Mummy vs Germs
I am ready to take on the battle of the ‘Sneezing Season’. I’m out to protect my entire my family from getting sick. I will put a stop to the cold & flu merry-go-round.
Why
- Because a sick grizzly child is exhausting, filthy work.
- Because once you’ve gotten through the worst of it, your next child shows signs of the same illness.
- Because once all the kids have recovered and you think you're due a rest, your husband starts whining that he’s not feeling great.
What
- We all know that babies need these relatively harmless viruses and infection in order to build their immune systems.
- Viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi – the four basic microbes that we call germs – trigger the body to develop antibodies, the molecules that fight specific illnesses.
- But if I had my way, colds wouldn’t come into the scene until a child has a decent-sized nasal passage! Trying to extract mucus from a 1-month old is agonising.
How
- Little kids are pretty much perfect germ carriers. Think about it:
- They love to be extremely close to people
- They experience the world through their hands and mouths
- Their immune systems are less mature than ours
- They’re slack at washing their hands
- The six common childhood infectious diseases – colds, ear infections, strep throat, eye infections, diarrhoea and croup – can all be spread by contact between hands and either mouth, nose or eyes.
Let’s fight back!
- Kids are never going to stop touching their nose, eyes or mouth
- Go wash your hands! – And wash your kids’ hands too. Help your child scrub the palms, the backs of their hands and even under their fingernails. Alcohol gels, like Purell, are also effective – they kill germs by dehydrating them. Be careful using this on really little children but it is great for you!
- Hand washing is more important than the ever impossible task of trying to disinfect your home and environment.
And what happens when the germs win and your child comes down with something? Try to stay out of the line of fire. Very hard to do when all your baby wants from you is a close cuddle and that you are forever carrying dirty tissues. Best you go and wash your hands right this minute!