Germophobe

Having kids is like gambling with germ warfare on a continual basis. I can't count how many times they've turned up sick less than 24 hours after a visit to the mall play area. Hand sanitizers are part of my arsenal, always, and I think they do help - along with hand washing. And probably not licking the play equipment or eating tempting looking snacks found on the ground helps too. Because if there is a strep infection left lingering on a molded plastic tree, leave it to my kids to find it and invite it to take up temporary residence in their throats.

As a busy mom who doesn't have the time or inclination to deal with sick kids, and who definitely doesn't have time to catch their ickies and be down for the count herself, I have a few tips for keeping my kids healthy. Of course they don't always work, especially considering that they are out of my care several hours of the day and schools are breeding grounds for all kinds of yuck. But we do our best!

• Train the kids to wash their hands. This sounds totally obvious. But like I said, three of my kids are at school for several hours a day during the school year. And when mom is not around to nag remind them, those house rules you thought were ingrained in your children could very well fall by the wayside. I like to throw in some scare tactics and gross realities, and also remind them how much they hate to be sick and go to the doctor. 
• Train your kids not to stick their fingers in their mouths. This is a biggie. Every time they stick their fingers in their mouths, they are giving the germs free access to hop right in and make themselves comfortable. Again, I like to employ some scare tactics. Like, reminding them that some of the kids playing in the play area (or wherever we happen to be) might not have washed their hands last time they pooped. 
• Have hand sanitizer handy for times when we can't get to soap and water to wash our hands. Now, I am not a nut about this. But I do think we should all wash our hands before we eat, particularly in public places. I also try to remember to make my kids wash their hands as soon as they're done playing at indoor play areas, etc.
• Make sure your kids get plenty of sleep. Their immune systems are so much stronger if they're well rested!
• Make sure your kids have their regular check-ups. Lucy, for example, used to get sick at the drop of a hat. Turns out she has asthma, and with the low-dose steroids she now takes in the nebulizer every night before bed, she never gets sick. Seriously. No sick visits to the doctor since she started taking this medication in January. Which might be normal for some kids, but not for her! That way she's avoided needing any other medications and she's not spreading her illnesses to everyone else in the house anymore either!
• Make sure your kids have a decent diet and get plenty of exercise. Healthy bodies are stronger and more capable of fighting off sick germs.

My little disclaimer here is that actually, I'm not a germophobe. I just really hate to see my kids sick, and also dislike the inconvenience of everything grinding to a halt because someone isn't well in the household. What are your tips for keeps your kids healthy?