Winter blues
Winter is upon us… and with the change of season comes sore throats, snotty noses and general illnesses. Here are some tips for beating the Winter blues…
1. Enjoy winter seasonal vegetables and fruit
Fruit such as grapefruit, kiwifruit, mandarins and oranges are all in season and delicious. Try adding these to your weekly diet to increase vitamin and nutrient levels. Also add an extra serve of vegetables to each main meal. Winter veggies include broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. These are great in soups, fritters and quiches!
2. Stew and Casserole Weather!!
Enjoy more veggies and proteins in our favourite stew or casserole. Make it different by adding different carbohydrates, swap bread for creamy or fried polenta, mash potato or sweet potato, cauliflower rice or wholegrain pastas!
3. Essential Oils
This may not be your thing, however diffusing essential oils can help boost your mood and help your health! Try diffusing oils such a lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, tea tree or blends such a doTERRA ‘on guard’ or ‘breathe’ or twenty8’s essential oils ‘immune boost’. We use essential oils daily at MELC and love them!
4. Up your hydration
You may not feel thirsty in the cooler months BUT you need to stay hydrated for all your cells to function properly. You dehydrate just as easy in winter than in the warmer months. Keep flaky skin and dry lips at bay. When this happens you are ALREADY dehydrated.
5. REST!
Take time to rest when sick to ensure you recover better and give your body a fighting chance!
6. Happy Hands
Keep up with hand hygiene to ensure you aren’t passing on or picking up unwanted bugs and germs.
Wellness at MELC
Please also remember MELC has a wellness policy to ensure we keep us all well and don’t spread infection or illness around. See our wellness checklist below to ensure your child meets our guidelines before coming to MELC or returning after an illness.
Wellness checklist:
If your child displays 3 or more of the following, they are deemed unwell or becoming ill. As a result your child will be excluded until well.
High fever—a high fever in a young child can be a sign of infection, and needs to be investigated to find the cause.
Drowsiness—the child is less alert than normal, making less eye contact, or less interested in their surroundings.
Unusual behavior- Not partaking in activities they generally like, extremely tried, grumpy or upset due to them seeming unwell.
Lethargy and decreased activity—the child wants to lie down or be held rather than participate in any activity, even those activities that would normally be of interest.
Breathing difficulty—this is an important sign. the child may be breathing very quickly or noisily, or be pale or blue around the mouth. the child may be working hard at breathing, with the muscles between the ribs being drawn in with each breath.
Poor circulation—the child looks very pale, and their hands and feet feel cold or look blue.
Poor feeding—the child has reduced appetite and drinks much less than usual. This is especially relevant for infants
Poor urine output—there are fewer wet nappies than usual; this is especially relevant for infants.
Loose Bowel movements- This could indicate diarrhoea or a more serious illness such as gastro.
Red or purple rash—non-specific rashes are common in viral infections; however, red or purple spots that do not turn white if pressed with a finger require urgent medical referral because the child could have meningococcal disease.
A stiff neck or sensitivity to light—this may indicate meningitis, although it is possible for infants to have meningitis without these signs.
Pain—a child may or may not tell you they are in pain. Facial expression is a good indicator of pain in small infants or children who do not talk. General irritability or reduced physical activity may also indicate pain in young children.
Difficulty in swallowing or complaining of a sore throat ALSO excessive or persistent coughing- This can indicate influenza or influenza like illnesses.
Very green or persistent runny nose- This is a sign of general malaise and can also indicate influenza or influenza like symptoms.
The more of the above features that are seen, the more likely it is that the child may have a serious illness.
Children general have poor hand hygiene and this is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of inflection. As a result, children who are unwell often spread infection to other children and also staff.
To keep our families and staff safe and healthy we have put into place this wellness checklist. It is essential that all families abide by it.
If a child is deemed to be not coping at the MELC environment or unwell while at MELC, parents will be contacted and asked to collect their child within an hour from the time person-to-person contact is made.
Source: Staying Healthy in Childcare 5th Ed. Aust. Government. National Health and Medical Research Council.