Winter colds can keep kids from participating in activities they’ve been looking forward to and put a damper on much anticipated family get-togethers, holiday celebrations and planned school vacation activities. While preventing a winter cold may be impossible, reducing your child’s risk of catching one can be done.
This winter consider these immune boosting tips to fend off infection in your home.
Ensure everyone gets enough sleep
Lack of sleep can make us more prone to infection. While the winter season can be a busy one, take steps to ensure everyone gets a solid nights sleep and appropriate naps.
Serve healthy foods and drink
Staying hydrated by drinking enough water can help us stay healthy. Drinking fluids may help flush out infection and keep mucous moist and better able to handle bacteria. Eating foods that contain zinc and garlic, and foods with probiotics such as yogurt, can also help to keep us healthy.
Enforce hand washing and mouth covering
Insist that your children wash their hands frequently and dry them with disposable towels throughout the day to prevent the spread of infection. Coughing and sneezing into a tissue or their arm can also help to keep them from passing along germs.
Get some fresh air
During the winter months we tend to be inside more often and around more people. Crowded department stores for holiday shopping, airports, buses and trains for traveling and holiday gatherings often put us in places with little ventilation, which make it easier to pass infections around. Avoiding overcrowded areas can help to prevent illness. Central heating, which can dry out our nasal passages, can also contribute to illness, so using a humidifier can help. With all of these winter circumstances, be sure and take some time to get outdoors and get some fresh air.
While we can’t live in an incubator, we can take preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of our children becoming sick. Do you take any special measures during the winter to prevent illness? Share your tips for keeping the kids healthy this winter below.
