Six Easy Ways to Protect Kids from Germs at School

November 13, 2019 5 min read

Dad helping son use the New Edition foaming Hand Sanitiser while sitting outsider on the deck

Germs are everywhere. Being surrounded by them is, unfortunately, an inescapable part of day-to-day living. Although our New Edition hand sanitiser spray kills 99% of germs and provides gentle protection for up to 24 hours, regular hand sanitising is just one aspect of personal hygiene that our kids need to learn.

As parents, we worry that our kids will come into contact with germs or bacteria in school. This happens every time they play with others, or whenever they’re in germy places in school such as playgrounds, bathrooms, and cafeterias. In fact, just shaking their classmates’ hands can get them sick! These germs are bound to then spread to the home, and to our vulnerable infants if we’re not careful.

Because germs are invisible to the naked eye, we know it’s not always easy to get kids on board the hygiene train, especially when they’re not at home. However, you can safeguard your kids from the negative effects of germs by providing them with appropriate care and protection—even when you’re not with them! Applying our New Edition NZ Sanitiser each morning as part of their morning routine will also help protect your kids during the day. Read on to find out how.

It’s never too early to start teaching 

Learning begins at home, so it’s our job to instil good hygiene habits as early as possible. Your young children depend on you to teach them, and their understanding of the dangers of germs can motivate them to engage in better sanitary practices.

However, we all know teaching our kids isn’t always easy or straightforward, so it’s important to take the time to engage with your children about hygiene in fun and loving ways. Try to make learning more fun with colourful flashcards or educational cartoons.

As your home’s resident germ expert, you can also lead by example with simple practices, e.g. thoroughly washing your hands. Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to inhibit the spread of germs within your home. Let your children see you properly wash your hands (they may need a stool to join you). Make a game out of who can scrub the longest. Brightly coloured antibacterial soaps might also help make handwashing more entertaining for your young ones.

Once these habits are part of their regular routine, they can take them to school, and share these habits with the other kids too! Once their hands are clean, then apply our New Edition NZ sanitiser for 24-hour protection!

Prep a healthy packed lunch 

Good health stems from having a good and strong immune system. Remember, your kid’s capacity to handle the harmful health effects of germs will rely on how strong their immune systems are. Since it’s impossible to shield them from every single pathogen they come in contact with, it’s more sensible to provide them with nutritious food that will help strengthen their bodies to fight off potential infiltrators.

Make sure they use a personal water bottle

Luckily, in New Zealand, we are blessed with good water, but that doesn’t mean your kids still can’t pick up the germs that can accumulate on a public water fountains, especially if they’re not regularly cleaned.

An easy way to minimise exposure is to equip them with their own water bottle. Remember: make sure they choose their own bottle, so that they love using it every day! Apart from being the most organic way to fight off germs that can bring on a cold or the flu, making sure they drink safe water gives you the peace of mind you need. Not only that, drinking water flushes out harmful toxins and viruses and keeps their bodies well-hydrated.

Remind them not to share drinks and food 

Apart from touching germ-infested things, the easiest way to pass down germs and viruses is through sharing food and drinks. Though there is nothing wrong with sharing food with friends, it’s best to take precaution by reminding them that their water bottles are for them only, or that they should take a bite from the same sandwich. As we teach our children how to be polite and share with others, we need to dial it back when our kids try to share their used sipping straws, drooled-up toys, or already-bitten snacks. It’s up to us to teach them that some things are best kept to ourselves. In this case, not sharing is caring!

The solution? Pack extra snacks just in case your kids want to share their meal with their best friends at kindy!

Fight off germs with probiotics

Another way to protect your kids from germs is to boost your kid’s stomach health, so you might consider probiotics. Probiotics in the form of supplements, food, or drinks, are good not just for children but for adults’ digestive systems as well. These good and helpful bacteria—such as Lactobacillus found in yogurt—keep your child’s gut healthy so they can fight off germs, bacteria or parasites that can cause diseases.

Keep their hands clean

A common yet not “practised enough” precaution is to keep your child’s hands clean. They won’t need to disinfect every minute of every day while they’re at school. However, it’s crucial to teach them how to wash their hands with soap and water properly, especially right before they eat, after they play outside, or whenever they’ve touched someone else’s hands.

If this sounds like it’s easier said than done, an easier solution would be attaching a keychain hand sanitiser to their school bags. Similar to water bottles, it’s also best if the packaging carries a character or design that they love! Children are less hygiene-conscious, and it can be a challenge to instil a practice of going to the washroom to wash hands regularly. Our New Edition Sanitisers will keep their hands protected from nasty bacteria for 24 hours, even in between regular hand washing!

Spritz the germs away!

The old saying “prevention is better than a cure” will always ring true, especially when it comes to prioritising your family’s overall safety and health. New Edition NZ carries a wonderful range of sanitisers designed to protect your child’s hands from germs and bacteria!

The New Edition Hand Sanitiser is free of harsh chemicals, alcohol-free, and provides 24 hours of gentle protection from one application. Our formula has proven results against a variety of pathogens, including H1N1, Norovirus, E. Coli, MSA and Salmonella. Plus, our sanitiser physically bonds to the skin’s surface, so it doesn’t wash off when kids wash their hands while at school. With the New Edition Hand Sanitiser, you can have peace of mind knowing they’re protected all day long.

 

When you buy hand sanitiser for the family, choose one that provides all-day germ protection for your kids even when you’re not with them!

View our sanitising products and shop online today!


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