We do Not have Swine Flu!

Swine Flu!
Nobody has had it yet (at First Discoveries anyway!) but EVERYBODY is talking about it.
I'm not one to worry about dirty floors or smudges on my windows - check out my dirty entryway for proof of that...BUT I have always been very particular about washing hands and having good hygiene. The children are always taught to wash hands after using the bathroom, before eating, and after coming in from outside. If they don't wash long enough or they don't use soap I send them back for a second try. If they cough or sneeze I teach them to use their arm, cover their mouth completely, and wash their hands afterwards. Also every single time they put their mouths in their hands or eyes I have them wash their hands. I'm VERY picky about this. Avni, wasn't it Tanmay that covered his cough in his sleep when he was little?? He was so used to covering his mouth here that he even did it in his sleep! Haha ! We practice this and talk about it A LOT. We wash hands A LOT.
We will be using hand sanitizer on every child BEFORE they enter First Discoveries in the morning and you are welcome and encouraged to use it again when you leave First Discoveries in the evening. We have done this in the past all of fall/winter and I do believe it helps keep the "home germs" at home and the "school germs" at school. We also make sure our school agers wash their hands immediately when they get here.

Also this year we are going to be even more strict on our sick policies. In the past we have allowed slight runny noses and coughs, as this is a really common thing children often have during the winter in Minnesota. Unfortunately this consistently spread sickness because it's hard to judge what is "slight" and what is not. Now with the worry of the swine flu we aren't going to allow ANY sickness. Children must be 100% healthy to attend First Discoveries. I truly think this will benefit every family and every child. I believe all but one of our families have at least one parent working at Mayo so if your children are sick you can easily bring them to sick care . You may want to call grandparents, friends, etc. that would be able to care for your child if they are sick just to have a back-up plan. If our daughter is sick she will not be on the childcare level and will not be allowed to touch anything your children would be using during the day until she is 100% healthy.
Also if your children are using shopping carts, restaurant high chairs/booster seats, playing in other play groups or play area's such as the mall playground or pipsqueaks please wash their hands immediately when they are finished. Those seem to be the types of things that consistently make Elia sick ...so much so that we completely stopped using shopping carts and bring our own high chair to restaurants. Overboard? maybe! But it does seem to help with her catching sicknesses.
Our sick policy is really for the benefit of your children, our child, and ourselves! Let me know if you have any questions or any other suggestions to create a healthier environment for your children this winter.

**photo taken at the Minneapolis May Day Parade