Why Are My Kids Picking Up So Many More Illnesses At School This Year?

I'm trying to understand why my kids are so much 'sicker' this year than last. My youngest daughter just missed her second day of school due to Strep Throat which she has for the second time this grade year. While my teenage daughter just experienced another 'killer' stomach virus this 2012, which put her out of commission for almost an entire week, and it's only February! What the heck is going on? I recently wrote about her feigning illness to get out of school, but lately she doesn't even have to do that...much to her delight. She's loving 2012!

It's always difficult when you're a working parent and you really need (not just for mental health reasons) your kids to go to school. This year my kids have missed more school than they usually due to student-sickness-spread-itis. The amount of copays alone that I've had for doctors and pharmacists is enough to make deposits on lovely summer homes for them both. Every time I schedule a meeting, a conference call or plan to work on my taxes, one of my kids needs to stay home from school. I'm not kidding, their timing is impeccable. Not to sound unsympathetic, I am their mother and I love them dearly and only wish them the best, but on a more selfish note - I'm so sick of my kids being sick!

I've spoken with other parents who feel the same way that I do and some of their theories as to why our kids are sicker range from plausible to just plain ridiculous: droplet infection caused by borrowing each others' phones (okay); their immune systems are compromised by pollution (definitely some truth to that one); due to global warming it's just not been cold enough outside to kill all the viruses (don't know if that's scientifically accurate, but we haven't had the usual Arctic temps this year so I could easily be sucked into this one); and many kids have inbred dogs which we all know breed viruses (WTF?!). I read that last one on the internet myself once so it must be true.

Needing to get to the bottom of all this illness, I had a quick conversation with our elementary school nurse and she stated that it has nothing to do with global warming nor the environment nor dogs; she claims it's all about good 'ole droplet infection. My kids are older and therefore, are more involved in activities so their exposure to droplet infection has increased multi-fold. Kids still don't practice great (or even passable) hygiene to begin with so when you stick a couple dozen of them in a confined area one can only imagine just how much 'unprotected' sneezing, etc. is happening. It's a droplet infection dynamo. So between my younger one being in Drama Club two days a week after school along with choral rehearsal before school, and all my teenager's various after-school social activities they're just that much more likely to be exposed to Strep, colds, the flu, pink eye, mononucleosis, head lice, etc. Seems like such a logical answer doesn't it? Now why didn't I think of that??

At any rate, there is no way to really protect your children from all those sick kids at school, so in order to stave off infections encourage them to: wash their hands with soapy water, sneeze and cough into their elbows (I call this safe sneezing) and avoid using each other's phones, iPads, etc. Also, be sure to take them to the doctor if symptoms persist, and please keep them home when they're sick. You know and probably encourage them to take all these preventive measures already. The New York State Dept. Of Health website is a great resource for all of this info, too. It's just plain common sense.

I have one secret weapon in my arsenal against sinus infections and allergies: I use a Neti Pot every couple of days and I do it to my girls as well. It's been around for centuries, even the ancient Egyptians practised nasal irrigation. My daughters protest a great deal but I feel it really helps - and when they're behaving badly it's a great deterrent, too. "No, no, don't get the Neti Pot please mom, I promise I'll clean my room." The good news is that all this sickness is building up their immune systems, despite the pollution and the dogs!