Why is PreSchool so nasty???

[dragenfly]

My 3 1/2 year old has been in preschool for 2 months she has missed 5 of the 8 weeks becasue she keeps getting sick. And Im talking nasty viruses the last one she had gave her a real bad ear infection, it was drug resistant and it took 4 different antibiotics before she responded. She is now sick again. Oh and now I have STREP throat. I just know I am going to give to my 2 year old. And probably her too. Whats the deal with her getting sick so much her Dr. said its normal when they start school but I dont see anything normal about it at all. :nuhuh:

[Aislingraven]

I wish I knew that too. I have 3 kids. My first went to preschool regularly and we went through the same thing.. go to school for a week, stay home for 2-3 with a mega virus. In addition we caught head lice twice from other kids. With my second child, I sent him for a week, he came home sick like that and I pulled him out. I didn't even bother with my third child.

The weird thing is that they say it 's normal when you start school but why is it that when they start kindergarten they DO NOT do this. So I am there with ya, but I don't have an answer.. just a common experience.

[Jolixte]

It's because the kids haven't been exposed to the viruses before and therefore they have no immunity to them. After awhile though their immunities build up and so they are less sick.

[Faery-Wings]

It is true that most kids get sick *a lot* when they first start preschool. Aminta is right, their immune systems need to be exposed to viruses to build up resisitance and anti-bodies. Most kids who start kdg w/o being in preschool have already had some exposure and are older, thus their immune system is stronger. However, there are studies that show kids who had attended preschool get sick less when they are in kdg.

That said, here are some tips:
Talk to the director of the school to find out what their "cleaning" and disinfecting regimin is. In NJ, we are required by state law to disinfect the sleeping mats a certain way, as well as toys, especially those in the baby and toddler rooms which get mouthed frequently. When I was teaching prek, it was routine for me to wash all of the toys every Friday. In the winter, I had the kids do it as a water play activity! :p

If it is possible, have your child stay home at the first sign of sickness. This is one of the biggest issues preschools have. One kid goes to school with a raging cold and everyone gets it. And there are parents who will dose their kid up on OTC meds just so they can get to work. I understand how important jobs are but it might be helpful to have a back up person to watch your child when sick. This reduces the amount of germs spread, as well as helping your child to not catch any additional illness while his immune system is weakened fromt he first illness.

Encourage your child to wash his hands *often* in school and as soon as he comes home. You might even want to consider having him change out of school clothes as soon as he gets home too.

Talk to your dr or health food store owner- they make echinachea and vitamin c gummies that I give my kids at the first sign of a cold and it really helps knock the cold out.

Good luck!

[BrigidMoon]

It's because the kids haven't been exposed to the viruses before and therefore they have no immunity to them. After awhile though their immunities build up and so they are less sick.

Exactly. My daughter's first year at daycare was horrid however, she doesn't get as sick now.

[Ceres]

I think its par for the course too. Our little ones dont have any naturally occuring precendent in evolution for being put into an institution with so many other small children at such a young age. I do agree though, you would think a kid who stays home with mum till kindergarden would experience the same things when they go, but it doesnt seem to be as bad.
I guess the difference of a year or two makes a big difference when they are that young.
Echinacea may help - we have great success with it, but use a very reputable company name. We found when we boguht the less expensive version, they didnt work. Vogel is expensive, but it works.

[Sequoia]

It's because toddlers spread common germs like wildfire. :p

Keeping the stress low at home can help, too. Multivitamins might be a good idea. Ecenacia is okay, I suppose, but what I've found out is that a decent number of kids (and adults, too- I'm one of them) are somewhat allergic to it. They'll just throw it right back up. I've heard firsthand accounts, and I've experienced it myself. Doesn't work for some of us, no matter the brand ;) You should excersize great caution when giving a child any kind of herbal suppliment, and ALWAYS check with their doctor first.

[Faery-Wings]

Sequoia that is a good point. Anyone with allergies to ragweed or its family *should not* use echinachea because of a high chance of being allergic that that too.

[MaidenMotherWitch]

They say it's normal bc they are supposedly exposed to more germs that their body's have never been exposed to previously. I never had a problem with Morgaine getting sick anymore than usual. I hope you feel better soon and she stops gettingsick so much

[Jenne]

Good advice. Here's mine: when your kids get home from school, have them immediately wash their hands. Esp before eating anything. Have them put their shoes by the door and leave them there, not walk around the house in them. Spray Lysol on anything that goes to school regularly (backpack for instance), wash sweaters and jackets that go to school weekly, and wash toys in soap/water often.

HTH!

[Sequoia]

Sequoia that is a good point. Anyone with allergies to ragweed or its family *should not* use echinachea because of a high chance of being allergic that that too.

Is that so? That might be why. I just remember I was viciously sick with a sinus infection, and some good friends of mine gave it to me. (They are chinese herbalists, I'd trust anything they give me. Heck, I know they'd give it to themselves or their daughter, so I have nothing to worry about.) Well, I just couldn't keep the stuff down :( and I hadn't any nausea otherwise. It took me a couple times to figure out that I was getting sick shortly after taking the capsules, every time. 8O

[Kalika]

Little kids are very good at spreading germs... that's really the only offer of info I have for you. :)

When nobody reminds them, they often forget to cover their face when they sneeze, wash their hands after using the potty, or even after they sneeze, they wipe boogers on their hands and arms - and then go touch pretty much everything in their classroom. :)

Sounds like your daughter is getting alot worse than a cold - which means someone around her school or that she spends alot of time with may have had something - even if they aren't showing signs of it.

I don't think ear infections are contagious though... but not sure.

:hugz:

Sorry hon - I hope that she's over the worst of it and has developed an immunity!!

[Sequoia]

I don't think ear infections are contagious though... but not sure.

Ear infections aren't contagious, but the colds that cause them certainly are! :lol:

[Amethyst Rose]

My son and I go to a Mom's and Tots group. Each session is 8 weeks long with about a month between sessions. We're in our 3rd session now, so we've come to expect that he will be sick with something nearly the entire 8 weeks. Sure enough, two weeks in and he has a bit of a cold. I may feel sorry for him that he has a cold, but I know that in the long run its worth it, and he won't get as sick later on. I also refuse to use antibacterial soaps and disinfectants cuz all they do is make the germs stronger.

[Antoninus]

It's because the kids haven't been exposed to the viruses before and therefore they have no immunity to them. After awhile though their immunities build up and so they are less sick.
I agree. The kids probably havent been out of the house very much so they dont have a chance to build up immunities to certain diseases. One reason why they suggest taking your child outside as much as possible before you start school.

One thing Ill say for school, it strengthens your immune system :)

[dragenfly]

Thats the thing, everything you guys said and suggested (almost all) I do. My girl is a bit OCD when it comes to germs and washing her hands she HATES being sick and I ask her when I pick her up if she washed up and she says before and after play, before and after potty and before and after playtime. I know she is not a prodigy but she is nonetheless very good at the washing her hands. She doesnt stay for nap time I pick her up after lunch (I am sahm) and I never let her go to school if she sneezes more than twice in an hour. I dont think its right to expose the other children to the slightest bit of cold or flu if she has it. I give her a multi vitamin daily (doc said flinstones is the best for her) she eats right, lots of milk, protein, and vegi's. I dont give her any herbal suplements only herbal tea I fear for allergies I have tons and dont want to risk it at such a young age (3yr). It gets me soooo mad because here I am taking precations and raising my healthy kid and then there are moms and dads who take their kids to school when they darn well know that they are sick. I urkes me to no end. Her ear infections are caused by the viruses she is getting I know they arent contagious, I musnt have been clear, they are "drug resistant viruses" that are going around, its these viruses that are causing the ear infections that are not responding to antibiotics. I swear its a good thing that my husband has a great prescription plan with our health ins. policy. I spoke the the director and she showed me the routine for cleaning and it seems like a good one. All the tables and chairs are wiped down with clorox wipes, the toys and play area are sprayed with lysol daily and the floor is moped. The only thing I can think is that they are not actually doing these things everyday as they say they are. I am about ready to switch schools its just this is the closest one and she is so little I hate to take her 20 miles away for preK ya know. I wonder how I can verify that these cleaning methods are being done on a daily basis. Hmmmmm????? Luckily my 2 years is catching everything my daughter is catching and he seems to be recovering twice as fast as she is, funny cause he doesnt eat anything healthy but his vitamin. He will starve himself before he will eat once floret of broccoli or one kernel of corn. go figure.

[maphdet]

my sons doc once told me the amount of children enrolled in the daycare can make a diff.
I found this to be true .
we've changed my sons schools 3 times already (for diff reasons)
but I did noticed that when we had him in a large daycare he was sick ALOT
now hes in a really small one ....and yup doc was right ....hes not sick All the time now !!!
by the way hes 3 yrs old now .

[DismalGrin]

I worked in a daycare and I think that although, yes, there were some awesome suggestions given... and they should be followed there is another factor in play. And it really depends on the type of daycare your kids go to as well. If it's a whole bunch of careful moms then there won't be as much of a problem. But, at the one I went to even if mom's were told 'don't bring your kid in, their sick!' they would find some way to drop them off anyhow. Getting doctors to lie and say the kid was okay... the kid had mono! Or bringing their child in first thing in the morning and picking up last thing at night to avoid director. Or just plain not bothering to tell us that their kid was up all last night throwing up. Sure it's good to see if your dayvare will post signs about sicknesses going around. And it's good to make sure that your child knows cleanliness habits, but some stuff is unavoidable. And if there are children at the daycare whoes parents work there... the chance of things spreading is bigger. Because my daughter got chicken pox and my boss refused to let me take her home and care for her because she needed me there. So, check into these factors too... and maybe keep that medicine cabinet stocked.

[Sequoia]

Hey, Dragenfly?

Just as a quick one, may I ask why you send your baby to preschool if you're a SAHM?

(I'm just trying to imagine the BILLS :lol: I know it's a good chance for the baby to socialize. But if he's getting sick so much...?)

[evangeline]

It's actually very normal. This is the time children need to get sick to develop their immune systems, which aren't very effective yet, which is why the germs are getting around so much.

[Faery-Wings]

DismalGrin makes a really good point. I have workin gin both PreSchool and Daycare and there is a big difference, INHO. When the parent is a SAHM, they would rather keep their kids home when sick. When they have to go to work, they are(generally speaking) more likely to send them in and hope that they can get at least a few hours of work in before they call the call from the daycare. Not all parent are like that, I am speaking in generalizations, but yeah.... it happens that way often enough.