At Cornerstone Academy we pride ourselves on being the cleanest daycare center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and go above and beyond to prevent the spread of illness at our facility—however, sometimes even our best efforts can’t stop germs from flying.
Keeping your kids healthy can feel like a neverending battle. So what can you do to help prevent that annoying cold or flu from hitting your home? Here are our tips for boosting your toddler’s immune system for daycare.
How to Prevent Daycare Sickness
Teach Good Hygiene Habits
Sometimes, a simple solution is the best solution! We’ve known for some time that simply washing our hands before we eat and covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze can go a long way in reducing the likelihood of spreading illnesses.
That’s why it’s so important to teach your little ones the importance of good hygiene. They may not understand why it’s necessary to try and keep their germs to themselves, and it’s especially hard to know what they are doing while not under your watch.
Show them how to properly wash their hands so they get thoroughly clean. We promise this process can be fun! Use a foamy soap they can play around with, sing a catchy song to help them remember how long to wash their hands (like the Happy Birthday song), and make it a regular part of their routine. Teach them also how to blow their nose into a tissue, and how to cough or sneeze into their elbow.
Feed Them Nutritiously
When it comes to the spread of germs, there are (unfortunately) a lot of things you can’t control. You don’t know who touched a door last or what kind of illnesses the kids at daycare might have. However, there are a lot of things you can control that go a long way in keeping your child healthy.
To help boost your child’s immune system, make sure their diet is chockful of healthy fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Doing so will ensure they are getting the vitamins and minerals needed to help their body fight illness. Outside of the usual glass of orange juice (which is full with Vitamin C), we recommend loading up your grocery list with foods such as:
We understand that this may be easier said than done. Little kids can be picky eaters, and it isn’t always a walk in the park to get them to touch their fruits and vegetables. You can try incorporating them into other foods by pureeing them or chopping them up small and adding them to soups or casseroles, or you can find fun ways to serve them, like on kabobs or with dips.
Outside of consuming healthy foods, make sure to communicate the importance of drinking water throughout the day (even when they’re not sick) to stay hydrated. Water helps fight off illness, regulate body temperature, and digest food. Just be aware that the amount of water kids need is dependent on age, size, health, activity level, and weather.
Prioritize Getting Sleep
Although adults need the doctor-recommended eight hours every night, did you know that kids under the age of six require anywhere from 10 to 17 hours a day? That may sound like an excessive amount of shut-eye, but rest is important to prevent not just irritability and a lack of concentration, but illness too!
Sleep gives your child the opportunity to build antibodies that help prevent them from getting sick, so make sure they’re getting as much as they can. It helps to stick to a routine bedtime every night and to turn off all screens (like televisions, laptops, and video games) at least an hour before it’s time to sleep. Remind other adults or older children still awake in the house to be careful not to be too loud and disturb the little one’s slumber.
Set Boundaries With Others
Sometimes, it’s not the other kids at daycare you have to worry about, but rather, your own friends and family. When kids are very young (under a year) your friends and family will want to hold and snuggle your baby as much as possible. And while most of the time a simple wash of the hands might be enough to protect your little one, other times it might be best to ask that person to take a rain check.
Many new parents struggle with this as they don’t want to disappoint someone, however, you need to be confident and understand that you are only doing what is best for your child. Be direct and polite when explaining to others that you’re trying to protect your child from getting sick. You can try saying things such as:
- “I appreciate you offering to hold him/her, but maybe another day.”
- “I’ll be more comfortable once his/her immune system has developed more.”
- “I can’t part with him/her yet, but thanks for asking!”
Even if it feels awkward, people will understand your concerns and be happy to oblige.
Try to Keep Their Hands Off
Young kids simply can’t help it—they love to fidget with dirty surfaces and objects throughout the day, and then touch their face, nose, eyes, and mouth. However, what they don’t realize is that this can be one of the quickest ways to infect themself with some sort of illness.
Unfortunately, while it’s impossible to prevent them from never touching their face, there are ways you can minimize the amount. Try and offer your children distractions that keep their hands occupied, such as puzzles, toys, or other sensory activities. When you see them touching their face, give them a gentle reminder to keep their hands off, and be sure to praise and acknowledge their good behavior when they’re listening.
It may be helpful to carry sanitizer or anti-bacterial wipes so you can give their hands a quick clean when out in public. Just remember, it takes time for any child to learn a new action, so be patient with them.
Keep Them Home
We get it—having to keep your child home from daycare can throw a big wrench in your day, especially if both parents in the house are working. We don’t expect you to keep your little ones home for every little sniffle and sneeze, but please use good judgment in deciding whether your child should come in for the day, especially during flu season.
If you are on the fence about whether or not you will be bringing your child, exercise the golden rule: Would you be happy if another parent sent their child to daycare in the same condition? No? Then it might be a good idea to keep them home to rest and get healthy. If all parents would think this way, then that would help stop the spread of germs in a big way.
Most childcare centers will have their own unique sick child policies (ours can be found here, for example) and should be followed accordingly.
Health is Wealth!
Unfortunately, your child is going to get sick at some point in their life. No matter how much you emphasize the importance of healthy habits, some kind of bug is going to sneak its way into their system. But with these tips, you can help your child get sick less often, reduce the spread of more germs, and have their illnesses be less severe. And that is good news for both kids and parents alike!
