When you are looking for a day care for your toddler, you’re likely thinking about the curriculum and teaching practices. Then, your child’s health comes to mind. After all, day care centers are sites of so many germs. So, how can you prevent your toddler from always getting sick if they attend a day care program? Crème de la Crème put together this list of simple daily actions you can take to help boost your toddler’s immune system when they are attending day care.

Practice Hand Hygiene

Child and mom washing hands in the kitchen sink.
Image by CDC is licensed with Unsplash License

The best way to prevent illness is to banish germs as much as possible. That starts with healthy hand hygiene. As soon as your kiddo is old enough to understand, start teaching them best hand hygiene practices. This includes regularly washing their hands and sneezing and coughing into their elbows.

Even before your child can do these actions themselves, help out by washing their hands several times a day. You can do this at home, and the day care provider can do it when you’re not around. When you’re out and about without an available sink, alcohol-based hand sanitizer can fill in.

Provide a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is key to a healthy kid. Healthy means serving up lots of fruits and veggies — some good rules of thumb include serving five servings of fruits and vegetables each day and making sure fruits and vegetables take up half of the plate at every meal. Other components of healthy diets include lean protein, whole grains, dairy (or other sources of calcium), and healthy fats (think: vegetable oils).

Foods to try to avoid on the regular? Processed foods, foods with unhealthy fats like saturated fats, and foods with added sugar. However, you don’t have to write off ice cream and cookies entirely. A tasty treat can go a long way sometimes, but just make sure your toddler isn’t eating them every single day.

As for supplements claiming to boost immune systems, there is mixed evidence about whether they make a real difference. Nothing will replace a healthy diet. If your child simply refuses to eat certain foods or is limited in what they can eat, you should discuss whether certain vitamins or supplements are a good idea with your pediatrician.

Encourage Activity — and Also Sleep

Along with a healthy diet, exercise helps keep the body healthy and makes it less likely that we’ll get sick. When it comes to kids, getting active doesn’t have to mean going to the gym or playing sports. Going for a walk or playing at the playground is enough. Build in some family time enjoying the outdoors together to keep the whole family active, and look for a toddler care program that encourages both outdoor play and indoor movement so you know your child is staying active when they’re not at home.

On the flip side, making sure your child gets enough sleep is also essential to boosting their immune system. Everyone, no matter how old they are, needs to sleep in order to recharge and refresh the body. You can encourage healthy sleep by sticking to a regular daily schedule and by limiting screens and keeping those devices out of the bedroom. The right balance of daily activity and nightly rest can ensure your child’s body is ready to fight off the germs they encounter.

Help Manage Stress

Even young children experience stress, and stress makes people more likely to get sick and less healthy overall. So, help to manage your toddler’s stress levels by making sure they have some downtime to play. Create access to people and activities that make them happy. Spending time together as a family can really help manage your child’s stress. In addition to fun time together, you should also give your kids the opportunity to chat about anything that’s worrying them. Having that open door to communication from a young age can help your child feel safe, secure, and less stressed.

Keep Your Child Up to Date on Vaccines

Immunizations help protect against all kinds of illnesses. Speak with your doctor to make sure your child is up to date on all their recommended immunizations. Vaccinations work with your toddler’s immune system so it can recognize bacteria and viruses — and stay ready to fight them off. Make time to talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns. A doctor you trust can answer your questions and help you understand how vaccinations work and why they’re important for your kid. 

Measures We Take at Crème de la Crème To Help Prevent the Spread of Illness

Here at Crème de la Crème, we take many measures to help prevent the spread of illness. We know how important it is to have a safe day care center for toddlers. Each of our schools have a dedicated cleaning crew to make sure the facilities stay sanitized and hygienic. Our on-site cleaning service means our teachers can stay focused on the kids while we still maintain top cleaning practices.

Throughout the day, our teams clean and tidy the rooms. After every school day, we use a three-step sanitizing process on changing tables and throughout our classrooms to better get rid of bacteria and other germs. Additionally, our team members are CPR-certified and first aid-certified. Crème de la Crème has also partnered with National Jewish Health to maintain best practices in sanitation and health. Our partnership ensures our safety and sanitation protocols stay on the cutting edge.

There you have it, Crème de la Crème just gave you tips for boosting your toddler’s immune system for day care. Of course, how a childcare center tackles hygiene and sanitation is just as important as what you do at home when it comes to your child’s health. Safety and health are top priorities at Crème de la Crème. From building active play and nutritious food into our day-to-day schedule to maintaining strict cleanliness protocols in our classrooms, we help keep your child safe and learning. Contact us today to learn more about the toddler care program in your area.