside.
Teach the children to wipe their own noses.
If they can do it themselves, that’s one less hand getting boogies (and germs) on it. Have them wash their hands after they wipe their noses. Additionally the children feel SO proud when they can do it themselves.
Keep hand sanitizer nearby.
If you can’t wash your hands the next best thing is hand sanitizer. This is especially useful on places where sinks aren’t nearby. The playground is a key spot for this. Children who will not put their hands in their mouth can also use hand sanitizer. If children are still putting their hands in their mouth, we should not let them use hand sanitizer.
The next tip is to keep the environment clean.
Clean things you think about being dirty, like toys, and furniture. Also clean the things you don’t think of, like the walls, door knobs, light switches, and baby gates. Clean anything that anyone touches. Involve the children with warm soapy water, and wash clothes. They usually LOVE getting to help clean, and it teaches valuable math/science lessons while also keeping your space clean.
So the take home should be: keep your hands washed all the time. Keep the children’s hands washed all the time. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t use soap and water. Keep the environment clean.
And the best thing to do is to stay home, or keep your little ones home if they aren’t feeling 100%.
Staying home is the best way to reduce the spread of germs during cold and flu season.