When kids start at day care or preschool, it’s easy for them to pick up germs that can make them sick. So how can parents and staff work together to help little ones stay as healthy as possible?
Staff members can help by disinfecting toys and surfaces, encouraging kids not to put toys in their mouths, and teaching good hygiene habits.
At Brooksfield School in McLean, staff members “try to make it fun,” says director of admissions Sarah Krawchuk. “We use gestures and games to teach children to cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough,” she says. And they read books about staying healthy.
At home, parents can encourage healthy eating, good sleep habits, and proper hygiene. “Families play an important role in supporting healthy habits by reinforcing proper handwashing, teaching children how to wipe and blow their nose independently, and encouraging good cough and sneeze etiquette,” according to the Congressional School in Falls Church.
Also be sure to wash clothes and toys that were brought to day care, says Jessica Roberts, director of Happy Faces Daycare in Centreville. When students do get sick, “toys in the home should be disinfected just as they would be at day care or preschool,” she says.
When a child is sick, be sure to follow state guidance for when to keep them home. Any child with a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or a contagious illness should not attend day care or preschool for at least 24 hours after symptoms end.
Feature image, Lordn/stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our August issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
