Boogers, droolies, a-choo!!!

[Dreamalittledream]

Hi everyone! My first post. So, I'm a new daycare provider (5 months) and loving it! However, I do swear I have been sick with some sort of cold since October! I think I am becoming a germaphobe...armed with a rigorous toy washing, hand/face washing, dish sterilizing, kiddie sanitizer wipe wipe, thorough wipe down of every surface not moving schedule. I'm starting to twitch everytime I see a child mouth a toy, or show up with yet another cold/runny nose. Please tell me that Daycare providers develop some kind of super immunity and that next year will bring some relief?

[mom-in-alberta]

I feel your pain, for sure!! I did feel like I got sick more when I first started doing home daycare. In fact, statistically when a child starts daycare they get between 7 and 10 viruses the first year. That likely could apply to the provider and their children, too. It will likely get better, though.
Don't freak yourself out too much, though. As long as you are being clean in the general sense of the word, you can't do much more. Remember that we have immune systems for a reason, and going overboard with antiseptic, antibiotic and so on cleaners can actually be detrimental in the long run.
When it comes to kids mouthing toys, my personal choice is to teach them that it's not something we do anymore. I understand that it's a normal part of child development. But past around 12 months it's not necessary. I ask for parents help in ceasing this behaviour. I have a section in my handbook that discusses our mantra "ONLY FOOD GOES IN OUR MOUTH". It's just good hygiene when in a multichild care environment. Some kids do it more than others, but with a little persistence, you can begin breaking those habits.

[playfelt]

The good news is the longer you hang in there in this business the less sick you will get. Just as young kids need to build up their immunity you as the caregiver does too. Eventually you will have come in contact with and built up some level of fight against about every mutation the common cold can manage or it will seem like that. Not saying you won't ever get sick but it does tend to not last as long or drag you down quite so badly.

As far as the sanitizing goes a lot of it is only to make you feel like you are doing something constructive in the sense of no matter how often you wash something it is the kid to kid contact that is passing the germs. Germs on hard surfaces don't last near as long as they do on the kids. Again not saying don't wash but don't tire yourself out doing it because you can actually spend so much of your free time cleaning the germs that you become susceptible to everything because you are worn out. A good spray of the play area with lysol after hours can help a lot and gets the air in the room and surfaces you don't clean.

I too work on the no toys in the mouth from as young as I can. And discourage the hands in the mouth for the same reason.

[Skysue]

Most kids are the same when they start at daycare! LOL

I don't freak out every time I see a toy in a mouth they’re never going to build immunity if you’re cleaning everything constantly! I take a toy away if it becomes saturated etc…and just clean at the end of the day. For yourself just wash your hands as much as you can. That’s all you can do until your immunity gets built up!

[Spixie33]

It will get better.
And the good news is that by spring/summer those runny noses will finally go away and you will forget all about them until approx Sept.

My first year I got sick and sore throats a lot. This year the kids around me are sick with various issues and my kids are sometimes sick but I seem to be skirting by.

I try to drink some OJ if I notice any hint of sniffles on myself and make sure I try to get rest at night and so far (knock on wood) so good this winter.

I think as long as you vigorously wash hands and your hands then you will get pretty good by next fall :-)

[sunnydays]

I was getting sick a lot too as well as all the kids, but the past two months (knock on wood) have been really good since we stopped going to playgroups. I don't know if you are doing outings with the kids, but that could be contributing to it if so. I am not so germaphobic that I don't take them out at all, but the toys going from mouth to mouth at playgroup seemed to make us sick all the time. I wash my hands and the kids hands and wash toys, but I am not at all fanatical about it and I don't use harsh cleaners such as Lysol spray because they may kill germs, but they can cause more harm in the long run (think asthma, cancer, who knows what). As others have said, it does get better...don't wear yourself out...it isn't something you are doing wrong...kids just get sick...it's normal.

[Dreamalittledream]

Thanks for the advice everyone! The funny thing is that my previous job was in a drug store...one would think I'd developed immunities...on the positive side I get to see my co-workers there pretty frequently with all these colds. All of my littles are children of teachers (my husband is one too...awesome for vacay!)...so, we get to share germs from all the different schools too. We have 4 boys of our own (ages 2,6,12,16) so, I'm really not going too 'germaphobe' crazy...as you've all mentioned good for all of us o be developing these immunities.