What can we do to help avoid colds and flu?  Good hygiene, regular exercise, a well-balanced diet, plenty of fluids and enough sleep can help keep us healthy this cold and flu season. 

Good handwashing is your first line of defense against diseases.  By washing your hands frequently, you can prevent spreading diseases such as the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as infectious diarrhea.  NAEYC requires that we follow proper procedures during handwashing, and we recommend it for everyone!  According to NAEYC, proper hand-washing procedure includes using soap and running water and rubbing vigorously for 10 seconds.  Remember to wash the back of hands, wrists, between fingers, under and around any jewelry, and under fingernails.  Rinse well; drying hands with a paper towel, or a single-use towel.

Here are three tips to help get your children to wash their hands:

1. Be a model and wash your hands often.
2. Place handwashing reminders at children's eye level by the sink.
3. Have your children sing their ABCs, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or the "Happy Birthday" song as they wash their hands.

Proper handwashing doesn't take much time or effort, but it offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness.  Please help your child  adopt this simple habit as a way to help protect their health.  At the Children’s School this year, we added handwashing to the children’s routine when entering the classroom, in addition to the toileting and snack routines.