When flu season reaches its peak, it’s common for absences to begin to rise in any childcare setting, as it’s a time of the year when children are most susceptible to illnesses. Although it’s impossible to have a germ and disease-free childcare setting, several measures can be taken to minimize the spread of germs and diseases and ensure you and your students are engaging in a healthy environment.
Below are five tips that you can implement in the childcare setting to beat flu season:
Use a humidifier to ward off illnesses
It’s easy for people to get sick and for illnesses to spread when they are spending their time in dry air conditions because that is where diseases tend to activate. Using a humidifier can protect you and your students from future illnesses as they promote moisture and keep flu germs from traveling in the air. Humidifiers are also a big help to those who have already caught the flu as they encourage the opening of the nasal, throat, and lung passages and make it easier to breathe. So, be proactive and keep humidifiers available during this time to ensure you are prepared to address these situations.
Keep the center cool and ventilated
Have you ever been to a hospital and wondered why the atmosphere feels so cold? Well, this is a technique that hospitals use to prevent the growth of germs and bacteria. Make sure you and your students are engaging in areas that are cool and ventilated. Keep ceiling fans on and adjust your AC to a comfortable but cool temperature to ensure you are working in an environment that is safe and less susceptible to germs and disease-causing bacteria.
Encourage hydration to teachers and children
Keeping your body hydrated during any type of illness helps you flush out toxins and expedites the healing process. Make sure you and your students are staying hydrated during flu season to activate the sickness-fighting proteins that can only navigate the body with fluids to heal a sick person. Water is the best source of hydration during the flu, but you could also benefit from sports drinks or fruit beverages.
Administer medication at the indicated times
The administration of medication is common in many childcare settings. But, teachers must follow the instructions recommended by the doctor to ensure the child is receiving the attention needed to address the illness. Administering medication correctly not only helps address a child’s specific needs, but it will also speed up the healing process and reduce the spread of infections. If at any time you have questions or concerns about the proper administration of a child’s medication, use Child Journal to message the parent and get a quick response to your concern. Addressing your doubts will help you be more at ease when the time comes to administer the student’s medication.
Encourage proper food preparation
The most common way to get the flu virus, is to come in contact with individuals who are infected or touching items or surfaces that have been handled by those with the virus. Make sure you are preparing food on surface areas that are clean and nonporous to ensure you are not contaminating the food with disease-causing bacteria. Also, remember to use disposable gloves during the preparation of food and keep an eye out for children who are trying to share cups or utensils during meals. Children should never share kitchen utensils!
Beating flu season could be easy as long as you are taking consistent measures and following specific rules to foster a healthy childcare setting. Remember, if parent involvement is necessary during these efforts, communicate with parents by using Child Journal to keep them informed.