When your child first starts going to daycare, it can feel like you live at
the doctor’s office. Most of us have done our best to make the home a sick-free
zone, but that first exposure at daycare is like biological culture shock.
Today, we know more about bacteria and germ growth works at schools. That’s
thanks to the same tools that helped scientists discover diseases like Multiple
Sclerosis. Widespread usage of tools like the microscope helped identify
what makes us sick, but it also taught us where we catch colds and what we can
do to defend our families.
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Here are a few basic tips for getting through those first few months and
getting your child acclimated to school.
Health Starts at Home
The type of food you eat, the environment you keep, and how frequently you
take care of the basics around the house all affect a child’s health. Let’s
first look at food, since it’s the basis for a healthy body.
Fruits, veggies, and iron-rich foods are all crucial to your child’s health.
Picky eaters might need supplemental vitamins. SmartyPants Vitamins, for instance,
recommends
taking a single dosage each day because it uses multiple vitamins to
deliver a complete regiment of important nutrients.
Other measures at home can help your child learn how to approach toys and
playground fixtures with a sanitary mindset. Instructing kids not to place
their fingers in their mouths, noses, or eyes is a good approach for daycare
prep. One way to encouragegood hygiene is to wash hands together before and after meals, after
dishwashing, trash handling, and other chores. Good hygiene is the basis for
staying healthy at preschool.
Observe School Policies
One of the ways well-meaning parents spread sickness is by bringing their
child to school with a fever. Sometimes, we just don’t have a choice and we
have to hope the fever will break. Those are the worst times to send a child to
school, though, because the sickness spreads like wildfire.
Children put toys in their mouths, touch things adults would not consider
touching, and do all of this in the two or seconds our backs are turned.
The best thing you can do for a child who is getting sick, or who already
has a fever, is to keep him or her at home. When in doubt, ask your child’s
teachers. Let them know the symptoms and ask them to call if anything goes
wrong throughout the day.
Get Plenty of Rest
A healthy sleep schedule helps reinforce a child’s immunity and gives them
enough energy to face the day. Kids consume a lot of food and burn a lot of
energy, and everything is still new to them. They require naps to allow the
brain to process all of this new information, and for the body to
recharge.
Your child will usually signal how much napping he or she needs to stay
functional. Some parents find their child’s nap schedule doesn’t sync up with
what the books or the doctors say. In this case, encourage more quiet time and
relaxation that isn’t reliant on sleep. Calming and soothing times have a
similar effect and can help ease your little one into a proper nap
schedule.
Final Thoughts
If your child does contract something, the best thing you can do is keep the
fluids coming. Children will become dehydrated quickly when they are sick, so
give them as much water as they can handle.
Learn when to keep them home, and be sure you have some medicine handy to
break fevers (like infant Motrin or Tylenol). Call the doctor as needed and be
prepared for a few worried nights, but with these tips, your child will stay
healthy and safe.
