Sending your child to daycare for the first time can be a nerve-wracking
experience. As you prepare your little one for this new chapter, you should
brace yourself for the inevitable bouts of sickness and the high likelihood
that those germs will find their way to you.

While at daycare, kids spend the day interacting closely and sharing toys,
all while practicing less-than-optimal hygiene habits. And some children may
not have developed immunities to many of the illnesses they’ll encounter
yet. This makes group childcare settings a

perfect breeding grounds for infections.

Bringing germs home

A study by

University of Utah researchers

found that the more children there are in a household, the more likely it is
that someone in the house will be infected with a respiratory virus. This
may hold especially true if your child is exposed to many other kids at
daycare on a daily basis.

But respiratory illnesses aren’t the only

diseases that are common

at daycare centers. Infections that make children vomit and/or give them
diarrhea are also typical. So are bug infections such as head lice and
scabies;

hand, foot and mouth disease; and pinkeye.

That may make you want to keep your child at home until adulthood or send
them to daycare in a Haz-Mat suit, but don’t worry — there is a silver
lining! A

study published in 2010

found that being exposed to an infection seems to help young children
develop an immunity, reducing their chance of catching it again even a few
years later.

Keeping your kids healthy

The most important thing you can do to keep your children healthy is make
sure they have all the

vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention

(CDC). And once your children are six months old, make sure they get

annual flu shots.

Teaching your kids to practice good hygiene is also an effective way to
avoid spreading germs. While this may seem like a lost cause,

research

has shown that children as young as four are capable of learning how germs
are spread and using that knowledge to keep themselves healthy.

Protecting yourself from sickness

Practicing good hygiene yourself — especially washing your hands — will help

keep you from getting sick

when your child is not feeling well. You should also try to avoid touching
your face; wash your face nightly; and resist the urge to clean your child’s
toys until your child is healthy again. Eating a nutritious diet, getting
enough sleep, and exercising regularly are also key to keeping your own
immune system strong.

To prevent your child from infecting others, don’t let them share anything
with anyone else in the house, especially food and utensils. You should also
try to wash their towels daily and disinfect any surfaces they touch, such
as toilet handles, faucets, and doorknobs.

The reality

When it comes to germs, what happens in daycare doesn’t stay in daycare.
It’s very common for children in childcare settings to get sick and then
infect other people in their homes. Fortunately, there are some things you
can do to minimize the risk for yourself, your kids, and other family
members.