5 Ways to Keep Kids Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

 

5 Ways to Keep Kids Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

It's here upon us whether we like it or not ~ the dreaded Cold and Flu Season.  Even though our kids (and us!) are around others with contagious germs we can take some steps to help protect our little ones from getting sick and today I am sharing 5 super easy ways to hopefully keep us all healthier.  Keeping kids healthy is important to me and the folks at PediaCare® and this post has been sponsored by them.  

1.  WASH YOUR HANDS! Teach your kids the proper way to wash their hands.  It's as simple as A, B, C.

     A.  Turn on the water ~ warm or cold ~ it doesn't matter.  

     B.  Use soap to create a lather thoroughly washing between fingers, around and under nails and the backs and palms of hands singing "Happy Birthday to You" the entire way through twice. This can be fun to teach them ~ kids love water and they love to sing! 

     C.  Rinse well and dry.  

* Caretakers ~ it's important to keep the sink clean washing the faucet handles and replacing towels often with fresh clean towels.  Also, remember to clean your doorknobs ~ these can harbor a lot of germs.  

2.  Even though summer is over be sure to keep kids loaded up on immune boosting and vitamin rich foods.  Winter is orange season and oranges are a great resource of nutrients.  Keep peeled and sectioned oranges in the refrigerator so the kids can grab them easily when they are looking for a snack.  Serve more veggies and fruits to make up for any lack of vitamin D {less exposure to natural sunlight = less vitamin D}.

3.  Keep them hydrated.  Kids aren't playing outside as much and may not be as thirsty but we still need to make sure they are getting plenty of water.

4.  Get a fresh toothbrush.  If your child has had a sore throat, cold or flu be sure to exchange their toothbrush for a fresh one.  Germs can linger in the bristles of toothbrushes and can cause reinfection so toss that toothbrush!

5.  Keep your home humidified.  Dry air in the home can cause cracked dry skin and nosebleeds among other things so try to keep the humidity in your home at a comfortable level.  

If all of the above fails to keep your little ones healthy don't despair.  I have a bad habit of NOT having medicine in my medicine cabinet and usually have to run out to get something to treat the kids when they get sick but this year I'm ahead of the game.  I have medicine for my older kids and I have PediaCare® Smooth Melts™ on hand specifically for my youngest son.  PediaCare® is 100% dedicated to kids and they're celebrating their 30th Anniversary ~ that means they've been around longer than I've had kids!  They're also the brand that I have used for ALL of my children and my oldest just started college this year ~ it just seems like yesterday I was giving him PediaCare® for infants ~ he was prone to ear infections and this was mine {and my pediatrician's} pain reliever of choice.  

Poor little guy isn't feeling too well {and isn't quite sure about how his medicine will taste}

Not so sure but he does trust Daddy

A big thumbs up and a smile.....he said it tasted pretty good! 

Even though I've been at this parenting thing for quite a bit of time I'm still learning new things.  I had no idea that kids  experience flavors differently from adults and because of this PediaCare® specially develops its products to have a taste geared towards kids.  I learned that from one of Dr. Hill's videos.  PediaCare® has partnered with Dr. Hill to make a series of videos for caregivers with information and tips on what to do when your child gets sick.  https://www.youtube.com/PEDIACARE

PediaCare® Smooth Melts™ are available at Rite Aid and on Amazon.com so you can stock up now in advance.  Also, you can enter below for a chance to win ~ 15 winners will be selected to receive a PediaCare® care package that will include assorted PediaCare® products and a book (ARV $75).

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of PediaCare®.
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