The stories are endless...

[swiftette]

Everywhere I go, someone around me is talking about an sv*. I have been in a constant state of panic and so badly want to pull my kids out of school. Sooo many of their freinds and now their parents have or had IT, and I feel like I am powerless in keeping us all safe since they HAVE to go to school. I told my kids NOT to use the bathrooms and to wait till they get home-which I feel bad about, but it seems every time they go in there, they either see IT or someone is getting sick! Andthere is never any soap and I know for afact the janitorsdon't clean the stalls properly. I just don't know what to do anymore-I was soooo hopeing for a year without v* but it seems eminent. I am so depressed and of course, noone understands. I just don't thinkI can get threw this winter. [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[sage]

Swift, remember a couple of things, and hopefully it will help: 1) EVERY YEAR, and at ANY TIME there are viruses floating around. ALL THE TIME. Not just now, not just this winter, not just at school. This is not meant to scare you, but to put things into a more realistic perspective. Your kids really AREN'T more susceptible to a virus now than at any other time....they may or may not get one, no matter what you do. And more importantly 2) Stop telling them not to use the bathrooms at school! For one thing, this can cause both physical AND emotional damage to your children...it's a sure way to get THEM phobic...or end up with urinary tract infections, which can ALSO lead a kid to be sick! AS WELL, studies have been done in schools, homes and offices...and the CLEANEST places are the bathrooms. I saw one study where there was a TON more bacteria on a computer keyboard than around the bottom of a toilet! This is because janitors actually DO clean bathrooms, whereas they seldom clean other areas such as desks, books in libraries, playground equipment, etc. If your kids don't go into the bathrooms, they don't wash their hands, and this is the singlemost important factor in stopping the spread of viruses: handwashing.


Let your kids use the bathroom for goodness sake! They're kids!


Coach them to wash their hands, several times a day. And then remember: you being more anxious in any given season will not STOP a virus. It only makes you feel more like hell. So do your best to work on your anxiety.


All the best!

[swiftette]

I know that viruses are everywhere, but I am almostpositive that wintertime is worse and I trully believe that schools are a breeding ground. Of course I told my kids that if they really have to pee that they should go but my kids seem to like to hang out in there. And I know for a fact that they DO NOT clean our school properly. And even though we parents complain, there is never any soap in the bathrooms so telling them to wash there hands in there is useless. They have hand sanitizer and sinks in the classrooms. I don't know how else to protect my family and myself. All summer long-I never hear or see any v*problems but as soon as school starts-wham! I just do'nt know what else to do to except to keep them away from where the vomit is! All I know is if they DO catch it this year -I litterally do'nt know what I'll do !I don't have a very good support system AT ALL! I'm in therapy but it sucks, I'm on xanax but that sucks. I'm the one in the family that has to hold everything and everyone together but ya know what? It stinks! I ca'nt handle it all, not a father with alzheimers, not a mother who is totaly dependant yet constantly disapointed in me,not a husband I have to walk on eggshellsfor because he has an anger problem and I'm always the one who"sets him off". I think it will "emotionallydamage" them lessbyhaving mom say to themto stay out of the bathroom than having a mother that every time one of them vomits-mommy is hiding in her room for a week!I can't handle it anymore!