Sue Thomes

Southwest Program Coordinator  

Cold and Flu Season is Coming!
With cold and flu season right around the corner, and the added worries about the spread of H1N1, it is important to employ a few tips for keeping germs at bay.

• Hand washing, with soap and warm water, for at least twenty seconds is the first important defense. (Use of alcohol rubs is permissible in places where water access is restricted.) Use of disposable towels is best practice. Use a disposable towel to turn off faucets and open restroom doors after cleaning hands, as well.
• Place tissue boxes in easily accessible places for children. Encourage them to dispose of immediately and wash their hands after every cough and sneeze. Teach them to sneeze/cough into elbows rather than hands if a tissue is not readily available.
• Use disposable food preparation gloves or tongs to prepare and serve snacks. Never touch other people's food with your bare hands. If passing a snack plate, teach children the protocol of self serve (only touch your item, don't cough or sneeze on food, don't lick serving spoons, or stick fingers in someone else's food). Consider small individual cups for items such as dipping sauces.
• Encourage children to label personal belongings and have a separate place for them to keep those items (individual hooks, cubbies, etc.) rather than lumping everything together in a pile.
• Remind parents that sick children should be given adequate time to recuperate before attending any group sessions.

• Put information about your group in the school newsletter that goes home with students.
• Set up a table at the orientation night at your local schools.
• Ask if you can be on the agenda for the Teacher Workshops before school opens to inform the classroom teachers about Circle of ParentsŪ Support that is available.
• Contact your local radio station to see if you can be included in their public service announcements.
• Have a Fall kickoff meeting with additional publicity - have a speaker.
• Since many of our groups meet in the late afternoon/early evening, consider how you might offer food and nutritious snacks. Perhaps group members would like to take turns bringing something and have a potluck once in a while. A few groups have started to offer ice cream at the end of each group for both parents and children. Ice cream is easy to keep, it doesn't spoil, and it provides a little social time at the end of the meeting.

Happy September!