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5 Survival Tips for Moms for Cold and Flu Season

Filed Under: BLOG, One Word Challenge, parenting, Sickness, Sponsored Posts Tagged With: , , , ,

*I was supplied with Purell products from Shoplet, which carries office, cleaning and medical supplies to aid in my article.

“Mommy, I took my medicine all by myself.”

Bedtime in late September, early fall and my youngest sadly is already dealing with a bit of congestion and runny nose.  Enter the common cold and now that she is almost 5 years old, she already knows the drill for how to deal with this.

For the last few winters, the pediatrician told us at the first sign of a cold with nasal congestion being a symptom to give our kids the proper dosage of Benadryl.  As the girls are getting older, they have been able to have chewable tablets instead of the liquid form.

After so many common colds, my youngest knew instinctively that she needed to take Benadryl to help her sleep better.  She was so proud that she not only knew what to do, but how to help herself.

Granted, both my husband and I were a bit thrown off at first and made sure she took the right medicine and dosage, because we have never allowed her to take this medicine by herself.  But she is indeed getting older and time marches on.  Still, thankfully she did take the correct medicine, as well as dosage and all was well that ended well, but amazing how kids learn and pick up stuff like this so quickly.

And while we have indeed taught our girls how to treat the common cold if they aren’t feeling well, we have also tried to instill some helpful ways for them to stay healthy, as well.

Still, it is indeed cold, flu season and more here now.  So, I thought I would share a few of our tips on how to survive this most, dreaded time of the year.

5-Survival-Tips-Moms-Cold-Flu-Season

5 tips to Keep Kids Healthy

  1.  A Vitamin a Day – You know the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, well a multi-vitamin a day truly is the first step in trying to keep all from getting sick and staying healthy, too.  Vitamins truly do have the power to help fight off viruses and bacteria, as well.  So, the first thing in the morning here, we make sure that our girls take their vitamin supplement before anything else.
  2. Rest Up – Making sure the girls go to bed early enough now that school is back in session also is a must.  Most kids are supposed to get anywhere from 9 to 14 hours of sleep nightly depending upon age.  I know many probably saw that sleep chart that went viral recently, well I am not judging hours by any means, but the basic concept here is just to make sure kids do get enough rest, as sleep helps infections.  Simply put not enough sleep fights off the body’s ability to fight off these infections. A night or two of poor sleep isn’t something to be concerned about, but if your kid is consistently having trouble getting enough sleep, it may be time to visit your pediatrician. Busy families may benefit from a housecall MD who can come to your home for your child’s appointment.

    Viral-Sleep-Chart-for-Kids
    In case you missed it, here is the sleep chart that went viral…
  3. Keep Hydrated and Eat Healthy – Making sure that kids have enough water is a huge help, because many times if kids get get sick to their stomach or were to have a fever it doesn’t hurt that they were at the very least hydrated to begin with. My youngest is not a water drinker and have had many a battle with her over this, but have found a way to get more water in her with adding a fresh slash of real fruit juice as she still hates drinking plain water.  Whatever works I say, but still hydration is key here.  Also healthy foods, such as fruits and veggies have added nutrients to help fight off illnesses and also function better even when you are sick.Purell-Cold-Flu-Season-Tips
  4. Manners, Clean Hands and more – From the time the girls were little, we taught them to cover their mouths with their hands and even a tissue if they have available to them when they cough and sneeze, as this helps not spread any further germs at home or in school, too.  We also have stressed to wash their hands with soap and water when they can and if not to most definitely use Purell antibacterial hand gel, which we have had attached each year on their backpack with jelly wraps.
  5. Disinfect, Disinfect, Disinfect – I am also a big believer in disinfecting all surfaces in our home, such as desks, office supplies, kitchen counters, table, bathroom counters and even the toilet, too.  I am not by any means advocating making yourself crazy and am not a germaphobe either, but still even wiping down these different surfaces with cleaning supplies, such as Purell Sanitizing wipes can help kill the germs and allowing them to spread if they were indeed an issue.

[Tweet “How do you prepare for cold and flu season with your family? #1Word @TheGoldenSpoons @PURELL @shoplet “]

Take my advice, as it is amazing how a few basic steps can help prevent or lessen the severity of all types of illnesses during the cold and flu season.

How do you prepare for cold and flu season with your family?

This post was also written for the One Word Blog Linkup that is hosted by Lisa of The Golden Spoons and yours truly, too.

The words for this week are: Cold or Pray; Please feel free to linkup and join us this week.

[inlinkz_linkup id=569869 mode=1]

* Did you see how my recent late night TV marathon binge watching of My So-Called Life led me to a revelation and my first ever article published on SheKnows?

* Please also feel free to cast a VOTE for my featured article, Top 5 Sleep Struggles That Moms Have to Face in the Sleep Solutions Challenge over at Today Parenting Team.

*Also, I recently updated my advertising rates and reduced my pricing for the fall season.  So, please feel free to check out my pricing and hoping we can work together now.

Signature 2015

About Janine

Janine is a published author of the books, The Mother of All Meltdowns and Only Trollops Shave Above the Knee. She has been featured on The Huffington Post, Mamapedia, Today Parenting Team and SheKnows. She also runs her own graphic design company at J9 Designs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Janine says

      Meredith, sleep is truly important and yet my two kids still don’t want to believe me and that and more. Go figure! Seriously though, it is truly time to gear up and hoping it is a better year this year for us both!

  5. Bev says

    Oh how I dread cold & flu season, especially with a toddler who is too young to really understand cleaning her hands and sneezing into her elbow. Last year in December we both got pretty sick with a bad cold that turned into eye and year infections for her and an eye and sinus infection for me. Thanks for sharing your tips, Janine!

  6. Jen says

    So Anneliese just had her first cold of the season. Yuck! I feel so bad for her, but there definitely are some things we can do to help them and then to make our homes healthier. Good luck to you this cold and flu season!

    • Janine says

      I have heard that about garlic and I do use it often enough here, but not fresh, but jarred minced. Wonder if that matter. Will have to read more up on this now. Thanks for sharing, Rabia 😉

  9. Chris Carter says

    Great tips Janine! I am a bit crazy with the washing of hands and opening doors with elbows or shirt covered hands. My kids are drilled all the time and my number one rule is for them to wash their hands every single time they come through the door of our home!

    I heard also, that shoes can carry SO much bacteria. My kids take their shoes off as soon as they come in the door too.

    You can never be too safe!

  10. Bill says

    Bev is down in bed this morning with a nasty cold/virus. She could use some of these suggestions….it’s not like her to miss work but today she just called it quits. 🙂

    Have a wonderful Hump Day, Janine.

  14. Diane Roark says

    Great tips Janine! We have already had some sniffles this week. I hope it is just sinus and not worse. I made some homemade chicken noodle soup which always makes me feel better. My kids give me a hard time about being the disinfect queen. I also make everyone take a shower after school or work (especially if my daughter comes home from rounds at the hospital). You can never be to careful! I will just take their teasing.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Diane

  15. Rea says

    Cough and colds are totally annoying. Last week, Reiko and I both got sick and he really had a hard time sleeping. I had to be absent from work too for 3 days. But we’re both better now. I agree with you about behavior, vitamins most especially (which I always, always forget for Reiko and myself), and teaching kids to wash their hands, and all those precautionary measures. I do hope you have a smooth transition to the colder season.

    • Janine says

      Lisa, we aren’t doing terrible either with the sleep chart here, except that my younger one comes up with all sorts of excuses once she is actually in bed. Ironically she is my picky eater, too!

  18. sara says

    Hydration is huge! I also make my trip to Sprouts or Whole Foods to get my homeopathic stuff as well as Tylenol for the late night, out of nowhere sickness. I mean isn’t that how it always starts!? Ugh. Also I always keep fresh lemons around for throat soothing in teas and water.

  20. Aunt Gloria says

    Very good suggestions for all of us, not just kids. I know for me, getting enough rest is very important to ward off whatever is going around……colds, flu, etc. Let’s hope the girls stay well …. as well as the rest of you. Sounds like you are doing all the right things! Keep well. xxoo

  22. Jhanis says

    Great tips Janine! Ugh I hate flu season which is what we have now! It’s been raining a lot. Which reminds me, My kids have flu shot appointment this weekend. Yikes but necessary. Wish us luck! LOL

  23. Angie says

    I don’t fight against the common cold/flu as much as I fight seasonal allergies. This involves a lot of immune support, preventative care, avoidance when possible, and Praying! In addition to what feels like the pharmacy I dispense to keep asthma under control for Dietrich, I lately have added extra doses of Zyrtec for both kids. I also Diffuse Essential Oils constantly to support respiratory health and purify the air, clean and vacuum often.

  26. Leslie says

    Great tips! That chart made me crazy. There’s no way our kids could get to bed that early with homework, after school activities, and school starting at 8am. We try though. They definitely get their vitamins, and we stress drinking enough water. I may just have to try the Benadryl trick, though.

  30. Debbie says

    Hi Janine, it is that time of year indeed and your advice is perfect for helping reduce the chances of getting sick. I’ve always encouraged my two to keep their hands clean at school using an antibacterial hand gel, not sure my son ever really used his, but I know my daughter does. Nasal irrigation works wonders at keeping colds at bay too.

    Soups are one of the foods I like in winter, full of vitamins and not only a comfort food, but they also help to keep us hydrated.

    xx

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