Tips for Coping with Childcare & Pre-School Bugs

Many parents choose to send their little ones to child care and/or early learning pre-school for various reasons, which can vary based on individual circumstances and needs.

Child care and/or early learning pre-school can be an enriching experience for young children, supporting their growth, development, and overall well-being.

However, for first time parents, the thought of starting child care and/or early learning pre-school for their little one is a daunting realisation that they will be putting their trust onto someone else to take care of their precious child. The mere thought of being away from their child for a whole day is enough to send emotions up high.

But don't worry, there are many upsides that will help to ease your mind.

UPSIDE

Reasons why child care and/or early learning pre-school can be beneficial to you and your child:

1. Early learning opportunities: provides an environment that promotes early learning and development. Trained caregivers can engage children in age-appropriate activities, stimulating their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. 

2. Socialisation and peer interaction: offers children the chance to interact with peers of similar age, promoting socialisation and the development of important social skills. They learn how to communicate, share, take turns, and collaborate with others. 

3. Preparation for school: helps children transition smoothly into primary school. They learn to adapt to a structured environment, follow routines, and develop basic skills needed for academic success, such as listening, following instructions, and participating in group activities. 

4. Emotional and behavioral development: provides a supportive setting for children to develop emotional resilience and self-regulation skills. They learn to manage their emotions, express themselves, and cope with various situations. 

5. Parental support and work-life balance: can provide support to working parents by offering a safe and supervised environment for their children during working hours. This allows parents to focus on their jobs, pursue education or career goals, and maintain a work-life balance. Knowing that their children are in capable hands can alleviate stress and enable parents to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

While child care and/or early learning pre-school can offer many benefits, there are also potential downsides to consider.

DOWNSIDE 

One important downside is that child care and pre-school is the number one source of sickness in children due to the close contact they have with other kids, sharing of toys and objects, their immature immune systems and exposure to new germs and limited awareness of personal hygiene.

While child care and pre-school facilities take precautions to minimise the spread of illnesses, it's important for parents to be vigilant about their child's health, follow proper hygiene practices at home, and keep their child at home when they are unwell to prevent the spread of infections to others.

Tips help prepare and cope with illnesses from child care and/or pre-school:

1. Practice good hygiene

This is a great time of the year to encourage your little ones to remember their hand hygiene, at both home and at school. Educate your child about the importance of good hygiene, including proper hand washing techniques and covering their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. Reinforce these habits regularly.

2. Help strengthen your child's immune system

A strong immune system can help your child resist illnesses. Ensure they have a well-balanced diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise. 

3. Keep the air in your home purified

Cleaning the air you breathe inside your home is a must to ensure germs and viruses don't get passed around. If you haven't already got one in your home, the Aroma Safe-Air Purifier is a must-have device that cleans the air inside your home by removing airborne nasties and helps to keep congestion at bay. It's also a humidifier and vaporiser to help relieve stuffy noses throughout the day and night - it's especially useful if you have little ones prone to the sniffles, congestion and allergies.

4. Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a natural therapy that has been used for centuries, involving the use of natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. It can be effective with helping with many issues that pop up amongst the typical family home, including colds, coughs, stuff noses, congestion, allergies, anxiety, and stress.

It is important that you use only pure essential oils that are certified organic to deliver the best healing and therapeutic properties beneficial to your health - anything less is not as beneficial.

A great way to diffuse essential oils is by adding a few drops into the all-in-one Aroma Snooze diffuser, which has an air purifying function as well as a humidifier and vaporiser.We love the Winter Rescue Remedy blend for helping to combat and soothe sniffle bugs.

A few other good ones to keep up your sleeve for when the weather changes and the cooler months hit include: Immune Boost, Breathe, Sniffles & Chest and Protection Blend.

5. Keep bedtime consistent

The more familiar bedtime routines are, the quicker and easier we calm down and relax into sleep mode. This is true for babies right through to adults, which is why a regular nightly wind down routine can be a huge help for your family.

Ensure that your child’s bedtime routine is familiar and stable, that they’ve had enough time to wind down from their busy day and/or any devices used in the evening, and this will help to quiet their mind and prepare for bedtime. 

A good bedtime routine could include a warm bath, a feed (for young babies) and a bedtime story. Having a red light on while preparing for bedtime helps to body to produce melatonin (the hormone that promotes sleep).

The Aroma Snooze isn't just for humidifying, vaporising and air purifying, it also functions as sleep aid device that has a red light therapy function as well as white & pink noise to help with settling and promote better sleep - it can be used from the early years, right through to adults.

Nightlight on, white noise on, favourite essential oil blend in the diffuser, a bedtime story and a cuddle, and it’s time for bed!

6. Be aware of any outbreaks at child care / pre-school 

Stay in touch with the day care staff and communicate openly about illnesses. Inform them if your child is sick and ask about any recent outbreaks or contagious cases in the facility. Be aware of their policies regarding sick children attending.

7. Keep your child home when necessary

If your child is unwell, it's crucial to keep them home to prevent the spread of illness to others. Follow the guidelines provided by your facility regarding when it's appropriate for your child to return after an illness.

8. Have a backup plan

Develop a contingency plan for when your child is sick and unable to attend childcare or pre-school. This could involve arranging for alternative childcare, if possible, or having flexibility in your own schedule to accommodate their needs.

9. Be prepared for doctor visits

Make sure you have a pediatrician you trust and establish a relationship with them. Keep important medical information handy and know their office hours and procedures for sick visits. Follow their advice regarding treatment and medication.

We hope that these tips will help to minimise the start of this crazy season and keep your little ones germ free, though if your child is in the younger years or in preschool, you may feel as though the sickness is never ending! If you’re in the thick of it right now, just remember: this too will pass, and the constant illnesses tend to settle down as the years go on.

What are your top tips for keeping your little ones germ free?