Back to school means “back to germs,” right? Wrong! Or should I say, “not necessarily”?

 A couple weeks ago, I was struggling with “letting go” as my daughter, Elle, made her way into the big world of kindergarten. With that battle dealt with, I can now turn my attention to what so often accompanies a return to school … a return to germs.

Fighting germs when my kid is at school is very different from when she’s at home, because at least when she’s under my roof, I can insist that those little hands are washed, those sneezes are covered and any other drippy mucous membranes are dealt with swiftly. When she’s out of my care and surrounded by new friends and activities, I’m pretty sure that flu-fighting hygiene takes a back seat to the monkey bars. 

The good news is that germ fighting doesn’t have to be scary, even when you don’t have line of sight into what your kids are doing during the day. Here are some things we all can do to help our kids keep germs at bay, even when we are not around: 

Teach them how to wash their hands properly   

Hand washing is the first line of defense against germs. In my household, “Did you wash your hands yet?” may get uttered more frequently than “Time for bed!” “Time for dinner!” or even sometimes, “Hello.”  But washing hands is the best way to help prevent germ spreading, so we can all afford to be a little maniacal.

• Remind kids to wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song to herself/her pet/Elmo twice) …


• When counting to 20 “got old” with my kids, I tried calling out this refrain in different goofy voices: “Front! Back! Fingertips and thumbs, please!” as my kids washed their hands. Somehow calling out each part of their hand reminds them to make sure the soapy bubbles get to ALL parts, not just the palms. And since we say this phrase in a funny voice, I often hear my kids saying it to each other when I’m not around. By the time they suds up all those nooks and crannies, it’s often been 20 seconds.


• Remind kids not to touch their nose, mouth and eyes. Despite somehow being magnets for a kids’ own fingers (what is it with obsessive nose-picking?!), they are also attractive entry points for germs. I haven’t found a good tip for reminding my kids to keep fingers away from faces yet, so please share any ideas you have!

 Use hand sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available (or get forgotten)

• If you don’t think that your little charmer can be trusted to remember to wash her hands whole-heartedly (or at all), consider packing a portable bottle of hand sanitizer in her bag and ask her to squirt some on before lunch and snack. Attach it with a cool ribbon to her lunchbox to make it more likely to get used when you’re not there.


• If you’re paranoid like me, try this tip: When I pick Elle up, I give both our hands a little squirt of hand sanitizer before we leave school. She still has to wash her hands when she gets home, but sometimes a day away from her toys/room means she rushes back into the house, man-handling everything in sight before I can get her to the sink. The hand sanitizer is my little “insurance policy” against germs, and bridges me ‘til I can get her to a sink.

 Teach them the elbow cough

• Encourage your kids to cough into their elbows, not into their hands where they’re more likely to spread viruses through touch.


• Tip: If your kid needs some practice or a reminder, put a little sticker (or temporary tattoo if you want to make a big deal about it!) on his arm as a reminder to cough into the sticker, not his hand. Just make sure that sticker stays put and doesn’t get shown around to his friends in the classroom …

 Disinfect household "hot spots"

To prevent germ buildup at home, zap “hot spots” with a disinfecting wipe to kill germs that can make your family sick. Hot spots are frequently touched surfaces around your home ― such as phones, light switches, doorknobs, refrigerator or cupboard handles and sink faucets.    

• Tip: Help kill germs in the classroom, too! Consider donating a canister of wipes to your classroom where they can be used to disinfect the surfaces that our little monsters touch most frequently — such as desks, doorknobs and plastic toys. Just be sure to check with your school first to be sure they accept that donation.

 Build up that kid’s immune system (and yours!)

The worst thing about getting sick is not necessarily seeing your poor kid sniffling (though that’s definitely tough), it’s knowing that his illness has a pretty good chance of getting to you at some point. Yep, and once Mom is sick, we know the whole household shuts down. To build up your whole family’s immune systems, try to:

• Eat healthy and nutritious meals to keep everyone’s immune system running at its best.


• Get enough sleep. I know, I know, this is way harder than it sounds but if you can help your kids get enough sleep each night, it will go a long way to keeping them healthy.


• Get outside and exercise! If you need some encouragement, check out play2day.com for ways to get your kids outdoors and moving!

 Good luck, all those families heading back to school this year!

Q: What are you doing to keep those “back to school germs” at bay? Share your comment below and one commenter will be randomly selected to win a supply of cleaning products valued at $25.00.

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