5 Germ Tips from a Pre-School Teacher

5 Germ Tips from a Pre-school Teacher
Written by the Elf March 6th, 2020
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Oh, Pre-School

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a Doctor or a medical professional in any way shape or form. I’m just a teacher and a momma who wants to let in the good germs and avoid the bad germs. These germ tips should not be read in the place of medical advice.

I love early childhood. In fact, I love it so much that I made it my specialty and got a degree in education around it. The germs that come with it though, I loathe them. We go through 16 oz. of cleaner every two days and still, the germs are everywhere! There hasn’t been a single year that I haven’t had a student sneeze directly into my face or throw up on or near me.

Writing out sub plans for any classroom is difficult, but a pre-school classroom? Ugh! I just want to write on a post-it note, “Skillfully handle the chaos while loving on each student individually- and don’t let Tommy near the scissors!” But that’s not how it works.

So, in order to avoid writing sub plans and being sneezed on, more than is absolutely necessary, I’ve picked up a few basic germ tips over the years that I want to share with you.  

1) Dry is Not Your Friend.

Dry air and dry hands are germ pathways.

I used to be known for hand sanitizer. As in, I alwayssss had some with me at the school. Until a principal told me that my dry cracked hands weren’t doing me any favors in keeping out germs, and that too much sanitizer wasn’t great for my students either. Washing your hands with soap and warm water is always the better option. Sanitizer is an amazing thing, and I probably still overuse it but lotion is also your friend. You do not want to take the time to constantly wash your hands, only to have the germs literally get in through the cracks in your hands. Germs also like the dry, stale, indoor winter air. Having a humidifier running can make a big difference on the indoor environment.

How do I get my kids to wash their hands and use lotion? I switch out soaps. Sometimes it’s a fun container, or foamy soap, or getting a different color that keeps them interested in using it. The lotion is a little tougher, but I try to make it fun. If that doesn’t work though, I’m also absolutely not above bribery when it comes to getting hands washed the right way. An extra 5 minutes of play time is worth it.

2) If You Just Can’t Keep Your Hands Away- Wash It!  

How many things do we touch dozens of times a day? Our glasses, phones, faces, door handles, light switches, the steering wheel, purses? I touch my glasses a hundred times a day. Especially after bending down to do something, like tie a wet shoe lace on a dry, sunny day *shudder*. But I never thought to wash them! And while our phone cases are built to be able to withstand being run over by a car, rubbing them down with strong cleaning chemicals every day degrades the plastic. You can still clean them, just don’t let the chemical cleaners air dry on them. Now I use a baby wipe on my phone multiple times a day, and intentionally wear my glasses into the shower to gently soap them up and rinse them off. (Best glasses care process, no. But it works)

I wipe down my kids devices more than I do my own. During sick seasons I also wash their water bottles nightly instead of letting them use the same one for a couple of days. In the classroom I have my kids wipe off the edges of the desk and their devices with a baby wipe before they switch with someone. The things my kids touch the most often are the ones I focus on cleaning the most. Like the edges of their chairs, tables and my fridge and pantry door.

3) Mr. Golden Sun, the Song was Right.  

It’s tempting to hide away entirely right now. We want to avoid the looming threat of COVID-19, flu season, and these crazy spring allergens. But the sunlight is SO good for us. Not only does it help us with that imperative vitamin D, but being outside can also lift your spirits. Going on a walk is something we try to do together multiple times a week, but playing in the backyard for a few minutes can be awesome too.  

Playing outside also helps kids focus! It’s such a great activity for the whole family. Avoid the temptation to catch up on e-mails and engage with your kids while you’re together to maximize the benefits of that outside play time. “Mr. sun, sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!”

4) It’s not you, it’s me- I need to change

This one is easy for me. As soon as I realized that I was coming home every single day with some unidentifiable sticky substance on my shirt (is it snot, yogurt, or Susie’s slime from show and tell?) I knew I needed to change as soon as I got home. I prep another outfit and put it somewhere handy. And we keep shoes by the door.  

If my kids strip their shirts off as soon as they get into your house for a playdate, this is why. Sorry! We do this when flu season is raging in our area or when we get back from a dr.’s appointment usually. Now it’s a daily habit. I know it seems wasteful, but if my sticky shirt is any indication of the kind of day their clothes have had at school, it’s worth it.

5) Lettuce Remember that Food Matters.

However you can convince yourself to drink water- do it! Sometimes I have to get competitive with friends or make it sparkling, but I know I need it. Yes, we know we should want to eat the salads instead of the fried stuff, but an open salad bar is probably not your best bet during flu season. Fried stuff isn’t helpful either though. Which makes me just want to throw up my hands and say, “Ok chocolate, looks like you win for dinner tonight!”. But there are ways to generally eat healthier though that I know make a huge impact on my immune system. If you can, pack some healthy snacks and make a meal plan at the beginning of the week so you aren’t tempted to go out to eat more. The less you eat out, the less you’re exposed to and cooking at home tends to be healthier. I know that my immune system and wallet will thank me for planning ahead and sticking to it.  

Sure, our kids will still be sampling everything on our plates, but it’s better for all of us during flu season if it’s a chip from home instead of a fry. We don’t need to change their diets overnight either, but being more intentional about getting some healthy stuff in during this season could be really helpful.

Don’t Panic and Don’t Share!

Remember that kids pick up on our mood and what we discuss. Make sure to discuss this with them in calm ways. Encourage them with the facts that kids under 15 yrs. really aren’t experiencing much from this virus. Tell them what you’re doing to keep them extra safe.

I’m not saying we all need to panic- here’s what I am saying. When you get home- Treat yourself as a mom would if you were a toddler who just played on the bathroom floor of a pit stop. Taking those few minutes to get cleaned up every day could make a big difference. We want to be welcoming, but let’s leave the germs at the door (Literally). It’s worth the extra 5 minutes of our time.

It’s INCREDIBLY strange for me to saying “Don’t Share!”, I feel like “share please” is something I spend the entire day saying! But please don’t share your germs! I understand that we feel like we can’t miss work, school and events. If you leave your house when you’re sick, you could be infecting countless other people. I get that being sick is expensive, and staying home makes it more expensive. But you wouldn’t drive all the way to work on a flat tire or with no power steering. Those are expensive fixes too, life happens!! If in doubt, stay home! Your job is not more important than your co-workers health. Your job is not more important than your kid’s classmates health.  If you think you might be sharing germs, please don’t. Your choices here could really impact lives.

Now if you’ll excuse me, my toddler just put her shoes on her face. *sigh*

Tell us what you’re doing to keep the bad germs away!! & Check out the CDC guidelines here.

Sarah writes as the Elf and is the main blog moderator. She’s an adoption and education advocate, aspiring author and a huge fan of tea and chocolate.

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