Wash hands. The most important thing to remember when preventing
sickness is to wash your hands frequently and remind your
children to wash theirs, especially before eating. Teach your
child to sing "Row, row, row your boat" once through while
washing, to prevent the quick rinse that children are known for.
Use a baby wipe on a young child's hands or, occasionally, an
antibacterial hand wash (limit use, however, to the times when
you really need it. Overuse of these hand washes, like the
overuse of antibiotics in general, means killing off the "easy"
bacteria, and leaving the more hardy ones, resulting in "super
bacteria" that don't die when exposed to antibiotics). Wash
toys. If your child is still young enough to put toys in her
mouth, ask about the other child's health status before going
for a play date, and, if your child is in daycare, check on the
toy-washing policy. Some schools have a seasonal "toy wash" when
each family takes home a bag of toys for a spin in the
dishwasher or washing machine. Catch