I am convinced that if I were a kindergarten teacher, I would never work a day in my life. That would be because I would be on sick leave every day of my life. Here I am, teaching older children/young adults, and I still get sick at least once a quarter. Kids are walking germ factories.
Yesterday started the first round. It always starts with a sore throat. Uh oh, here it comes, I think. And indeed, the next day, I end up as I am now - with congestion, ears itching, teeth hurting, and sore throat.
I do take measures against it. I wash my hands a few times a day during the school day. I use purell when I can't get to the bathroom. Right now, I'm working on getting hydrated (which is a struggle since I hate drinking water). I generally keep a clean living environment.
Two questions come out of this. How do you get over these rather annoying bouts of illness? How do you prevent them to begin with?
I used to teach at an elementary school and I saw every kid in the school twice a week. I actually got sick less than I thought I would, but I ended up catching my fair share of bugs. More experienced teachers told me that you get sick a ton the first few years, but after a long time you don't catch as much any more.
ReplyDeleteI think washing your hands and drinking plenty is a great idea. Other things that tend to get my defenses down are lack of sleep, eating too much sugar/junk, and just generally not eating healthy enough. Oh, and stress!
This winter I want to keep some really good sick food around—not canned chicken soup, but homemade chicken-quinoa soup and fresh-squeezed orange juice and other stuff that I actually feel helps me heal. Because when I get sick, I don't feel like making it. We'll see if I actually get around to getting something like that in the freezer.
as soon as I feel that "tickle" I start taking echinachea! and I've learned to like water...it DID help that I've got great tap water to begin with and a filter on my frig, lol! I also eat ice all day long. But echinachea and orange juice (the good tasting kind) are my first barrier against being sick!
ReplyDeleteMrs. M - I slept a ton last night, so hopefully that will help. Another teacher told me the same thing, so hopefully this is one of the last years for this pattern. Jane - when I stop by our local Asian market for my weekly produce run, I'll take a look for that, thanks. Anon - I grew up near a quarry, so our water tasted like rocks (yes, I've licked rocks, I know what they taste like). I never really got past that :o) But I drink the water at school, which helps.
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