Hello Ladies!
As usual I need your advises! Our son is 3 years 7 month old. On this September, we put him to the children’s development center. I must say he loves this place, his teachers and his friends. He always goes to the school with joy, but there is one big problem! He is sick two times in the each month, and as result, all of us sick very often as well. Now I am pregnant, due date is in the beginning of February, and now I am sick with him also, it looks like we have bronchitis. I wonder is there alternative for such school? I cheeked our recreation center, they have Rare Learning program. We took the trial lesson, but there were about 20-25 children and one teacher with couple helpers. Therefore, it looks that it can be the bargain one trouble for another. So ladies, I will appreciate any suggestions what to do in thin situation. I understand that our son needs society and education, but it takes too much health from our family and especially from our son!
Hello Ladies, thank you very much for all your advices and kindness! I always appreciate your wise opinions and all of you always help me to take right decision.
So far we decided to keep or son in the school. I add to his everyday hygienic procedure rinsing of his nose with Little Noses; especially, after school. Ladies, also I want remind to you that germs spread around us by air-communicable way as well, simply we breath by them and in this situation washing hands won't help a lot. Of course, I do not want to say that we do not wash hands simply this is so elementary and regular routine for any person that even I surprised that almost all of you talk only about that.
Also, I started to give him Astragalus Root powder because Echinacea cannot be taken long time, its works only 5-7 days in the month. In addition, he regularly takes multivitamin complex, probiotics, and children's DHA complex.
So we will see how everything will work for us.
Changing schools won't matter. The key is handwashing (regular soap is fine) and keeping YOUR hands away from your face untill you've washed them. My hubby is pre-med, and he noticed that the doctor he's shadowing NEVER touches his face. If his nose itches, etc., he uses his arm to scratch/rub, etc. The hands are what transfer the germs into our eyes/mouth/nose. It's REALLY hard to do this, but if you can all pracice it, it may help.
I'm sorry you have been having illness problems, but I'm also sorry to say that changing schools won't make a difference. My friends have kids who all go to different schools and they've all had colds or tummy bugs, etc.
I work at a hospital and the most important thing you can do to avoid the spreading of germs is to wash your hands frequently. This can be a little harder to manage with little, little kids at school. But make sure you are diligent about hand washing at home. It's winter and colder now, but another thing that's important is opening your windows and getting fresh air in the house as much as possible. When you're sick, the first instinct is to keep the house closed up and warm, but for instance, right now....it's cold but the sun is out and I have the windows open. Get some good air circulation.
Little kids bring things home. There's really no way around it. You don't need to be a germophobe, but wash hands regularly, especially after coughing, sneezing or blowing noses. Wipe down surfaces with lysol wipes and get fresh air in the house.
Best wishes.
Changing preschool will not help. All kids go through this when they start school. It doesn't matter if it's daycare, preschool, or kindergarten. He is being exposed to more germs than the exposure you get at home. I know many mothers get upset that parents send their sick kids to school, but the child is contagious 24 hours prior to symptoms. So even if everyone is dillegent and never sends a sick child, the other children will still be exposed. Don't change his school based on illness. You said he usually there. Keep him there. This will get better with time as his immune system is exposed to more, he will have more to fight off illness. I know it's tough. Hang in there!
I offer my two cents as a mother of two, a former elementary teacher, and a current in-home daycare provider.
Unfortuntely, children are going to get sick often the first year (approximately) that they are exposed to a larger group of children. If a child is in a daycare when they are an infant, they will get sick often as an infant. If the child is home until being enrolled in preschool, they will get sick as a preschooler. If the child is kept home until Kindergarten, it will happen then.
Until they are exposed to the germs, they don't really build up many of the immunities they need. That first year exposed to a large group of children will expose them to the germs, make them sick, but also build up their immunities so (for the most part) they won't continue getting sick all of the time in the years following.
The only way to postpone the process is to limit the number of children they are exposed to early on. Look for a preschool with a smaller population or look for a home daycare with a preschool program.
I wish there was a way to avoid it all, but there really isn't. While I don't want my infant sick all of the time, I would prefer it happen during the preschool year than the elementary years. Just remember to wash hands all the time!
Good luck!
It doesn't matter what school he is at; any large group of kids (or adults even) will expose him to more germs meaning he'll be sick ALL the time. I started giving my kids a good, whole foods vitamin and a probiotic everyday to boost their immune system this winter after our horrible time last winter. It seems to have helped (so far anyway!). You could always just pull him from preschool this year while you are pregnant and the baby is little and send him next year. He'll do just fine with one year before kindergarten.
I wanted to say that it is common for children to be sick alot when they first start school. My son went to an in home daycare from 5-15 months with only 2 other children and he was sick almost once a month the whole school year.
Your son has society, do you keep him in his room all day? I doubt you do. I get everything that goes around too. I say if you can keep him home and do educational work with him at home. Have you considered hiring a mothers helper so you can get some time to yourself?
My kids are 10, 8 and 6 and they bring everything home to me. It drives me nuts.
every center will have sick kids going in, getting other sick kids who then go home get family members sick.
a few things you could do is ask at the center if hand-washing is done before/after every meal or snack. as soon as you get him, wash his hands and change school clothes into clean ones.
but really, every place will cause him to get sick. he may be getting sick more often if this is the first time he is being exposed to more kids than usual. so he's getting everything. that will lessen with time.
my kids are in elementary school and by god i am mad almost every week when i find out a child with strep was sent to school, or a mom with strep has been volunteering. or a child with stomach virus was sent to school. a lot of parents send their kids to school after giving them a dose of motrin figuring it will keep the symptoms hidden for a few hours, enough time to have them spend the day there. so frustrating.
Your're not going to stop the spread of germs without ALOT of hand washing! I'm not talking sanitizer-that's works in a pinch but good hygiene is a great lesson for your children. Try some immune boosters such as emergen-c and airborne. They also make echinecia supplement gummies for kids that might help....just wash, wash, wash your hands and have your son do the same! Also, don't forget to lysol the common surfaces (phone, door knobs, light switches, all surfaces in the bathroom-and your sons toys!). Hope this helps.
