Thumb ****ing

[JoseyJo]

How much do you think that thumb ****ing contributes to spreading germs?

We have never had a thumb ****er before and recently enrolled a dcg who ****s hers all the time. It is her dominate hand so the thumb is constantly touching objects as she manipulates them, then going back in her mouth, then back to objects.

We try to sanitize as much as possible and always disinfect any object she puts in her mouth but since she started 5 weeks ago we have had almost constant sickness in the daycare. I know it is that time of year, but we have never had problems like this before (we usually only take 2 and up, this dcg is 18 mo). I have had 3 parents now come to me with concerns on why everyone is sick all the time, all of a sudden. It is just constant rounds of illness and I am trying to find out if there is anything I can do to combat it.

The children who seem to be getting sick the most are the other new (since august) 2 yo, this dcg, and dcg's brother. They start w/ an illness, then others come down with similar same symptoms within a few days. The 2yo has not been in daycare before and his brother is a kindergartener. 2yo's parents are very good about keeping him home when he has symptoms, dcg and brother's parents send them every time and I have to exclude as soon as they have enough symptoms.

I don't like playing the "blame game" but this is a 1000% increase in sickness from any other year we have done daycare. I NEED to figure out what is going on if possible.

[Lil'DinoEggs]

Germs are germs. I just posted recently that this has been my sickest year so far with hfm, stomach virus (just my family) and a wicked cold. I am probably cleaner this year just because I have several small children.

If you are have the time and patience , as soon as she puts her tuumb in her mouth say something like uh oh there are germs on your thumb now, lets go wash your hands. I do this for my finger ****ers and nose pickers and it seems to reduce it.

As for families act like your proactive. Print of extra how to sneeze and cough signs and hand washing signs so they are visible. If possible have parents wash their child's hands when they pick drop them off.

[pandamom]

I have a room of 14 two year olds. I am very diligent on hand washing and my room doesn't seem to get as sick as the other 2 year old rooms.

I've had a few children start out as thumb ****ers but they eventually stopped Just like lildinoeggs, if fingers/hands go in mouth,eyes, nose, pants, I say, "Oh, DCK, let's go wash our hands. When we put our hands/fingers in our *body part*, we spread germs and get sick." It may take a week or two of them washing their hands 30 times a day, but they eventually figure out that it's not worth ****ing their thumb because they have to leave the fun to wash their hands.

Children wash their hands after coming in from outside, immediately at drop off, before and after they eat, before and after water table, before and after arts and crafts, etc.

And sometimes you just can't do anything. Pretoddlers and toddlers will still cough and sneeze on each other and lick toys

[Cradle2crayons]

It's my firm believe that school germs are much worse than daycare germs. Even my pediatrician says adding school age kids to a daycare program can lead to extra illness. And she's right. His is the first year in a long time I've had a school age sibling and I've had much more ilness than I've ever had before. It doesn't help that this family of three kids all sleep with their mom and hey are very unsanitary kids.

But still, I think you are doing everything you can. I'd step up on her ones who are bringing sick. I do what others on here do now. If I have to send them home sick, they have to stay home for 72 hours. If they exclude on their own, then they stay out until 24 hours after symptoms leave.

That has stopped my not so great mom from sending sick kids. I did he 72 hour thing to her two weeks Ina. Row. And it stopped my illness issues here too.

[blandino]

This fall has been full of mild sickness for us. All started out with a cough, then a virus that had diarrhea/fever, now just a cough & cold - but it hasn't seemed to go away. We are just sort of permanently a little sick.

With the thumb ****ing, I definitely believe it spreads germs. To me it is like havering a young toddler who puts everything in their mouth. Once children are old enough to understand, I will just remind them "thumb out of mouth" while they are up and playing - and it will send them to wash their hands. Right now I have a 3.5 year old DCB who still ****s his thumb, it normally it is reserved for nap time.

[JoseyJo]

This morning I started having her wash her hands every time she put her thumb in her mouth (after germs are not for sharing book, talking about germs, reminding everyone that hands in mouth means washing hands) I washed her hands (she is nowhere close to being able to do it by herself), thumb right back in, over and over. A lot of the time her thumb is back in as soon as I let go of her hands to grab the paper towel.

If she would leave it in there I would be more okay with it, but if you leave her alone she has the thumb in and out of her mouth probably 5 times a minute.

[Cradle2crayons]

This morning I started having her wash her hands every time she put her thumb in her mouth (after germs are not for sharing book, talking about germs, reminding everyone that hands in mouth means washing hands) I washed her hands (she is nowhere close to being able to do it by herself), thumb right back in, over and over. A lot of the time her thumb is back in as soon as I let go of her hands to grab the paper towel.

If she would leave it in there I would be more okay with it, but if you leave her alone she has the thumb in and out of her mouth probably 5 times a minute.

Are the parent supportive with trying the thumb ****ing liquid you out on their thumb?? If so, maybe you could try that??

[JoseyJo]

Are the parent supportive with trying the thumb ****ing liquid you out on their thumb?? If so, maybe you could try that??

No- the parents are fine with her ****ing her thumb. I talked to them about it last week and they said they are not supportive of any type of "trying to get her to stop" that she will stop on her own when she is ready.

[Leigh]

No- the parents are fine with her ****ing her thumb. I talked to them about it last week and they said they are not supportive of any type of "trying to get her to stop" that she will stop on her own when she is ready.

Maybe you can use this for ideas?: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/featu...-thumb-****ing

[Cradle2crayons]

No- the parents are fine with her ****ing her thumb. I talked to them about it last week and they said they are not supportive of any type of "trying to get her to stop" that she will stop on her own when she is ready.

Tell mom they don't always stop. My daughter, despite all attempts, still ****s her thumb in her sleep. She quit during awake times when she was 8. She only did it in her bed after age 5.

But I've gone in there even as recently as a weeks go and she's been asleep with her thumb in her mouth. She'll be 11 in two months.

So no, they don't always stop when they are "ready". With my daughter, it wasn't an adjustment issue, it just became a habit she wasn't willing to break.

[JoseyJo]

Tell mom they don't always stop. My daughter, despite all attempts, still ****s her thumb in her sleep. She quit during awake times when she was 8. She only did it in her bed after age 5.

But I've gone in there even as recently as a weeks go and she's been asleep with her thumb in her mouth. She'll be 11 in two months.

So no, they don't always stop when they are "ready". With my daughter, it wasn't an adjustment issue, it just became a habit she wasn't willing to break.

Yes, I totally agree. My step sister still ****s her thumb and she is 30!

So do ya'll think that the thumb ****ing or the SA siblings would contribute to rounds of illness more?

[Cradle2crayons]

Yes, I totally agree. My step sister still ****s her thumb and she is 30!

So do ya'll think that the thumb ****ing or the SA siblings would contribute to rounds of illness more?

In my honest experience, the SA siblings, at least in my area, always increase my daycare illness. That's actually why I try to stay away from SA completely.

[nannyde]

One handed pickin shirt

[JoseyJo]

In my honest experience, the SA siblings, at least in my area, always increase my daycare illness. That's actually why I try to stay away from SA completely.

Is that SA siblings who attend the daycare, or just children w/ SA siblings? The dcb2yo has a kindergarten brother but he does not attend here at all...

We do have one SA who does attend b/a school but she and her brother are very rarely ill. Actually now that I think about it I don't think she has ever been ill, and brother dcb3 has only been ill once since this all started. Would that make any difference?

[Cradle2crayons]

Is that SA siblings who attend the daycare, or just children w/ SA siblings? The dcb2yo has a kindergarten brother but he does not attend here at all...

We do have one SA who does attend b/a school but she and her brother are very rarely ill. Actually now that I think about it I don't think she has ever been ill, and brother dcb3 has only been ill once since this all started. Would that make any difference?

Any exposure to school age children always increases illness in daycares. That's my experience and my local pediatricians advice also. Some kids have a good immune system and THEY might not get sick but pass it around.

Also, there are these carrier things. My doc says (and I've had experience with this proven via lab cultures) that SA kids carry strep and all kinds of things in their sinuses. THEY may not get it actively but hey are passing it everywhere.

My best friends son,when he started kindergarten, was constantly sick. Strep, sinusitis etc etc. he would get well and hen sick again. The doc recommended finding out who he was sitting next to in class. His mom knew the other boys mom. She took him and had his nose swabbed. BAM!! He had three different things hiding in his sinuses. The same three things my friends boy kept getting. The doc had the other boys mom swab his nose twice a day for five days with antibiotic ointment and re cultured. All cured and my friends son never got sick again.

You would be amazed. Our dr and Ent recommend we do the swabbing twice a year and since then, we have noticed a dramatic reduction in viral illnesses.

Guess that goes to show ya.