Every July we go to WDW and my 8 year old gets SICK!!!!!

[SamSam]

Well I for one avoid hand sanitizer. It will actually help you pick up bad bacteria. Soap and water is what I use and I avoid touching anything that someone else might have touched. Some things you have to touch but others like ropes, chains, handrails (unless you need it) can be avoided.

Hand sanitizer kills all the bacteria on your hands. Most people think great that's good, but it isn't because what most people don't know is your hands have good bacteria on them that is working to kill the bad. So now by using the hand sanitizer you have killed all the bacteria even the good ones, now anything you touch will most likely have only bad bacteria and now there is nothing to stop them from spreading since you killed all the good bacteria.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your fingers.

Exactly! My grandparents were farmers and I spent many, many days each year at their farm, let's just say that I built up many antibodies by being exposed constantly to different 'germs'.

Wash your hands well, and avoid the sanitizer except when traveling in areas you are unaccustomed to ...like overseas.

As far as WDW goes, they have thousands of visitors each day so sanitizer might be a good thing during your stay.

 

[Mom2six]

Well I for one avoid hand sanitizer. It will actually help you pick up bad bacteria. Soap and water is what I use and I avoid touching anything that someone else might have touched. Some things you have to touch but others like ropes, chains, handrails (unless you need it) can be avoided.

Hand sanitizer kills all the bacteria on your hands. Most people think great that's good, but it isn't because what most people don't know is your hands have good bacteria on them that is working to kill the bad. So now by using the hand sanitizer you have killed all the bacteria even the good ones, now anything you touch will most likely have only bad bacteria and now there is nothing to stop them from spreading since you killed all the good bacteria.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your fingers.

The problem with hand sanitizer alone is not really with getting rid of the good bacteria. When you wash your hands you are also washing off the good bacteria too. BUT hand sanitizer kills bacteria and leaves it on your hands instead of you rinsing it away. Those dead bacteria are food for the growth if new bacteria/any not killed by the sanitizer.

Also, the soap in public restrooms breeds germs. They often just keep refilling it without proper sanitizing in between. Extensive studies they did showed there to be more bacteria in the soap then other places in the bathroom and often people had more germs on their hands after washing them in a public restroom.

In really crowded public I always use hand sanitizer before washing my hands (and kids hands) because I want to make sure all the germs die. They make tons of travel size hand sanitizer bottles so I wash one out and fill it with our own hand soap to use in the bathroom. The water comes on automatically so you are good. Use a paper towel to open the door if there is one.

 

[4xmom]

We always have one kid get sick too. One year it was all 3 of the older kids and myself with one bathroom in the cabin. It was AWFUL! Since then it has been the youngest girl. Last time it was the youngest until we were about an hour away from home...then the older kids joined in. I am praying for a puke free trip.

 

[squirrel]

I rarely ever get sick and I never use Hand Sanitizer.

I work with children and the only time I would use HS is if I had to change a child's diaper and there wasn't anything else to use.

I wish they would get rid of the stuff. We now have superbugs because of all the over use of hand sanitizers.

 

[mhp8982]

This post terrifies me. I have never been to Disney with children. We are planning a trip for next spring to take our son who will be 2 around that time. Of course I have a bit of a vomit phobia.. I know it probably sounds crazy.. S I avoid it like the plague and we wash hands and sanitize like crazy. But he is at an age where he uses his hands for everything.. I can't get him t use a fork or spoon to eat. Hopefully by then I can get him to. But if he gets sick during or after we leave there t will ruin the experience for me!!

 

[BenbowInn]

Probiotics. Most of our immune systems are in our guts so get all the healthy bacteria in your son as you possibly can.

I use to get sick all the time even though I've always ate extremely healthy and then about 4 years ago I got heavy into homemade fermented/cultured foods and haven't had so much as a sniffle since.

 

[mhp8982]

My husband and I do take probiotics..but I haven't seen any for a 1-2 year old? He does take an infant vitamin... The poly vi sol.

 

[mhp8982]

We also always up the vitamin d and c all through the winter.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

a little different but a grandson did have to make an ER visit for touching something that had leftover nut or peanut butter on that we did not see. so yes it can happen but that can happen anywhere

 

[Gracie09]

My husband and I do take probiotics..but I haven't seen any for a 1-2 year old? He does take an infant vitamin... The poly vi sol.

They make kefir drinks (like yogurt) for kids. We call them bug juice because there are pictures of bugs on them. They have probiotics. I've given them to DD since she was about 8 months old after a particularly nasty antibiotic. She drinks them in the weeks leading up to trips and in the winter.
Some other yogurt and kefir also have probiotics you just have to look for them

 

[mirage0306]

This post terrifies me. I have never been to Disney with children. We are planning a trip for next spring to take our son who will be 2 around that time. Of course I have a bit of a vomit phobia.. I know it probably sounds crazy.. S I avoid it like the plague and we wash hands and sanitize like crazy. But he is at an age where he uses his hands for everything.. I can't get him t use a fork or spoon to eat. Hopefully by then I can get him to. But if he gets sick during or after we leave there t will ruin the experience for me!!

We've taken a yearly trip since 2011 with our kids and no one has puked during any of them. It's not a given at all!

 

[mirage0306]

My husband and I do take probiotics..but I haven't seen any for a 1-2 year old? He does take an infant vitamin... The poly vi sol.

Check out the yum yum dophilus--they are chewable tablets. My kids take them sometimes. I am not sure of the age minimum, but maybe check it out?

We also give immune boosters (elderberry) to my kids for the month leading up to a trip, and during it as well. Those are also great during the winter months. Lots of places make them and you can find them in lozenge (not like a hard candy...like a dissolvable one) or gummy form.

 

[mhp8982]

We've taken a yearly trip since 2011 with our kids and no one has puked during any of them. It's not a given at all!

Thank you that makes me feel much better!

 

[mhp8982]

Check out the yum yum dophilus--they are chewable tablets. My kids take them sometimes. I am not sure of the age minimum, but maybe check it out?

We also give immune boosters (elderberry) to my kids for the month leading up to a trip, and during it as well. Those are also great during the winter months. Lots of places make them and you can find them in lozenge (not like a hard candy...like a dissolvable one) or gummy form.

He might be able to do chewable a by closer to 2. Right now he still only has 2 teeth! Lol

 

[rachael95]

My husband and I do take probiotics..but I haven't seen any for a 1-2 year old? He does take an infant vitamin... The poly vi sol.

They make them for young babies too in powder form. It comes in a little box with foil packages and you just dump them into a bottle. You can get chewables for an older child and a powder form for babies. Check with the pharmacy. They are not behind the counter, but the pharmacist will know where they keep them. My doctor told us to make sure we gave them to our DS after he had a bad ear infection that took 3 courses of antibiotics to get over. (yay for tubes, no infections in MONTHS).

Plus, check out the baby yogurt that is in the refrigerated yogurt section. NOT the shelf stable yogurt. Only the refrigerated yogurt will have the live cultures and make sure you read the label that says it does have live cultures because I did find one brand of baby yogurt that did not have the live cultures in the refrigerated section.

 

[mhp8982]

They make them for young babies too in powder form. It comes in a little box with foil packages and you just dump them into a bottle. You can get chewables for an older child and a powder form for babies. Check with the pharmacy. They are not behind the counter, but the pharmacist will know where they keep them. My doctor told us to make sure we gave them to our DS after he had a bad ear infection that took 3 courses of antibiotics to get over. (yay for tubes, no infections in MONTHS).

Plus, check out the baby yogurt that is in the refrigerated yogurt section. NOT the shelf stable yogurt. Only the refrigerated yogurt will have the live cultures and make sure you read the label that says it does have live cultures because I did find one brand of baby yogurt that did not have the live cultures in the refrigerated section.

Thanks! I will look for that. We actually feed him the refrigerated baby yogurt for breakfast every morning! I've never checked to see if it has that in it.

 

[old lady]

Maybe she doesn't like the food that is served. The heat plays another factor.

 

[squirrel]

Probiotics. Most of our immune systems are in our guts so get all the healthy bacteria in your son as you possibly can.

I use to get sick all the time even though I've always ate extremely healthy and then about 4 years ago I got heavy into homemade fermented/cultured foods and haven't had so much as a sniffle since.

Went to a workshop (ECE) and we had a speaker talk about this. Yogurt, pickles anything that ferments is good for your gut. Wine and beer for adults.

 

[jillianml]

I have a crappy immune system and I don't leave home without Zofran in my purse!!!We have a December trip planned and my biggest worry is the stomach bug!

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Probiotics. Most of our immune systems are in our guts so get all the healthy bacteria in your son as you possibly can.

I use to get sick all the time even though I've always ate extremely healthy and then about 4 years ago I got heavy into homemade fermented/cultured foods and haven't had so much as a sniffle since.

Probiotics