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Nathalie Thibault's bachelor's degree in Microbiology and master's degree in Immunology make her a germ and immune system specialist. Since the birth of her two daughters, she has been particularly interested in the infections which affect children who attend daycare. She is a teacher, speaker, and author. The specialized documents and courses she conceives help those involved in early childhood outsmart germs. She writes for a magazine called La Culbute and the mamanpourlavie.com website.

I love what I do, but children make me sick!

Working with children is very demanding. They have a lot of energy and personality. What's more, caregivers must invest themselves at personal and emotional levels. As if that wasn't enough, they work with little packages of germs! Several times a year, they develop infections because of their work. Some seem totally immunized against infections while others will suffer from all the infections which go by.

This has nothing to do with magic! How would you like to be sick less often?

In daycares, the more you work with young children wearing diapers, the more you will be in contact with different types of infections. Younger children must accumulate a certain immunity baggage. You will have to be more vigilant.

Next, we each have our own defense potential against germs which, in part, comes from our genes. On the other hand, this defense potential constantly varies according to life stages, personal difficulties, temperament, activities, and the places you go. It has been proven that we are more vulnerable to infections when we are dealing with stress, tired, eating poorly, smoking, etc. The more conditions you reunite, the more your defense potential is reduced.

Your immune system seems weak against germ attacks but the situations you are faced with cannot be changed (stress, fatigue, work, etc.)? Adopting actions to avoid the intrusion of germs is a good alternative. A cold virus on your hands will not cause a cold until you carry it to your nose! Therefore, making an effort to reduce bad habits and develop good "anti-infectious" habits is another great way to protect yourself.

Bad habits which expose you to germs the most:

Biting your nails or very long nails.
Rubbing your eyes or playing with your eyeglasses.
Touching or rubbing your nose even if it's just for a second.
Touching your face with your hands forvarious reasons (some people tend to touch their face when they are listening to others, watch closely!)
Giving children lots of kisses (Sorry! Hugs are better!).
Letting children touch your face.

Good "anti-infectious" habits in daycares can be listed in 10 commandments:

Often, your hands you will wash, and for at least 15 seconds you will rub.
Your face, you will not touch.
In the crook of your elbow, you will sneeze.
At home you will stay when you are sick.
From stress and fatigue, far away you will stay thus you will reinforce your immune system.
Around you, you will talk about germs.
The importance of an infection, you will never minimize.
Activities related to hygiene, you will include in your educational planning.
The importance of your role in the prevention of infections in the daycare, you will consider.
The collaboration of parents, you will request.

The rule which you must keep in mind to keep your immune system (your general state of health) strong is to avoid, as much as possible, all contact with germs to protect yourself. The continuous exposure to germs you face in your daycare justifies the measures you must take to ensure your protection. It is very difficult to educate children when your nose, sinuses, stomach, intestines, or body as a whole are busy defending themselves from an intruder and constantly reminding you of that!

Message for those who think germs cannot affect them:
You are part of a category of people who develop little or no infections at work and most people envy you. However, it is possible that you have asymptomatic infections or that you are a healthy carrier. This means that you produce germs without developing symptoms. You may be a source of germs for those around you...think about it!

Nathalie Thibault

Products and services offered by Germaction: Distance learning courses for caregivers, courses in classroom settings, conferences, animated workshops, ISO-BOBOS program, etc.

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