With all the talk of coronavirus this and COVID-19 that, the viruses that cause the common cold and flu are feeling a bit left out. They’d like me to remind you that they’re still around, still out in force, and still waiting to make your life miserable. 🙂 With that in mind, below are some basic tips to help keep your family healthy during cold and flu season. FYI, they apply to pretty much ALL illnesses, not just colds and the flu.

Don’t let illness slow your family down this year.

Cold and flu season is in full swing. That means you’re doing whatever you can to keep your family healthy and happy.

Daycare and schools are a breeding ground for sickness and kids pass things off left and right. So it may seem like everyone around you is sick and catching the next bug is inevitable, there are a few preventative measures you can take.

Keep your kids healthy this year with these 4 tips:

• Practice proper handwashing techniques
• Eat a nutritional diet
• Get plenty of sleep
• Don’t ignore the signs of sickness

4 Tips For Keeping the Whole Family Healthy

There are a few things you can do to help keep everyone in your family healthy during this time of year. From teaching kids how to properly wash their hands to boosting immune system health with good nutrition and sleep habits — you can help prevent illness.

Properly washing your hands can protect you from illnesses such as the cold and flu. It’s important to teach kids the importance of washing their hands.

1.  Wash Your Hands

We learn the importance of washing our hands at a very young age, but sometimes we need a reminder of how important it truly is. Washing your hands and good hygiene practices are one of the most important steps to keep your family safe from cold and flu viruses.

Make washing your hands an everyday practice in your home to teach your kids how important it is. Always have your kids wash their hands before eating, after using the restroom, blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Here are a few tricks to make washing hands more effective:

• Wet hands and get them extra soapy
• Rub hands together and since “Happy Birthday” in your head twice
• Clean every inch of your hands include your palms, the back of your hands, and between fingers
• Rinse the soap off and dry hands

It might be helpful to make it a fun game with your kids. Encouraging them to practice healthy hygiene will help them fight off a number of illnesses.

A healthy diet can do wonders for your immune system. Fight off the cold and flu season by eating your greens and getting the vitamins your body needs.

2.  A Nutritional Diet

During cold and flu season, you’re at the mercy of your body’s immune system to keep you healthy. Your immune system is your body’s natural defense against illnesses — such a cold or the flu.

Here are a few things you can add to your family dinners to help your family stay healthy and increase immune system health:

• Eat green vegetables
• Get vitamin D
• Drink green tea
• Add color to meals

Healthy foods will provide your body with the vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients you need to stay healthy and have a fighting chance against the cold and flu. Start adding healthier options to your family’s meals to improve immune systems and prevent illness.

Making sure your kids are getting enough sleep is a big step to preventing sickness. Our bodies need to recharge and without the right amount of sleep, they can’t do so.

3.  Get Plenty of Sleep

Just as healthy eating helps improve your immune system, so does getting the proper amount of sleep. If you’re pushing yourself too hard and not getting a full night of sleep your body is more susceptible to outside infections.

Here are a few tips to help you make sure your family is getting enough sleep during cold and flu season:

• Set a bedtime for everyone in the house
• Make sure your kids understand the importance of a good night of sleep
• Ensure the room is dark, quiet, and cool
• Get your kids moving during the day so they are tired at night

Remember that your body needs time to recover — whether you’re already sick or not. That’s what a consistent sleep schedule does. It lets your body recover from whatever the events of the day were and reset. Sleep is one of the best ways to help fight off and recover from an illness.

Don’t ignore the signs your body is sending you. Take a day off of work or keep the kids home if they are showing symptoms of an illness.

4.  Don’t Ignore the Signs

If you think you or your child is getting sick, don’t ignore the signs.

Just as you shouldn’t go to work, don’t send your kids to school if they aren’t feeling well. If they are sick with the flu or another sickness, they will just be spreading those germs around and making things worse.

Not sure whether to send your kid to school or not? Here are a few symptoms that are a sure sign you should keep your little ones home for a day or two:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Illnesses such as chickenpox or the measles

You don’t want to be the family who is spreading around your sickness. Just listen to your body and stay home from work or school when needed. You’ll have a chance to relax, catch-up on sleep, and let your body heal.

A healthy family is a happy family. Keep your family happy during this cold and flu season.

Don’t Let Cold and Flu Season Slow Down Your Family

Getting the flu can knock you down for multiple days to a week — time you don’t have to sit out. By actively working to prevent sickness in your house, you have a much better chance of avoiding everything that’s going around.

This cold and flu season stay proactive, encourage good habits, and if you see signs of sickness, don’t ignore them.