Teach your children to stop the spread of germs

The surge of the Corona virus pandemic has forced all of us to take personal hygiene seriously and to re-emphasise its importance, especially when it comes to  children. Now more than ever, you need to teach your children to follow the rules of basic hygiene. This is to lessen their exposure to germs and improve their chances of staying healthy.

Rule number 1:  Wash those hands often!

Children get infected when they pick up germs from other sources and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. Experts continue to tell us as well; this is one way of spreading the deadly Covid-19. Raising the standard of hand hygiene is considered to be one of the most effective ways to prevent this type of cross-infection. A study by the Department of Soil Water and Environmental Science at the University of Arizona, proved that regular use of gel and foam sanitisers can reduce illness and absenteeism at school by as much as fifty percent. As children often forget how important it is to wash their hands, the message should be reinforced until regular hand washing becomes a habit. Parents and care-givers should also keep a close watch on what toddlers put in their mouths, as toys handled by other children are highly likely to be carrying bacteria.  You can encourage them to wash hands by telling them to sing happy birthday twice as they do this.

When should children wash their hands?

• Before, during and after food is prepared
• Before and after dinner
• After using the bathroom
• After they have been playing outside
• After handling animals or animal waste, such as cleaning a cage or cat box
• Hands should be more frequently washed when anyone in the classroom, pre-school facility or home is sick.

Rule number 2:  Cover a cough

Inevitably, kids aren’t near a tissue when the urge to cough or sneeze occurs, so they freely let it go, letting germs spread, unwittingly infecting others. Parents should show their children how to cover their mouths when they cough to help prevent the spread of germs. Children need to be taught to cough into the crook of their arm, into their sleeve, or even into their hand, and to wash their hands immediately afterwards. Some teachers have turned “cover-your-cough” into a game or type of positive reinforcement. Older kids may even create health posters and other lessons that can be posted in the classroom or at home.

Rule number 3: Avoid close contact with people who are sick 

If you or your child is the one who is sick, encourage others to keep their distance to minimize the spread of the illness. If possible, keep the child at home, away from school, child care and public places, so others won’t be exposed. Know when your child is too sick to attend child care or school for the health and well being of everyone else.