Kids Sneezing

This is only preschool.
But, things JUST like this... will also happen, in elementary school, in ALL grades and in all ages.
I work at a school.
Daily, I see, Kindergarten through 5th graders doing things like this, at some point or other. It is not intentional.
Even if Teachers and whichever adults are there, telling them not to or to sneeze/cough in their elbows.

This is normal. Teacher is already handling this. She told the child what to do. What else do you think she can do in a classroom with many kids? My daughter's sister was a germaphobe. Her kids were frequently sick. My daughter was much more telaxed and her kids were rarely sick. Exposure to germs is how our body builds up immunity. We build resistance to germs with each exposure even when we don't get sick.

We also build immunity with good nutrition and adequate sleep. I was frequentlt sick when I first went to work. In a few months I'd built up enough immunity through exposure that I got sick less often. Same with kids.

There is no need to talk to the teacher. The teacher knows, that is why she continues to remind the children. I have been working with fourth graders and I have to remind them. This is a normal part of childhood.

Believe me, those teachers remind them, over and over and over again.
We had to do it even when I worked in first grade! Some kids would come in from recess with dirt sticking to something dripping out of their nose, I'd hand them a tissue and they'd look at me like, what?
These are young children, they don't get told something once and then always do it (well, some do, but not many.)
Cover your nose.
Wash your hands.
Use your indoor voice.
Use your words not your hands.
This is why I could never be a preschool teacher, your days are filled with repeating the same things over and over until one day, bam, it clicks.
God bless those ladies, please don't point out the obvious to them, it will seem really condescending.

It is preschool! There are germs all over. They sneeze, they touch toys, they touch each other. I don't think the teacher needs you to tell her about
How she should handle sneezing. All of this builds up their immune systems.

hee!
i mean, what's she gonna do?
seriously. other than reminding them, which as anyone who has ever met a 4 or 5 year old knows has a very, very short half-life, what exactly do you expect from her?
:D
khairete
S.

If only kids shared their toys as easily as they share their germs! But since good hygiene is being continually taught to people of *all* ages, it's evident that there's always a lot of learning for people to do.

Happily, there's a good side: the children's systems are building some immunity as the germs make their way around the classroom.

Sure, you can talk to the teacher about it. Just don't be accusatory. "How's the teaching about sneezing and coughing coming along? Are they starting to get the idea?" is better than, "What's the matter with you - these four-year-olds should all be sneezing into their sleeves by now!" But I don't think you would be one to approach it from an accusatory standpoint, anyway.

It is normal. Kids are kids.

Kids share germs, it's how they build super immune systems so that when they're adults they can fight off disease. If they didn't share germs they'd never get sick and never fight off anything. So they'd be sickly adults.

Kids need to share germs. Obviously they need to not sneeze in each others faces but they often forget.

I'd ask what "covering your sneeze" means. Now they are trying NOT to get kids (or adults) to use their hands because that just creates mucus- and spit-covered hands, which then touch eyes (conjunctivitis is awful), toys, doorknobs, food, and more. That's just as contagious as sneezing into someone's face. The thing most schools and doctors recommend is "sneeze into your elbow" so make sure that's what they are teaching - there are still people who think you should use your hand, or use a tissue that you then hold onto and use to wipe your own eyes! But "cover your sneeze" is too vague for kids - they are better with "elbow sneeze" or something more direct and specific.

But I think it's unreasonable to expect 4 and 5 year olds to remember this, since half of them can't remember to keep their hands to themselves or not push to be first in line or a whole bunch of other "rules" you'd think they'd know by now. It's just not realistic. Sometimes they don't feel the sneeze coming on or they're too absorbed in what they are doing, and sometimes they just enjoy cracking each other up with loud sneezes, burps, and other body sounds.

The other thing to consider is the huge number of parents who don't keep their kids home when they are sick. Sometimes that's the need to work, sometimes it's cluelessness, and sometimes it's pure selfishness ("I pay you for day care so YOU take care of the runny nose!") When I was teaching, the staff (teachers, nurse, office staff) were constantly astounded by the miserable-looking and -feeling kids who came in with fevers, nausea, green mucus runny noses and worse. So you've got a higher percentage of sick and contagious kids in the class, and a higher percentage of infection. I think you have to put some blame and some responsibility back on parents, and not just expect 4 year olds to think about others when that's just not where they're at developmentally.

How many colds does she go home with in a year?
She knows...