Can Hand Sanitizer Keep Kids Healthy in School?

It’s that time of year again when many parents are wondering how to keep their kids healthy in school. Far too many kids end up getting sick early on and often during the school year. Therefore, parents are looking at what sorts of habits can prevent this from happening. We look at handwashing as one of the most important measures, but many parents also rely on hand sanitizer to provide additional help. Knowing just how useful each of these measures is proves important in terms of helping our kids to stay healthy throughout the school year.

As you think about how to keep kids healthy in school, realize that it’s all about minimizing the germs that they take in. This means that they need to keep their hands away from the ports of entry—the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. Many teachers promote handwashing before meals, but the resources aren’t always available or handy. Therefore, in many classrooms, you will find hand-sanitizer dispensers since hand sanitizer is believed to get the job done in a pinch. Though it may not kill off as many germs or bacteria as actual soap and water will, it can certainly help; to be sure, it’s better than nothing.

Washing Hands Is Best But Sanitizer Is a Good Backup

Keeping kids healthy in school starts with other measures. If your child has a fever, is throwing up, or is exhibiting other symptoms that show he or she is truly sick, then you should keep them home. You want to teach your kids not to share utensils or food, and you should teach them to steer clear of germs whenever they can. Some germs, though, are inevitable, and this is where handwashing and hand sanitizer can come in handy. Don’t rely upon hand sanitizer alone, but when soap and water aren’t accessible, it will do just fine.

We want the very best for our children and want to keep our kids healthy in school throughout the year. Feeding them the right foods and otherwise supporting a healthy lifestyle helps tremendously. Teaching them to wash hands or at least to put on some hand sanitizer is another important step. Sanitizer may not wash away everything, but it’s an effective way to rid your child of many of the germs and toxins with which he or she comes into contact.

Training your kids in such habits will make for a healthy and happy school year for all!