Schools back and so are the germs……

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.  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 are  studies after studies 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 occur because children are passing the cold or flu bug around?  Thousands of instructional hours are lots.  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  saves 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 that their child’s immunization is 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….