Fever, chills, sniffles, and coughs are no fun to deal with at any age. As a parent, you likely try to do all you can to keep your children healthy during cold and flu season. Here’s some guidance to share with your kids that can help them stay healthy or speed up their recovery if they do fall victim to wintertime ailments.
Wash Your Hands
Don’t you wish you had a dollar for every time you’ve reminded your kids to wash their hands? Sadly, you know that this commandment has probably fallen on deaf ears, no matter how many times you’ve stressed that hand washing is the best way kills germs.
So how do you get kids to listen and wash up properly? For younger children, making washing into a fun game might work. Try sprinkling your tot’s hands with glitter and having them wash until the glitter’s gone; that way they’re getting in a good scrubbing while having a bit of fun. With older kids, it’s a good idea to model the behavior you want to see. Make it a point to frequently soap up, so you aren’t asking your kids to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.
Eat Healthy Foods
When preparing meals for your children, include as many fruits and vegetables as possible to pile on immunity-boosting nutrients. Then make sure that the snack foods in your refrigerator and pantry are high in the vitamins and minerals that can increase immunity, so when kids reach for their own treats, they’re of the healthy variety. Citrus fruits and crisp veggies should be front and center on shelves so they become the snacks of choice in your family.
Chill Out
It’s important to remember that it’s not just grownups who experience stress and anxiety. Children can be impacted by these problems as well, and there is a known link between stress and lowered immunity. Encourage your kids to deal with their difficulties in a positive and calm way, and if needed seek out homeopathic anxiety medication for children. Helping your kids cope with their stress can go a long way toward keeping them healthy.
Tackle Illness
Even with proactive measures, seasonal illnesses can strike your children. Fortunately, you can still take care of everyone in your family naturally by using homeopathic over the counter flu medicine. Many natural remedies are designed to lessen both the severity and duration of respiratory illnesses, and they often work without the problematic side effects that can result from taking other medications.
Coming down with a cold or the flu isn’t fun at any age, but by sharing some prevention tips with your kids you may be able to keep them healthy this season. Helping them practice good hygiene, encouraging them to eat well, and guiding them to reduce their stress can aid them in avoiding illness and recovering more quickly if they do become sick. Take the time now to stock up on the foods and supplements you’ll need to be ready for wintertime health woes.
