Returning to School With Muse Health

by North Start HQ September 1, 2021

Germs are everywhere, and that is a part of life we have to accept. There are many ways to keep germs away from you, but just as many places to come in contact with them. During the return to school this year, you will need to be extra vigilant to keep your kids and household safe.

Schools are places where germs are prevalent in abundance. Kids from all over town bring different germs from different homes. Different levels of hygiene differ from student to student. Thus, having hand sanitizer ready to go is a great way to protect yourself from germs new and old.

Hand sanitizer is one of the easiest ways to keep yourself clean due to its convenient and easily transportable bottles. If you have to touch a new surface, you can quickly grab your sanitizer and get rid of the germs before they become a problem.

Everyone knows to stock up on pencils, folders, and notebooks, but make sure to pack multiple bottles of hand sanitizer for your kids desk, locker and backpack. Here are some tips on how to keep your kids germ-free and safe while at school.

How To Stay Safe in School

As kids are returning to school, there are certain things you will want to discuss with them. Let your child know these are practices they will need to keep up. This is to help themselves and others stay safe while they are at school

Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom.
Sanitize after touching any surfaces someone else may have touched
Take your own tissues, so you don't have to touch a shared tissue box or move around the room every time you need to blow your nose
Sanitize or wash your hands after blowing your nose
If you need to sneeze, cover your mouth with your arm/interior elbow
Let your parent and teachers know if you are feeling under the weather
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth
Wash your hands before and after eating
Sanitize after recess
Keep your distance from other people
Take your own water bottle, so you aren't using the drinking fountains

Why You Need Sanitizer

Schools are a melting pot of different people, backgrounds and ideas. All of those different walks of life bring germs with them. No matter how much you may try, you won’t always be able to wash your hands in every situation. However, carrying around Muse Health hand sanitizer means you will always have access to a mobile cleaning solution in order to stay safe.

You may want to encourage your child to sanitize as germs can travel fast and affect:

Ederly loved ones at home
Athletics schedules and the students ability to participate in sports and extracurricular activities
Parents work schedules and safety, should they be exposed to pathogens from school

Those are not the end-all, be-all for when to use your hand sanitizer, but it is a good start to get you thinking about the times you should use it. As well as a good introduction to the necessary conversations you will have with your kids before they board the school buses again this fall.

High Germ Regions at School

At school, certain areas are going to be more prone to having germs. Unfortunately, you cannot avoid these places, so it is important that you cleanse your hands afterwards.

Here are some places that are more likely to be carrying germs.

Bathrooms: One of the most prevalent germ hubs in any public building, heavy foot traffic, with sink handles, door handles, hand driers and toilets as highly used hand-held areas
Locker rooms: People changing clothes, using lockers, sports teams coming in-and-out; creates a gateway for all sorts of bacteria. Make sure to sanitize both before and after using a school locker room
Cafeteria: People eat with their hands and share food so there is a much greater chance of germs being spread. Reinforce to your kids to clean their hands before and after visiting the cafeteria
Main Office: There tend to be a lot of people coming in and out of the front office, which increases the likelihood of pathogens spreading.

Here are some objects that are highly likely to carry germs.

Pencil sharpeners: Many kids need to sharpen their pencils, so lots of hands will touch them. If possible, bring your own pencil sharpener, so you don't have to use the same one as your classmates.
Gym equipment: By nature, you have to share gym equipment as the gym tends to be collaborative. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth while using the equipment, and sanitize when you are done.
Drinking fountains: It is best to bring your own water bottle so that you can avoid the drinking fountain as much as possible. If you need to refill your water bottle, wash your hands or sanitize with Muse Health after using the fountain.

Sharing Supplies

Some of the best learning in school occurs during collaborative activities. Thus it isn't always possible to avoid sharing school supplies. This is especially true in math or art, as students may need to work with physical manipulatives. The teacher may not have enough for every student to have their own set, so students will have to share.

If you need to share supplies with other kids, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth while using their school supplies. When you are done, sanitize your hands to kill any germs you may have acquired while using the manipulatives. As well as sanitize the devices you used, as best as you can, to try and avoid the spread of any germs on the device itself.

Where it is possible and practical, you should have as many of your own school supplies as possible. This will eliminate the need to share supplies with others and will cut down on the amount of time you need to roam around the room to get supplies.

Conclusion

Germs are a factor of life, but we can control their impact on us by staying active in our approach to stopping their spread. While at school, bring your Muse Health with you when you go to gym glass, the bathroom or to the main office. Make sure to regularly sanitize your hands in these situations especially when you are far from a sink to wash your hands in. Be sure to remind your children that the practices they maintain in school keeps both themselves safe, along with the rest of the family at home.

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