Young Children — Age 3 to 5

A daycare or preschool setting is often the first place your child spends time with a large number of other children on a daily basis. This can also mean it's the first time he or she is exposed to such a large number of germs. With a little preparation from you, your child can help fight germs all through the school day.

Sending Your Child to Daycare

The numbers of preschool children enrolled in school-based educational programs and childcare centers have increased steadily over the past two decades. More kids in school means more contact with other people's germs.

Getting Sick and Catching Colds

Several studies have revealed an increased risk of respiratory, ear, and gastrointestinal infections in daycare and preschool settings. But the good news is that studies have also shown that by practicing good hygiene, daycare and preschool programs can reduce the chance that your child will get sick.

Common colds and diarrheal disease are two of the most common afflictions your child may "bring home from preschool." As a parent, you can talk to your daycare provider or preschool teacher to make sure that they are following these practices to help prevent the spread of germs:

• Washing their hands frequently, and whenever possible between contacts with children, especially after assisting them with toileting.
  • If soap and water aren't available, encourage them to use a hand sanitizer.
  • Ask them to remind children to wash their hands throughout the day, especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and if they look dirty.
• Making sure their sink locations and restrooms are stocked with soap, paper towels or working hand dryers. While hand washing is the method of choice, other non-sink areas should have access to alcohol-based hand cleaner; it should be kept out of the reach of the children.
• Cleaning frequently touched surfaces like desks and cubbies, toys, and commonly shared items at least daily and when visibly soiled with an EPA-registered disinfectant, and keeping the disinfectant out of the reach of children. (Toys being used by children should be rinsed after disinfection.)
• Cleaning and disinfecting lunch and snack areas regularly, as well as any food prep area they may have in their classroom or center. All food contact surfaces must be rinsed well with water after disinfection.
• Encouraging everyone to "cover their coughs" (and sneezes).
• If your child takes a bus to preschool, try encouraging the bus driver to clean/disinfect the handrails and bus seats regularly.

Establish Before- and After-School Hygiene Habits

As your child adapts to the school-day routine, you can help make hygiene a regular part of the day with some basic actions both before and after school.

Before:

• Teach your child how and when to wash his/her hands. He/she should wash for 20 seconds; a handy timer is to sing the "Happy Birthday Song" all the way through, twice.
  
  Review proper Handwashing Steps.
• Continually reinforce the fact that everyone should wash his or her hands for at least 20 seconds before every meal, after using the bathroom and after playing outside.
• Make handwashing fun by downloading a handwashing poster/rebus to read together and hang by your bathroom sink.
• Show your child how to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, for those times when soap and water are not available.
• Pack your child's backpack with tissues and hand sanitizer to carry along to school.

After:

• Designate an area near the door where everyone can take off their shoes and drop their bags when they come inside. This helps reduce the tracking of dirt and germs throughout your home.
• Send your child straight to the sink upon arrival home, to scrub his/her hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. As CDC has noted, handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of illness-causing germs.
• Talk to your child to make sure he/she is following important personal hygiene habits both at home and in the classroom. Together, visit the Ounce of Prevention for Kids website, developed in partnership with the CDC. It offers for plenty of good, clean fun along with interactive games and exercises to help make hygiene a priority: www.oopkids.com
• As a parent, remain diligent about cleaning and disinfecting tables, countertops and other frequently touched surfaces. (All food contact surfaces must be rinsed after disinfection.) These practices will help you to stop the spread of germs your child may have brought home from school. Disinfect the hard surfaces and sanitize the soft surfaces that kids touch, including doorknobs, light switches and book bags.

Check out LYSOL's Disinfecting Tips

Review Healthy Homes for quick tips in cleaning to remove germs from the various rooms throughout your home.

Hygiene Tips for Preschoolers

Simple steps can help prevent the spread of germs between children once they are in daycare/preschool.

• Remind your child to wash hands before eating, after touching surfaces, and after sneezing/coughing.
• Be sure your child knows how to use a hand sanitizer in case soap and water aren't available.
• Urge your child to cover his/her coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then throw the tissue into the trash.
• Make sure to send your child to school with hand sanitizer and tissues.
• Encourage your child to try to avoid getting close to other children who may be coughing and sneezing at school.
• Keep your child home if he or she is sick.

Play Date Primer

Following a few simple steps will help ensure that your child and his/her play date companion have a safe and happy adventure together.

Setting Up a Play Date

• Ask your child whom he/she likes to play with. Compatibility is more important than availability.
• When calling for a play date, be friendly and direct. Introduce yourself as your child's mother, and ask if your child and the other child could spend time together (at your home, or theirs). Choose dates that work for everyone, and discuss any ideas you have for any activities.
• Invite the other parent to attend if this is the first time the children are having a play date.
• Ask about any food allergies or dislikes so that you can plan an appropriate healthy snack. (If your child is visiting the other home, plan to send a favorite snack along.)
• Be sure to exchange home, work and mobile phone numbers in case of any emergencies or if either of you have difficulties related to drop-off or pick-up times.
• Plan activities that will help the children interact and have some quiet time. Ask your child in advance about any toys that are too special to share, and set them aside.

Preparing for a Safe and Healthy Play Date

• Make sure all toys that the children will play with are clean. When purchasing stuffed animals, choose those that are washable so that you can launder them between play dates. Wash plastic toys with soap and water. (If you disinfect them, remember that any toys children will handle must be rinsed well with water after disinfection.) Board game surfaces should be wiped down with disinfecting wipes.
• If you are planning a craft project, ask the other parent to send art supplies (like crayons) along with the child. Sharing art supplies is a good way to spread germs from hand to hand.
• Mop the floor. Cleaning hard surface floors with an appropriate detergent and water will remove dust, dirt, germs and visible mold growth and should be done weekly — especially during cold and flu season.
• Make snacks safe to share. Cut up sandwiches and snacks so the children don't over-handle the food.
• Have lots of tissues and disinfecting wipes on hand, and make sure the sink is stocked with soap and paper towels for handwashing.

Ground Rules for Play Dates

• Ask children to take off their shoes upon arrival. This can help prevent the spread of germs that could be tracked inside your home from outside.
• Encourage hand washing during the play date.
  • Make sure your child and his/her friend wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before they play in a new area.
  • Remind them to wash their hands before snack time.
  • You can make it fun by printing out a handwashing poster and hanging it above the sink.
• Encourage children to cover their noses or mouths with a tissue if they need to cough or sneeze, and then throw the tissue away and wash their hands.

Print out a Play Date Supplies list.