Back to School

Alright so school is starting back up…parents are cheering and so are the germs!! It the time of strep throat, stomach viruses, and head lice oh my!

Best thing for this time of the year is HAND WASHING!!!! I know that you can’t monitor them while as school but hand washing should be the first thing that happens when the kids get home! Before they raid the fridge…before they start drinking out of your cold drink…before they grab little sis/bro to play! Proper handwashing isn’t just a rinse under the water or a quick 3 second soaping…but making sure the soap gets under nails, between fingers, and up to the wrists. 20 seconds is the minimum time for hand washing…I usually just sing “Happy Birthday” to myself twice for good measure!

Now a lot of people think hand sanitizer does the same job as hand washing and… they are WRONG! Is it a good alternative during the day when you need something quick? Yes; however, after the 3 ^rd time of using hand sanitizer in a row it has ZERO effect on germs!!!!

Ok so I know I mentioned head lice and your right, hand washing is not going to get rid of head lice or prevent them, but just be cautious. No sharing hair brushes! No jackets or backpacks touching or on the same hooks at school! No laying head to head during nap time at pre-school/daycare! No sharing napping mats! And you know sometimes there is just no avoiding the head lice. I got it when I was 5 or 6 years old and I don’t think my mom could tell you how it happened. So just know it’s out there and be prepared for it. Have a box of Rit on hand at the house. Watch for excessive scratching and itching of the head. And when you have a family member with head lice just treat the whole family, everyone’s current linens get bagged for a week then washed, and everyone gets a new hair brush! And I don’t want you to think that this makes you unhygienic if your family gets head lice…they actually thrives better in cleaner hair! Crazy right?!

But if any of these issues plague your family this school year just head on down to 45 Urgent Care to see me and we will take great care of you!!