The plague that we started the week off with is now hitting my 4 year old(he threw up upon return from dropping big brother at school). and my three year old is moaning softly as he lays watching TV. So, I know we are rounding the next turn with this...
Here is the question....How do moms of many keep the uninfected children healthy? Aside from dunking them into sanitizer?
My kids share everything..whether I try and control it or not. If one of them sets down a juice box I know it will be picked up and sucked on by another. My oldest had a juice box after leaving doc tor monday morning...and when he got home he set it down...My three year old walked up and started sucking on it...I looked at my hubby and was like...shoot here we go...Now he is gonna get it...then the same thing happened with my middle guy somewhere along the way...
Once I know the yuck has entered the house..I clean every thing that I know is a share surface. and then go over the places they have been once they show signs of being sick. I am also a freakishly OCD hand washer...my kids on the other hand could use some work.
Is there a trick? I am asking so I can take steps to ensure myself in not getting sick too....Hopefully this is not to vague a question..I get the common sense, up keep on things so you dont spread germs..but are their any of you that have a fool proof way to make it not run through your house rampant???
I do need to get on them more about 1. Leaving their drinks down and 2. Leaving drinks down IN PLACE OF just throwing it away.
Nine times outta Ten the item they had been drinking out of was either empty and needed to be thrown away OR it was a cup, that was empty and needed to be put into the sink...So, I guess that being said I do have some on my party I can do to remedy the problem.
They also share food....popcorn from the same bowl...they will share a candy bar hand it off to the next one...
Oh my god..SO now that I am thinking further into it..there is alot going on that is determining who ''GETS'' it....Since I am personally a germ freak I NEVER share anything..I dont kiss on the lips and try not to let them touch my face....I guess my best choice with this is to have my hubby(I would have him help to balance my unrealistic OCD) help me teach them not to be ''GROSS'' with over sharing stuff...and to give each other ''Personal''space up top....That and they have gotten lazy washing after finishing in the bathroom...I have gotten lazy enforcing it either...My oldest and I just went back over the steps of the bath room process...He knew them..he also saw I stopped paying attention..I had not even noticed until he said something Monday.
If you have anything more insightful..please...I could use suggestions:)
SWEET..Thank you, this so far, has been embarrassingly easy of an answer..I thought I was doing everything right though:)
SUNSHINE!!!!!!! OOOOHHHH YOU MAKE ME SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad you posted that...I find comfort in knowing there are others in my same boat...At least we are not suffering alone!!! I am hitting Fred Meyers up here in a few....I will see what goodies I can not find and bring home:)
I give my youngest so probiotics to strengthen his immunity. My daughter went to New York for her graduation present and brought back swine flu. It was a confirmed case and none of the rest of us in the house got it.
Probiotics are very good for eating up the bad bacteria in the gut. If you can get your kids to drink Kefir, then do it. It has tons of probiotics. Otherwise just yogurt. You can also buy probiotic powder that you mix into their drinks. Other than that, vitamin supplements and extra rest along with lots of handwashing and sanitizing. Good luck!
Well, my son was sick with a stomach bug (vomiting and diarrhea), fever, and conjunctivitis recently. He had had Croup too.
None of us got sick. Even me, even though I was the one handling him.
I just cleaned/disinfected the things in the house, did the laundry a ton.
Wiped things down even the light switches and handles of everything and even the TV remote etc. I even, with disinfectant wipes, wiped down the furniture too. And the sofa arms, too. The tables etc. Door knobs. Anything and everything people routinely touch.
Of course the bathroom sinks too and handles and light switches. And toilets/handles.
I washed hands frequently, as did my family. I kept a bottle of hand sanitizer around right there where we were.
I had a separate rubbish can for my son to put "his" used kleenex into.
I explained to him to cough in his elbow, sneeze with his elbow, not to touch sister on her hands/face. To 'try' and not touch Mommy on her face etc.
Everyone knows, not to share food/drinks while you are sick and to not drink/eat from the other person's food/drinks, when sick.
My son is 4, and he was real good about it.
He knew that 'sharing' food/drinks while sick is not a good idea because it spreads germs and can get others sick.
He'd even tell his sister "don't come by me or kiss me, I'm sick. Don't touch my hands. Wash your hands."
I don't know how, but none of us got his illnesses.
Don't touch your face/eyes/mouth, when sick or others are sick. This is how people get sick. Or don't do that after handling someone who is sick. Wash hands first.
It always used to be like that in our house too! What we have done that is helping dramatically is that we're taking a nutritional supplement. Although it does not make us "sick proof", it has reduced the severity of illnesses, shortened the duration, and helps prevent others in the house from getting it. If you'd like some info on it, let me know. Hope everyone gets better soon!
Vitamin D3 drops. I am not kidding. We have stopped sickness from spreading in our house with boosting immunity.
Hang in there mama! We are going through the same thing. I ended up throwing away a blanket, some jammies and a stuffed animal because I am just too dang tired to try to clean more vomit out of something.
I am SO hoping my son doesn't get it too, because I need at least one night's sleep before monitering blood sugars and ketones every hour!
I raise my spray bottle of disinfectant to you!!!!
make your kids eat more healthy food to help them not get sick. Tell your kids that they can't touch each other or can't share stuff if one of them is sick.
The way I get them to not drink someone else's drink is I buy those inexpensive cups that come with lids and straws that you can find at places like Target in the sippy cup section. I get rid of the straws that they come with and use regular disposable bendy straws. Each kid gets a different color. My oldest is ALWAYS orange, my 2nd is always blue, my 3rd green, and my 4th is the only girl, so the cup with the "girly color" is hers.
I also carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse. I give them each a squirt after going to the grocery store or on one of those little 75 cent rides that I have no idea if they ever clean. When the kids come home from school they need to either wash their hands or use the hand sanitizer that sits on the kitchen counter. When one of them is sick, they use the hand sanitizer a few times a day. It has cut down on the # of illnesses, and we even manage to sometimes keep the illness down to only one or 2 of them.
Hang in there!!! I know what you're going through, which is why I'm a little OCD like you =o)
We did everything to build strong immune systems. When one of us got something it was rare that anyone else in our house would.
If you are interested in what we do/did, let me know.
From what I observe in others, your case is the norm.
