BACK TO SCHOOL: H1N1 "Swine Flu" Safety Tips
I know that many people are really concerned about what it going to happen once school is back in session full swing and the seasonal flu comes back. I know some people are panicing already over what can happen. Personally I have been grilling my kids on a daily basis on what they should and should not do. My son especially. He gets anxious and bites his nails. With the H1N1 concerns that is the LAST thing you want your child to do.
I have some great tips for you from to Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health. These are tips for teachers but parents are "teachers" too so I'm sure we as parents can adapt these tips for home use as well.
Practical Swine Flu Prevention Tips for Teachers
According to Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health, as kids gear up for back-to-school, adults may be leery about health concerns. The recently CDC reported 436 deaths and 6,506 hospitalizations nationwide associated with Swine Flu. No one knows what this school year has in store, so what must be done to make sure your child’s classroom is Swine Flu safe?
Here are some practical Swine Flu tips for teachers and parents alike:
- Teach your students to wash their hands throughout the day.
- Keep anti-bacterial pumps accessible in the classroom. Explain what the pumps are and when it's appropriate to use them.
- Remind the students not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth with their hands. Germs are spread when a child touches something that is contaminated and then touches her or his eyes, nose or mouth. Also they spread when kids sneeze and cough without covering their mouths.
- Sharing food and drink will also spread germs.
- Explain to students the importance of getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Make them aware of how it affects how they feel, their energy level, their moods, etc. the next day.
- Teach your students to eat three full meals and several snacks a day which are balanced complex carbohydrates, protein and are chock full of fruit and vegetables. Stay away from pre-prepared, high sugar, soda and preserved foods.
- Keep children hydrated. Kids should be drinking 4-6 glasses of water a day. Help them choose water over sugary drinks.
- Dissuade children from sharing cups, straws and bottles (anything they have direct mouth contact with will spread the germs).
- Make sure the children are getting sufficient exercise. Children should be doing aerobic activity at least 5 days a week during recess, gym class or after-school sports.
- Don't send sick children to school; likewise, send them home if they get sick at school. Allowing children to stay in school is the fastest way to spread germs and illness.
- Send a "Flu Prevention Tips" letter home with students to give to their parents. The same tips should be practiced at home to assure a healthy school year.
- If you notice a child with the beginning symptoms of a flu or cold, let their parents know immediately. Helping prevent the flu or cold developing with vitamin C, hydration, rest and chicken soup is critical.
How to NOT go “over board” with Swine Flu Prevention:
- There is no need to frighten the children by wearing a mask or using gloves. If they see their teacher being hysterical or nervous they will imitate and results will be counter productive.
- There is no reason to explain in detail the symptoms or effects of the flu to children. Younger children will not understand and adolescents will get scared. Teaching them to maintain healthy lifestyles is all they need to learn from you.
By: Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health (http://www.cinergyhealth.com/ )
Personally I make sure my kids have small hand sanitizers in their backpacks and Wet Ones packets. I especially like the Wet Ones packets. I keep them in my pocketbook and in my car. I make sure I have one on hand when I go shopping and have to use a shopping cart.
Shopping carts are huge germ collectors (gross!). As soon as I get the cart I want to use I immediatly open up a Wet One and wipe it down and then take a fresh Wet One and wipe my hands too.
Our family also visits the local animal shelter on a regular basis. I always make sure the kids wash their hands with soap and water before they leave and then use a Wet One when they get back in the car just to be on the safe side. You can't always trust that children are washing sufficently, even if you've instructed them on the proper way to wash hands.
Unlike the liquid hand santitizers the Wet Ones also act as a towel to wash off dirt and grim while eliminiating 99.99% of germs.
I even use Wet Ones at home. I use them to wipe down the railing in the stair way. Shhh... don't tell the neighbors. But everyone uses the railing so I figure the more germs I can kill the better. I also use them to wipe down the door handles and on occasion for cleaning up a mess when I don't have another appropriate cleaners on hand.
Wet Ones has a sensitive formula now which is safe for babies and for using to wash off face and hands when a santizier is not necessary. They even have a Fresh & Flush too that you can use instead of toilet paper. Not a bad idea to keep these on hand in your car too, just in case.
There is a $1.00 off coupon on the Wet Ones web site if you are interested. Visit http://www.wetones.com/ .
Wet Ones are available at most grocery and drug stores as well as places like Walmart and Target.
Thanks to Dr. Erika Schwartz for all her great flu tips too.
I know that many people are really concerned about what it going to happen once school is back in session full swing and the seasonal flu comes back. I know some people are panicing already over what can happen. Personally I have been grilling my kids on a daily basis on what they should and should not do. My son especially. He gets anxious and bites his nails. With the H1N1 concerns that is the LAST thing you want your child to do.
I have some great tips for you from to Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health. These are tips for teachers but parents are "teachers" too so I'm sure we as parents can adapt these tips for home use as well.
Practical Swine Flu Prevention Tips for Teachers
According to Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health, as kids gear up for back-to-school, adults may be leery about health concerns. The recently CDC reported 436 deaths and 6,506 hospitalizations nationwide associated with Swine Flu. No one knows what this school year has in store, so what must be done to make sure your child’s classroom is Swine Flu safe?
Here are some practical Swine Flu tips for teachers and parents alike:
- Teach your students to wash their hands throughout the day.
- Keep anti-bacterial pumps accessible in the classroom. Explain what the pumps are and when it's appropriate to use them.
- Remind the students not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth with their hands. Germs are spread when a child touches something that is contaminated and then touches her or his eyes, nose or mouth. Also they spread when kids sneeze and cough without covering their mouths.
- Sharing food and drink will also spread germs.
- Explain to students the importance of getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Make them aware of how it affects how they feel, their energy level, their moods, etc. the next day.
- Teach your students to eat three full meals and several snacks a day which are balanced complex carbohydrates, protein and are chock full of fruit and vegetables. Stay away from pre-prepared, high sugar, soda and preserved foods.
- Keep children hydrated. Kids should be drinking 4-6 glasses of water a day. Help them choose water over sugary drinks.
- Dissuade children from sharing cups, straws and bottles (anything they have direct mouth contact with will spread the germs).
- Make sure the children are getting sufficient exercise. Children should be doing aerobic activity at least 5 days a week during recess, gym class or after-school sports.
- Don't send sick children to school; likewise, send them home if they get sick at school. Allowing children to stay in school is the fastest way to spread germs and illness.
- Send a "Flu Prevention Tips" letter home with students to give to their parents. The same tips should be practiced at home to assure a healthy school year.
- If you notice a child with the beginning symptoms of a flu or cold, let their parents know immediately. Helping prevent the flu or cold developing with vitamin C, hydration, rest and chicken soup is critical.
How to NOT go “over board” with Swine Flu Prevention:
- There is no need to frighten the children by wearing a mask or using gloves. If they see their teacher being hysterical or nervous they will imitate and results will be counter productive.
- There is no reason to explain in detail the symptoms or effects of the flu to children. Younger children will not understand and adolescents will get scared. Teaching them to maintain healthy lifestyles is all they need to learn from you.
By: Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health (http://www.cinergyhealth.com/ )
Personally I make sure my kids have small hand sanitizers in their backpacks and Wet Ones packets. I especially like the Wet Ones packets. I keep them in my pocketbook and in my car. I make sure I have one on hand when I go shopping and have to use a shopping cart.
Shopping carts are huge germ collectors (gross!). As soon as I get the cart I want to use I immediatly open up a Wet One and wipe it down and then take a fresh Wet One and wipe my hands too.
Our family also visits the local animal shelter on a regular basis. I always make sure the kids wash their hands with soap and water before they leave and then use a Wet One when they get back in the car just to be on the safe side. You can't always trust that children are washing sufficently, even if you've instructed them on the proper way to wash hands.
Unlike the liquid hand santitizers the Wet Ones also act as a towel to wash off dirt and grim while eliminiating 99.99% of germs.
I even use Wet Ones at home. I use them to wipe down the railing in the stair way. Shhh... don't tell the neighbors. But everyone uses the railing so I figure the more germs I can kill the better. I also use them to wipe down the door handles and on occasion for cleaning up a mess when I don't have another appropriate cleaners on hand.
Wet Ones has a sensitive formula now which is safe for babies and for using to wash off face and hands when a santizier is not necessary. They even have a Fresh & Flush too that you can use instead of toilet paper. Not a bad idea to keep these on hand in your car too, just in case.
There is a $1.00 off coupon on the Wet Ones web site if you are interested. Visit http://www.wetones.com/ .
Wet Ones are available at most grocery and drug stores as well as places like Walmart and Target.
Thanks to Dr. Erika Schwartz for all her great flu tips too.
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