4 Kid-Friendly Flu Prevention Tips

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” – Irish Proverb… I’m sure you’ve heard it, on the news, the net, and from other moms – This flu season has been extra nasty, and it’s hitting kids the hardest. But, while any type of virus like a cold or flu is pretty unpredictable, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk, and keep your family as healthy as possible this year. Keep reading to get some helpful kid-friendly flu prevention tips…

4 Kid-Friendly Flu Prevention Tips

Most of the things that we need to do to prevent cold and flu are pretty common-sense, keeping your hands clean, avoiding people who are sick, and stick to healthy habits and routines. But, actually putting those tips into action, especially when you’ve got a wild pack of children in your life, can be challenging. Here are a few tips to help make it easier, from a super-smart source, microbiologist Dr. Benjamin Tanner:

• 1. Practice Good Hygiene for at Least a Week After a Cold. Cold viruses can be found in nasal secretions of children for two to three weeks after the onset of symptoms. That’s a long time for an unwanted guest to stick around! So even when you think that cold or flu has passed, make sure to keep those habits you follow when they’re sick, to make sure they don’t spread it to the other kids.
• 2. Keep Your Immune System Healthy. Studies show that maintaining a healthy body weight with proper nutrition reduces risks of infection, and also may prevent inflammation (potentially damaging immune system hyperactivity). One of my favorite ways to do this is by making Abby a Kid-Friendly Fruit & Veggie Smoothie every day, or using our juicer to make her a morning drink packed with immune system boosting stuff!
• 3. Keep Up on Cold and Flu Germs. Colds are most infectious during the first two to four days people are infected. And you can’t outrun their germs: droplets from sneezes can travel at a velocity of 45 miles per hour and cover a distance of 10 feet. {Crazy, isn’t it?}  Wash your hands and face regularly; when soap and water is not available use Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes to kill bacteria on your hands. These are available in little packets, so you easily toss a handful in your diaper bag, purse, and glove compartment. And be sure to add them to your kid’s backpacks and pockets too!
• 4. Don’t Touch Your Face. Most cold viruses are spread by contact with surfaces through “self-inoculation” when hands pick up cold viruses, and then touch the nose or eyes to start an infection. In fact, a study of kids showed that a program to discourage touching the face reduced colds by nearly half. This is probably the biggest challenge – but maybe try making a game out of it. When the boys were sick, I told Abby we had to play “no face!” for a few days. She thought it was funny, and it really worked to keep her hands away from her nose and eyes.

Following these basic tips will really make a big difference in your families health this winter. It really is the simple stuff that works best! And I cannot recommend Wet Ones enough – I have a canister in both bathrooms, plus one in the kitchen, and in the TV room. And I have those single use packs everywhere, so I can grab one anytime I need one. They’re perfect for any unexpected toddler messes {are there any other kind? Lol.} They’re great for wiping down a dirty shopping cart, or table at a fast food place that hasn’t been cleaned well, or cleaning dirty hands after a day at the playground. Once you use them, you’ll wonder how you lived without them!

How do you prevent colds and flu in your family? Share some tips with me in the comments!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador Program for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. Photo credit: Matteo Bagnoli via photopin cc.}