I KEEP catching flu and bugs from the kids - any tips on staying healthy?

[hollieberrie]

I've in my 6th year of teaching (Primary) but i STILL don't seem to have developed any bloody immunity to every cough, cold and vomiting bug that goes around.

I am ill all the time, currently on my 4th bout of illness since Xmas. I love teaching but im seriously wondering if i need a new career because i just cant deal with being ill so often. Its ruining my life! (Well ok, bit over dramatic, but i end up cancelling a lot of weekend plans cos i feel poorly).And you know what its like, you cant really call in sick unless youre dying, so weekends i need to recharge.

I just thought by now i'd have developed some immunity. Any tips? Am i the only one?

Eat well, sleep well, and treat your hands like they are covered in plague germs.

I'm secondary so it's much easier to avoid bugs, but I never eat my lunch without first washing my hands. I try to avoid putting them near my face as well.

I'd second what noble said about the hands!
Wash them - as often as possible and definitely before you eat. Encourage the little ones to as well and teach them how to cough or sneeze into their elbows, not onto their hands.

You could do that germs lesson with them where you 'cough' glitter on your hands and then hold hands with some etc so they see how the 'germs' spread.

I tend to pick up every bug going as well but in January I started taking a quadruple dose of a garlic supplement (dead cheap in Aldi so I pop them like smarties). I don't know if it's the cause for me not being ill since, I've had the odd cold but nothing has developed like it would have before..

Probably a stupid question but does garlic supplement make you smell like garlic?

Hand washing

Yep, wash your hands as often as you can and try not to touch your face!

Thanks for all the replies - i do try to wash my hands often but prob only manage once or twice between start of the day and lunch - i will try to up this.

Garlic is worth a try too, thanks, i'd just be worried about burping a garlicky taste / smell! But ill give it a go.

The kids are pretty good, we have tissue boxs around the room, and they ususally cover mouths etc but maybe their handwashing has lapsed a bit - i'll do a fun refresher on it.

Gah i cant face this level of poorly-ness from now until retirement!

I am a frequent face toucher i think . Have always done it, will be hard to stop, but ill try...

Nasty for your skin, but use alcohol gels in between soap and hot water.

I wash my hands after every single lesson from nursery to year 2 (I teach everyone in the whole school and they are the slimiest bless 'em!) I always wash my hands before lunch and I use hand gel three or four times per day. Also try and keep your classroom nice and cold-lots of open windows!

No there is no smell or taste of garlic, they're a tablet like a paracetamol or something. They're specifically labeled as being odorless.

Yes washing hands. Also I find a Vit D supplement helps although that might be placebo :)