Flu season is upon us once again. And kids – whose hand-washing skills are notably dubious – can be harbingers of doom to households that need to stay healthy.
How do you go about preventing sick kids from infecting the whole family? Read on for some tips on freezing your child’s cold dead in its disease-spreading tracks.
Vaccinate
If your child is in public school, then they’re already up-to-date on most vaccinations. But since flu shots aren’t mandatory, be smart and opt in. They’re “free” through many existing health insurance plans when you get them at your pediatrician’s office and often low-cost at supermarkets, pharmacies and other walk-in venues – where you won’t need an appointment and waits are short-to-nonexistent.
What’s more, some healthcare facilities offer the vaccine in a nasal spray form, which means needle-phobes can avoid anxiety while keeping illness at bay. While you’re at it, ensure everyone gets vaccinated. The best insurance against illness spreading germs in your home is an ounce of prevention.
Clean hands
Sure, you’ve been telling them since they were old enough to understand, but hammer that message home. Even if your child is meticulous, the rest of the world, sadly, is not.
Germs spread like wildfire at schools and day care centers where kids share toys, crayons and restroom doorknobs. Get them in the habit of washing their hands and using the teacher’s economy-sized hand sanitizer regularly. Perhaps even get them a cute portable one they can loop onto their backpack zipper so it’s always at the ready.
Changing stations
Do you have more than one child in diapers? If one is sick and the other isn’t, avoid germ spreading at the changing station by finding another place for one of them when it comes time to clean
Avoid sick kids and keep yours home
It’s the bane of a working parent’s existence – the parent who still sends their runny-nosed child to Pre-K. It’s not just the height of inconsideration, it can be downright dangerous.
Per the CDC, kids who are vomiting, have sore throats, phlegmy coughs and fevers above 100 degrees should not be sent to school or daycare (or gymnastics, art class, karate or anywhere else)!
Disinfect and quarantine
Once your kid has a cold, try to prevent those germs from spreading by isolating as many of the germs as possible. Does the sick child have his or her own room? Try to contain the germs by keeping them there as much as possible, reducing the chances of toy, book, or – EW! – sippy cup sharing.
Wash their forks, dishes and tableware immediately and don’t forget doorknobs, handrails and table and counter surfaces. And if the kids have their own bathroom – let the healthy ones use yours until the worst of it has run its course.
If bathroom sharing is a must, keep that germ-killer handy and use it often. You’ll also want to do the laundry more often, washing clothes, sheets and blankets, and be sure to keep beloved stuffed toys quarantined, as well.
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Source: apartmentguide.com