Stay Healthy This School Year
As the school year starts back up and kids go back to the classroom, one unfortunate side effect of the summer coming to an end tends to be an uptick in illness. It’s easy to see why: kids in tight quarters, with less than stellar hygiene habits, are a breeding ground for germs.
Frequent hand-washing is the most effective way to keep your kids healthy this school year. Children should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Remind your kids to wash their hands before eating, after going to the bathroom, after sneezing or coughing, and after playing outside.
Some additional tips to stay healthy at school include:
- Have your children keep alcohol-based hand sanitizer in their desks or backpacks. When hand-washing isn’t an option, remind them to use hand sanitizer before eating snacks or lunch and after using shared objects, such as a computer, pencil sharpener, or water fountain.
- Give your children a pack of tissues to keep in their desks or backpacks. Encourage your children to sneeze into a tissue whenever possible. If a tissue isn’t available, they should cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow.
- Hands are often covered in germs. Remind children to keep their hands away from their eyes and out of their mouths.
- Teach children not to share water bottles, food or other personal items. Use this simple rule: If you put the item in your mouth, keep it to yourself.
If your kids do come down with something, keep them at home to prevent others from catching it.