By Miss Britt

As a working mother, both of my kids have been in some type of daycare environment since they were about six months old.  I’m intimately familiar with the daycare germfest.

I’m also grateful, because my son never missed a day of school once he started kindergarten, while many of his non daycare counterparts were constantly home with a new version of the cold and flu during the first few years.  By the time he hit ig Kid School his immune system was a lean, mean, bug fighting machine - thanks in no small part to the daycare cooties.

Your little ones will get sick when they are first exposed to hordes of other little ones.  It’s inevitable and not entirely a bad thing.  Of course, there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage (and reduce the number of personal days you have to take off to care for you sick child).

Teach your kid to wash their hands - they are still going to touch dirty toys and make mudpies.  Because they’re kids.  But they can reduce their exposure to the most dangerous germs by getting into the habit of washing their hands after using the bathroom and before and after meals and snacks.

Introduce them to The Flintstones - vitamins that is.  Taking a daily vitamin is a good idea for everyone in the house, but especially for your little ones whose growing bodies demand so much of them.  Look for a multivitamin with extra Vitamin C (or add a Vitamin C specific pill) to fight off the cold virus in the fall and winter.  Or serve orange juice in the morning.

Keep them hydrated when they’re sick AND healthy - it is inevitable that your kids will catch a cold.  And while there is still no cure for the common cold, you can help flush the virus out quickly by pushing the liquids.  Proper hydration can also help prevent sickness.

Make sure you’re serving beverages that actually hydrate - just because it’s liquid doesn’t mean it’s good for the body.  Caffeine and sugar can actually dehydrate those little bodies.  Teach your kids the joys of plain old water at an early age!

Along with social skills and ABC’s, your children are bound to pick up a few bad habits and nasty germs in daycare.  Remind yourself they’re just getting a head start on their school days and pass around the chewable Dinos.  And give yourself a break.

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