In the Time of Sniffles

There has been understandable parent anxiety for children's health as the cold and flu season takes it standard toll on young immune systems with a range of conditions from the mere sniffles to the extreme of pneumonia. Home Sweet Home appreciates the impact on working families when sick days are used to stay home with a sick child and becomes the norm in Winter. Parents, please take care of yourselves!

Home Sweet Home teachers partner with Big Friends to ensure surfaces and door knobs are disinfected throughout the day and toys are disinfected on a weekly rotation. Mouthed toys are removed from circulation upon identification until sanitized. Please refer to the Parent Handbook for information on our Home Sweet Home Well Child Policy.

The essential partnership for children, parents and teachers is to have a united front on how best to contain infection and prevent germ-sharing. MOST important is HAND-WASHING, which is why it is embedded in the drop-off routine for parents to model and coach with their child, and then embedded in the flow of the day (snacks, lunch, nap, potty) for teachers to coach. But children are also coached on using elbows to catch sneezes and coughs, and using tissues to wipe mucus. Additional hand-washing after qualifying events, including nose-picking and orifice exploration, is essential - adults and youth encourage this whenever it is observed.

In an effort to understand how our HSH Health and Hygiene training and coaching are represented in practice, Kathleen engaged Life Intern Big Friends to keep a running log for two hours. Best practices for cough (cover mouth with elbow) and sneeze/nose wipe (catch with tissue, then wash hands) were assessed on a graded continuum from the aforementioned best practices (2), to a mid-grade for partial success, such as covering the mouth with the hand (1) to no grade, such as for an uncovered cough (0). Although interns were stationed all over the playground, it is possible that some scored the same child and event twice. These are our results!

Sneeze
2 = 2
1 = 1
0 = 0

Cough
2 = 15
1 = 6
0 = 8

Wipe Nose
2 = 0
1 = 6
0 = 2

Clearly, additional coaching by teachers, parents and youth will support our children to integrate best practices into their self-care. We appreciate all the partnership and wish to acknowledge the parents who have kept their sick children at home in an effort to keep our well children healthy at preschool. Thank you!