Talking Poison to Preschoolers

Today wraps up National Poison Prevention Week, but educating families about poison prevention is a passion that I can and will sport all year round. I love surprising parents and kids about how much some medicines look like candy, how some cleaners look like drinks, and how children can access child-proof items.

Yesterday, I went into my daughter's preschool class of four and five year-olds. I didn't go all out with my props this time, but I did find things around the house to show and tell. These included a bottle of green multi-purpose cleaner, a bottle of water (which I tore off the label and asked if they would still accept my bottle to drink), gummy vitamins, real gummy bears, my daughter's purple fluoride tablets, toothpaste, my orange nasal inhaler, freeze pops with electrolytes and some without, a bar of soap, spray on sunscreen, and a tub of red finger paint. I thought I would only take 10 minutes, but I ended up with a 20-minute presentation. The children were able to tell me what a poison is ("something that makes you sick or die"). I was glad one of them brought up death because I wasn't sure if they were ready for that term. My daughter is familiar with it because we have had quite a few recent deaths in the family, but she has asked us to define the term.

I also made a STOP sign with "Stop! Ask First" and wrote out the Poison Control Center's phone number on a large piece of construction paper. Every time I showed them something that they weren't quick to comment about, I waved the stop sign. The three main points I had wanted to get across to them were: 1) stop and ask a trusted adult first, 2) medicine is not candy, and 3) call 1-800-222-1222 for poison emergencies (yes, someone is available to take calls 24/7). I also emphasized that poisons aren't just harmful when swallowed, but also when touched, smelled, and brought to the eyes. The final activity was teaching them the phone number. Yes! The teachers have taught them how to read numbers (although there are lots of 2's). I always get a kick out of hearing them recite the phone number with me! I'm glad I was able to show the teachers something new: freeze pops with electrolytes. They were still talking about it as we were leaving the school.

Take home packets included an activity book about Lenny Lendahand, brochures about plants being poisonous, general information about the Poison Control Center, a checklist of what to do in case of an accidental poisoning (no more syrup of ipecac, mind you, for ingestions), a game that I created about medicine vs. candy, and telephone stickers with the 1-800 number. These were all free from the CT Poison Control Center. I'm sure you'd be able to get them from your local chapter. Find yours here and make a difference in your child's classroom next time. You don't have to be a health care professional to talk about poisons to children of any age at home or at their schools. Just spread the word that they can be prevented and the phone number.

Here are some links to give you ideas:

Poison Prevention Preschool Lessons

Poison Education Resources

Poison Prevention from the University of Buffalo

Poison Prevention.org

"Does she have allergies?"

It is inevitable. Every time I put my daughter into a new aquarium of preschoolers (camp, play group, school), she gets a cold. I know better than to send her to school, or swim lessons in the summer, if she has had a fever overnight, or is lethargic and just not herself. This time, she just woke up over the weekend congested and she sneezed out a lot of clear "gook," but nothing else was different. Her activity level and appetite remained the same. So, on Monday, I sent her to preschool equipped with tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I even reviewed proper respiratory etiquette with her. I went home and waited by the phone in case the teachers wanted to send her back to me. Her preschool is only 2 hours in duration, but it could feel like a long time to a sick kid. No phone call on the first day, or any day thereafter for the next 2 weeks. She continued with swim, gymnastics/dance, and soccer without a problem. Just on day 13 of her cold, a politely phrased question was posed to me by two of her teachers when I dropped her off, "Does she have allergies, maybe? It's been 2 weeks already with this sneezing." I replied confidently, "No, I don't think so. I have allergies, but she doesn't. It's really just a cold. She's much better now, really." Granted I've noticed that her mucus changed from clear to yellow to green, but, again, she never had a fever and no other symptoms. Remember that the color of one's mucus is not a tell-tale sign that antibiotics are needed. Colored "gook" could mean that the viral infection is actually getting better. I just persisted about getting her to blow her nose so that it didn't become a sinus infection (easier said than done) and to drink a lot of fluids. More importantly, I did not cave and bring her to the pediatrician. Gradually, her sneezing only occurred in the morning upon awakening. Then the noisy breathing and "gook" production stopped altogether. After three weeks with the common cold, she's been happy as a clam, and without allergies. It also turns out my daughter wasn't the only kid with a cold in her class.

Colds do take a while to cure, but medicine will not speed up the process. It just takes a "tincture of time," lots of rest and fluids, and good drainage of the nose. We didn't use the saline drops and bulb syringe that I bought, but these can help with clearing the nasal passages. Finally, to prevent your child from spreading or catching a cold, teach him/her good respiratory etiquette and proper handwashing techniques. Know the signs and symptoms of the common cold, and be prepared to give a lot of hugs and kisses.