Sick Care Tips

Implementing a healthy diet will keep your child's immune system running at peak performance. Foods that are packed full of vitamins and minerals from fruit, vegetable, and nut protein sources promote the body's ability to fight of illnesses from the point of exposure. These foods as well aid the body in fighting off illnesses that have already taken hold of your little one. Keeping a steady diet rich in Vitamins A, B6, C, D and E, and minerals iron, zinc, selenium, and copper will keep your child's immune system in proper fighting form.

Junk foods that have no nutritional value and are high in fats, sugars, and salts can work against your child's immune system's ability to keep them healthy and well. Limit these foods to special occasions and as rare rewards to promote your child's ability to miss fewer days.

Routine daily habits of the entire family unit such as nightly bathing, brushing of the teeth, combing of the hair, and usage of clean unsoiled clothing all help to promote wellness by riding the family of the daily contaminants each family member is exposed to throughout their individual daily work and school routines. Weekly routine habits such as the laundering of the weeks clothing, bedding, and other linens are crucial as well.

Most illnesses are contracted by exposure to people that are ill or surfaces that have been contaminated. This includes clothing that comes in contact with sick individuals and contaminated surfaces. Riding yourself of these contaminants before sitting in common areas of your home such as couches, dinner tables, and even beds can prevent the transfer of outside contaminants to the other members of your home. The result, less work missed by parents due to sick children.

Once your child has become ill, proper sick care can lead to a speedy recovery and prevent other members of the home from becoming ill. Proper nutrition, hydration, and hygiene during bouts of illness are crucial to shortening the duration of the illness and get your little one back on their feet. Vitamin C rich foods and liquids that are absent of high sugar content can boost their immune response to illness and stave off dehydration that can exacerbate symptoms and cause other health complications.

Be sure to isolate sick children from the remainder of the family. It can be tempting to cuddle with your little one in efforts to comfort them, but too close of contact and parents can become ill and spread the illness to other children and family members within the home. This can prolong the length of absence of parents from work and children from care.

Families should always have a reliable back up care plan for children that become ill. Children that have become ill are not permitted to attend care per childcare licensing. Licensed providers are prohibited from providing sick care to families as it directly causes additional exposure to others that attend care facilities.

With illnesses that are highly communicable and have high transmission rates, additional exposure due to providing sick care can contribute to outbreaks of illnesses and can place children, families, and staff members with serious health conditions in a great deal of danger. Outbreaks of illnesses within facilities can as well cause facilities to be shutdown for extended periods of time until all children, families, and staff are well.

Proper sick aftercare can prevent reinfection or infection of other family members within the home. Irradication of illness causing bacteria from all contact surfaces in common areas of the home such as living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, hallway walls, doors, and doorknobs should take place at the onset of illness for any family member.

All toys should be cleaned, sanitized, and stored away until the home is free and clear of any invading virus. Upholstered furniture should be sprayed with a bacteria killing agent that is furniture safe, and vehicle car seats, and vehicle doors should be cleaned and sanitized. All bedding, linens, and stuffed animals used by the ill person for comfort should be immediately laundered and dried on the highest setting upon recovery.