We have been in school exactly one week around here.  And only one of my daughters is back.  My two preschoolers start this coming week.  And, especially with my youngest who has not really been exposed to a bunch of kids all at once, I worry about the typical school year illnesses that come from sharing germs.

Short of wrapping my kids in plastic – I thought about it, trust me! – there is little I can really do about kids who sneeze and then don’t wash their hands, kids who cough on my kids and the germ filled playgrounds they play on.  But I can do a few things to help my kids ward off some of them!

1.  I can teach them to sneeze and cough into their elbow as opposed to their hands.  I don’t know many kids who dig into the crayon bin with their elbows so I think this is a good way to help keep my kids from spreading anything to others.

2.  I can teach my kids to wash their hands!  Seems like a common sense type of process, right?  But when I say wash their hands, I don’t mean run them under water and then wipe them on their pants.  I mean get the soap, lather up, rinse and then use a towel or dryer to dry them.  Kids are in a hurry most of the time, at least mine are, so teaching this entire process can be tough! I try to tell them to imagine little germ men on their hands and they have to get them all off! I hear them in the bathroom ‘fighting’ the men so it must be sinking in!

3.  I can teach them to help other kids get a tissue or a towel if they need one.  Kids helping kids is one of the best ways, I think, for kids to learn important things.  When one of them sees a friend who needs to sneeze, handing them a tissue is just nice.  And it might help keep my child form getting hit with the sneeze bugs!

4.  I use NEW PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer!  The new Advanced formula offers enhanced germ killing power while still being soft and gentle on the hands.  Whether I tether it to their backpacks or donate some bottles to the classroom, I know PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer can help keep my kids hands clean between washing and can keep even more germs at bay!  I buy mine at my local retailer and have a supply ‘on hand’ at home and in the car too!  Right now get VALUABLE COUPONS to help save on PURELL® Hand Sanitizer!

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5.  I am honest about when my kids are really sick!  I know my kids and I know if they are starting to come down with something.  So I make an effort not to send them to school if they are getting sick.  It’s just a common courtesy to keep your kids home if they are.  I know not everyone can do that, but I try to be as courteous as I can to the mom whose child gets my child’s cold because I sent her to school with a fever.

What are some tips you have for keeping your kids healthy and germ free during Back to School?  I am all ears as I would rather hear about the great things my kids learned at school rather than the Doctor telling me how many days she has to miss!

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**I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and PURELL® Hand Sanitizer blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here. All writings and opinions are my own.  Please see my Disclosure Statement for more information.**