5 Tips to Prevent Illness in Kids

When I first started working with children it was in a daycare setting. Which at any given time there where around 50 kids aged two months to 12 years. So if you can imagine it was pretty much like working in a germ factory. As a result I was sick for my first six months working there, which was a complete nightmare. But a really good thing that came out of this was that I have learned many tips and tricks to kill germs that kids create and also to prevent a lot of sicknesses before they spread. Here are 5 great tips on helping your kids from getting sick.

Now vitamins may seem like a no brainer, but they really do make huge differences. A lot of people ask me who should be on vitamins. My answer is always the same: EVERYONE! Many people think that kids don’t need vitamins until they are teens and that is simply not true. There are multiple kinds of vitamins for kids as young as four months old. I would of course check with your doctor to see which ones he recommends. But vitamins can make a huge difference in preventing colds and reducing the time and severity of the cold when you or your child does get one.

Now I know that this one seems a little odd, but I think laundry is very important to keeping germs under control. If you think about what your child does at daycare and/or school, you will understand what I am talking about. Most kids roll around on the floor, whip snot on their sleeves, sneeze and get sneezed on. Those are just the things that you know happens, so its hard telling what else. So, what I recommend is having a hamper with a lid, when your child comes home from school or daycare have them change their clothes immediately. Even socks because at some point kids’ shoes are off during the day especially if they have nap time. If possible, have one coat that they just wear to daycare that can be washed weekly. Also, if you have a child that is still into having stuffed animals try and designate one stuffed animal for daycare only. Make sure that you are washing these things weekly in hot water and I also recommend parents to use a laundry sanitizer that you add right in with your load to kill germs. Germs also really can get onto car seats as well, so with those I would wash the covers monthly and wipe down with a disinfectant wipe. For the in between weeks spraying it with a disinfecting spray should do the trick.

Kids are famous for the “Rinse and Dash” in fact many adults are also famous for this. I believe that it is so important to teach your kids how to properly wash their hands so that it is cleaning their little hands. Now can you guarantee that your kids will do this, no, but at least you will have some piece of mind that they know how.

Bath time is something that is more popular in summer because you can actually see the physical dirt on the child. In the wintertime it seems to be a bit more overlooked because people tend to only give baths when they are visibly dirty or when your hair turns greasy. But in the winter kids need just as much bath time as in the summer. The reason is because germs don’t just stick to clothes. They also stick to skin and hair, so in the winter especially during cold and flu season children should have a bath daily to remove these germs.

Now this one is probably one that you will look at and think is a little odd. But more than likely no matter how much laundry, disinfecting, and hand washing you do. Kids are still going to drag germs into the house. So, wiping down busy areas in the home with disinfecting wipes once daily can make a world of difference. Most common areas that germs are spread are kitchen counters and/or tables, bathrooms, and one that is very overlooked are doorknobs.

Please keep in mind that even the cleanest, healthiest people will catch colds. Sometimes it is just inevitable especially when you work in a very germy place. I hope that some of these tips will help you to have a safe and happy winter and school year!

P.S: I did leave getting a flu shot off of the list because many people have very strong feelings about it.