If you send your child to daycare during the wintertime, you’re probably always worrying about cold and flu germs. Fortunately, there are ways you can protect your little one from getting sick this season. Keep reading to learn more.
Hand washing
Children need to wash their hands for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Most kids (and frankly, most adults) rush through hand washing, but it’s essential to wash longer than 10 seconds if you want to get rid of germs.
Natural vitamins
Vitamin capsules and supplements might be effective, but this has always been questioned. Make sure your kids are eating healthy. A balanced diet means they get more vitamins through food. There’s no guarantee that they won’t get sick just because of healthy eating, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
No sharing
We encourage kids to share, but when it comes to drinks, this should happen. Most kids don’t think twice about sharing a drink from a friend’s juice box straw or water bottle. Teach your kids that when it comes to drinks, sharing is not caring.
Avoid germ-heavy environments
If your kids go to school or daycare, you can’t just keep them home all the time to avoid germs. However, you can avoid places like neighborhood parks or indoor play areas, both places to easily pick up viruses. However, children who contract viruses at younger ages tend to have better immune systems as they grow up. Powering through colds and other viruses while they’re little could mean smooth sailing in the future.
Maintain a normal bedtime
Make sure your kids have a regular bedtime routine so they can sleep as much as their bodies need to stay healthy. Sleep is vital to a healthy immune system, so you should always make sure your children don’t miss out on sleep by stalling bedtime.
Dress them for warmth
It’s best for children to always wear coats, gloves and hats when the weather is extremely cold. Dressing your kids in appropriate winter apparel can prevent things like frostbite or hypothermia.
Avoid sick people
While it’s not entirely possible to keep your kids away from contagious people, keep them out of close contact as much as possible. Limit play dates with sick friends until they are healthy and wait to visit sick family members until they are no longer contagious.
Get flu shots
Flu shots usually cause minimal pain and discomfort, and they can keep your kids from contracting the flu. The CDC recommends that children start getting flu shots from six months. You can also ask for the nasal immunization spray if your children are too afraid of needles.
