Be hands-on: Tell kids to wash at day care

Q. I recently went back to work and put my twin toddlers into full-time day care. They keep getting sick. What measures can I take to keep them as healthy as possible?

A. Teach your children how to wash their hands and when to do it: before eating, after sharing toys with other children and if they sneeze or blow their noses, says Sonia Montigny, director of the Levittown Tutor Time.

Day care providers should be having the children wash at critical points, anyway, but teaching your kids to ask for it can ensure it happens. Make sure you see providers washing their own hands frequently if you stop by during the day.

Bathe the kids as soon as you arrive home, instead of at bedtime. "It gets the germs off before they have time to rub them in," says Chrissy Lebci, director of the East Setauket Kiddie Academy.

Boost your children's immune systems by making sure they get a good night's sleep and eat adequate fruits and vegetables.

The day care center should be professionally cleaned at least four nights during the workweek, Lebci says. Staff also should be cleaning toys in a sanitizing solution throughout the day, especially when children put toys into their mouths, she says.

Make sure providers wear gloves when they serve meals and snacks.

If your child is coming down with a cold, consider keeping him home for a day to prevent the illness from escalating into something more serious, Montigny says.