DS Began DAYCARE, and All of Us Are Suffering COLDS

Airborne

I homeschool two, one is on public school and every fall I start all of them on Airborne for about a month. Then whenver anyone starts getting sniffles we pull it out again.

Lots of fresh fruit, oranges and grapefruit,
Foods high in vitamin C, folic acid and B vitamins, spinach salads

When I started working at a daycare, I was sick every month for a year. The nice part of it is, after so many years of being exposed to every families germs, I rarely get sick.

My favorite ways to stay healthy:
Eat good food. The more whole, fresh foods, the closer to the ground (less-processed), the better. When you feel run down or on the cusp of a cold, add in some garlic to your food if you can. (or if you don't like the taste, garlic capsules...)

Lots of water. Regular bedtimes. Limit caffeine and sugar. Sugar feeds viruses and bacteria, so if you are feeling run down, cut the sugar and caffeine immediately.

Handwashing, and NOT with antibacterial soap. (Which usually contains triclosan, and can actually contribute to us getting sicker because it helps to create more disease-resistant bacteria). Regular soap and water and drying well is plenty. I've actually witnessed the fact that classrooms which used 'a squirt' of anti-bac instead of handwashing got much sicker than the classrooms which offered handwashing-only with regular soap. If your son's daycare uses antibacterial soap, it's time to get them some good information on why it's not the best thing in the world. (We only use it when there's no water available, and even then we follow-up with wiping it off our hands with baby wipes.)

Smart use of antibiotics are always a must.

My dad and husband swear by a 500 mg dose of vitamin c every 3-5 hours.
I like herbal tea. Do a little online research; some teas (like licorice) make a cold easier to deal with by opening up the sinuses.

My husband also uses a Neti pot for his allergies and they're highly recommended as a way to keep the sinuses moist and doing their business: fighting off the bugs.

Lastly, I've learned that a healthy immune system is one that does get sick from time to time. It's like a muscle-- if it doesn't get used regularly, then it won't work as well for you when you need it.
Good luck!

It's just part of it when your child starts any kind of group care. If you don't go through it now, you will in preschool or kindergarten. Expect your little one to get a cold a month and a few other viruses for the first year... all of which you may or may not get too.

Handwashing, vitamin C and B and garlic have been my best defense. I rarely get a cold now, but when I feel one coming on I load up on 2,000 mg of Vitamin C in the morning and before bed and that usually kicks it out before it even starts. If I get something that it a little more resistant I drink garlic tea or crush a couple cloves of garlic in chicken soup. Drink lots of water and get extra rest.

As far as hand washing, good ole soap is best. I'm not a germafobe, but I am really conscious of washing my hands regularly and then other times like when we return from the park or the grocery store... anyplace where lots of people have been touching lots of surfaces. And of course always having your child do the same as well as washing before eating. My kids wash their hands as soon as they return from school.

OH! Ha - yes - hubby thought he had a great immune system until Kiddo started daycare. (Having heard the stories from my schoolteacher friends - I was under no such delusion.) I think kid-germs are stronger than adult-germs, otherwise, why was I sick for a good 8 months when he started in preschool....?

Get as much sleep as possible, bathe that kid as SOON as you get home, put the clothes straight in the laundry. Vitamins & fresh fruits/veggies all round.

The good news is, now that Kiddo is in kindergarten, the "plague" seems to have lost its strength. We only get sick when we encounter "new" groups of kids now (ie. playplaces, family birthdays)

I believe you can get a healthy immune system by eating right and exercising. We don't use multivitamins or any other stuff from the pharmacy or health food store. It's simply a diet of lots and lots of greens, some fish, some milk products, no meat.

I'm reading a very interesting book right now called "Super Immunity" by Dr. Joel Furhman. I'm not going exactly by his recommendations, but the diet he suggests is fairly similar to what we eat anyway. We have been very successful in keeping away illnesses like the flu and the common cold, even though the boys go to school, we travel several times a year and we use public transportation.

I'm a firm believer that good healthy food makes a huge difference.

I know it is frustrating. When my first child started daycare we all contracted the stomach flu - for 2 days........then it seemed like every other week one of us had a sinus infection. I got some great advice from a couple of my coworkers:
"Being in daycare for the first year is awful for the child and family as they are always sick, the second year is still rough but gets better...By the 3rd year your immunity has been built up........it will get better."

My son is now 5 and occassionally gets sick but nothing like those first couple of years!!!!!!!!!!!!

best of luck and health!

It's just a rite of passage that we all have to go through when the kiddos start daycare. My daughter started daycare three weeks ago- we've had strep throat and a cold already. Hopefully, we'll get some reprieve as the weather warms. Sorry, wish I had better advice. :(

My family has been battling daycare sickness for a year now, and it seems to have become out of control in the last three months. We all take daily multi vitamins, wash our hands, get plenty of sleep...it seems like there's nothing that will stop the germs from getting to us!! I wish I had some advice for you, but really...just wash your hands, ALL of you, like crazy.

We have strengthened our immune systems, and no one has been sick in almost 5 years. No allergies either. No flu, no colds, no nothing - and I'm a teacher and exposed to kids a lot. There's a right way and a wrong way to do it, but there's no way you can get all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and more from your food, even if you eat local/organic. The American Medical Association even said this 10 years ago in a study published in JAMA. Most multi-vitamins don't work, and neither do single-nutrient supplements (like just Vitamin C or any other single item that people will recommend and that health food stores make a fortune on). If you want info on how pills are not digested and absorbed, I can send you some info from the Physicians Desk Reference. There is a way to boost immunity, but most of what you will find in the vitamin aisle isn't the answer. Don't waste your money if the science isn't there, there are no patents, there are warning labels, and so on.

It sounds like a rite of passage. Your son has been introduced to new strains of germs that are not family familiar. Hence you all are building up your immunity systems. In another three or four months you should all be well.

I used to visit a person in the hospital and come home and be sick for a week. I now go to a hospital monthly with hubby and have not been sick. I also work at a university with many young adult students and have not gotten sick.

Sorry it works this way but you will be better. Just remember to use good old soap and water for hand washing.

The other S.

All the colds and viruse are part of the game and the first introduction to daycare or school. I agree with the other moms, it's now or later so hang in there. I agree with Julie, wash your hands ALL the time. Your little person's, too. teach him that NOTHING goes in the mouth without washing his hands.

Another trick, which I found out by accident and it is particularly good if you have more than one, make sure everyone has their own toothpaste. My guys always wanted different flavors. The first winter I gave in, we had 1/2 the colds that year. I hope that is what made the difference and it works for us!

To boost immune system take vitamin A's, Zinc and probiotics.

Good luck and God Bless!

Allergy medicine.
Nasal wash at night and before you go out. It washes out any allergens that snuck in.
Vitamin C - vitamin or drink form. I give him Emergenc-C instead of Gatorade.
Keep everyone from sticking their fingers into any of the holes in your head. If you have to rub your eyes, use a tissue. Use santizer before eating anything, no fingers in your mouth ever - you know, all the usual pre-germaphob routine.

Your immune system is linked to your digestive system, mainly your colon. Keep everything clean by eating cleansing foods like tart juices and stay away from sugars.