At The Ready Care Clinic, our team knows it's that time of year again. School season is well upon us, and the cool season is keeping us indoors, which means your kids are going to be spending more time close together at school than they've spent all year long. School-age kids, especially in elementary school, can sometimes have quite an impact on the spread of germs and illness. Kids are in close contact with each other at school, sharing playgrounds and eating at the same lunch tables. They also share drinks and snacks (for example, they might drink from the same water fountain). This makes it easy for germs to spread between children - and sometimes even to adults!

If you're sending them off to school sick, you could be risking nasty consequences - the number one rule in preventing virus transmission is to keep sick kids home from school.

Keep Hands and Common Surfaces Clean

The main way that viruses are transmitted from one child to the next is through contact with common surfaces. This can happen when someone touches a doorknob with their hand and then either touches their mouth or nose, or if they share food or drinks.

In order to keep your kids safe at school, it's important that they use good hygiene habits - such as washing hands frequently and keeping toys clean - to minimize their risk of catching a virus.

Encourage your kids to wash their hands before eating lunch (or anything else), using the bathroom, before and after playing outside after recess (where there may be germs), etcetera. This could help prevent them from developing any more health issues at school!

Use Hand Sanitizer Responsibly!

A lot of parents want to whip out their hand sanitizer each time their kid goes to wipe their nose or touch a doorknob, but there is a problem with this - it may actually increase kids' susceptibility to illness.

Hand sanitizer has become a go-to for parents and caregivers, but what many don't realize is that it does have its downsides. For one thing, hand sanitizer isn't as effective for killing germs as washing hands with soap and water.

That's because hand sanitizers only kill the bad bacteria whereas hand washing removes dirt and germs on top of killing them. Hand washing also keeps your kid's skin healthy by removing dead skin cells and oils that cause bacterial growth on the hands - something that overuse of hand sanitizers can actually worsen! Overuse of hand sanitizer may lead to dryness which makes skin more susceptible to infection!

Sending Sick Kids to School is a Mistake

If you're sending your kid off to school sick, you could be risking nasty consequences - the number one rule in preventing virus transmission is to keep sick kids home from school. If you're sending your kid off to school sick, you could be risking nasty consequences - the number one rule in preventing virus transmission is to keep sick kids home from school!

If your child has any of these symptoms, it's important that they stay home:

• Fever or other signs of infection like redness or pain around the eyes, ears, nose and mouth;
• yellow skin or eyes;
• dark urine;
• pale stools (bowel movements);
• vomiting more than once;
• diarrhea more than three times in 24 hours for more than two days in a row
• Coughing for more than three consecutive days with fever
• Runny nose for more than three consecutive days with fever
  

Rest is Important, Too

The biggest risk for exposure to harmful viruses is a lack of sleep, which can lead to compromised immune systems. Sleep deprivation can cause kids to be more susceptible to illness, including the flu and other communicable diseases. Studies have shown that school-aged children need between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night in order to maintain optimal health. Research has also shown that getting less than nine hours of sleep results in impaired performance on cognitive tests such as memory recall, problem solving and logical reasoning - which are all crucial skills required at school! In addition, studies show that students who get less than seven hours per night are three times more likely than their well-rested peers to fall asleep during class time!

Remember:

• Children should not be sent to school if they are sick. If a child is running a fever and has any other symptoms of illness, he or she should stay home.
• Wash hands regularly with soap and water. Hand sanitizers can be used as an alternative when no facilities are available for washing.
• Get enough sleep at night so that everyone is rested enough to function during the day. It’s common sense: The more energy you have, the better your body will fight off viruses and bacteria that could make you sick.
  

Contact Us

By taking the right steps, you can help your kids stay healthy and safe at school. Avoiding common illness-spreading areas like desks, doorknobs and handrails is key to preventing illness at school. Also make sure that they get enough sleep to keep their immune systems healthy.

If your children aren’t feeling well, contact our team at The Ready Care Clinic in Harrodsburg or Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. We can provide your children with great care and help diagnose and treat any school-borne illnesses. We serve Harrodsburg, Lawrenceburg, Frankfort, and Versailles, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas, and we’re here for our community members all year long to ensure the in best care.