1. Hand washing: This is by far the most important universal precaution to prevent germ transmission and stay well. Wash your hands and teach your kids to wash their hands, especially after using the restroom, before eating, and after playing with other little germ spreaders.
2. If your sick kids climb in bed with you, have them sleep facing away from you: Send those nighttime sneezes and coughs in the other direction!
3. Teach your kids to cover their mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing: Tissues are the best option (remind them to toss and wash their hands when done) with elbows a close second.
4. Vitamins & Supplements: Chewable for them, regular for you – C, Zinc, Echinacea and Garlic are excellent germ resisters and immune system protectors during the winter months.
5. Lots of Shut Eye: You’d be surprised at how much a couple extra hours of sleep can boost your immune defenses. This is a great example of "monkey see, monkey do." When you move up their bedtime, be sure and do the same for your own. Stay well as a family unit.
6. Communicate with daycare center/school about potential threats: Teachers, educators and other childcare pros make it their business to know what’s going on with their little charges. Stay in communication with your child’s school/daycare center to learn who has been out sick with what so you can protect your kids.
7. Stay Informed: In the same vein, read and watch the news to stay informed of current local outbreaks of flus and other viruses. Websites including the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are also great sources of information.
8. Flu vaccines: Stay on top of current recommendations for regular flu, H1N1, pneumonia and other vaccines to protect your kids and your family (recommendations may be different for each age group so do your homework).
9. Additional Vaccinations: Stay in communication with your pediatrician to ensure that all your children’s immunizations are current – seasonal and otherwise.
10. Outdoor time: It may be difficult to get some Vitamin D rich sunshine in the winter, but it’s worth the effort to try, even for just a few minutes a day.
11. Exercise: The healthier you are, the better your defenses are against anything your kids may bring home. Exercise is a great way to boost your general state of health year round.
12. Yoga: There are many yoga poses that promote healthy circulation and lymph drainage (a type of internal bodily fluids that can carry germs). Find a local class or instructor to learn the best poses for your abilities and goals, and proper form.
13. Listen to your body: Take those moments in your day, especially when waking up in the morning, to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. By time you start to experience outright symptoms such as a fever, chills, and a runny nose, it’s likely that your kids’ germs have settled in about a week ago. Pay attention to the little things like a scratchy throat, more fatigue than usual, or just feeling "off." Then go on what I call the germ offensive – vitamin C, Echinacea, garlic, zinc, herbal tea, and lots of sleep.
14. No sharing! Teach your kids to avoid sharing their thermos, cups, utensils, finger foods, tissues, and other common germ transmitters with friends at school and at play.
15. Replace sugar drinks with water: This is good advice all year long, but especially during the winter months, when flu virus and other germ related illnesses are more prevalent. Water hydrates better from the inside out, thus providing much needed moisture to prevent cuts and other skin breaks that can invite germs into the body. It also flushes the body of toxins.
16. Invest in anti-bacterial wipes: Wipe down countertops, remote controls, video controllers and other surfaces frequently touched by little and potentially germy fingers. This is an area where a little hyperactive mom "obsession" is a good thing for the whole family.
17. Clean humidifiers to keep germs from spreading: Follow manufacturer recommendations when it comes to washing and disinfecting the filters in household humidifiers (commonly used to moisturize dry air during winter months).
18. Family night: A family that laughs together boosts their health together. Laughter releases chemicals that boost everyone’s immune defenses – plus it’s a great way to spend those chilly nights.
19. Nature’s medicine: Build your body’s defenses up naturally by stocking the house with antioxidant foods like blueberries and other healthy, vitamin packed fruits and vegetables (citrus, leafy greens, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, garlic, etc.).
20. No touching! Teach your kids not to touch their eyes, mouth, or nose. These are all some of germs’ favorite entry points into the body.
21. Sick day: Don’t be afraid to keep your kids home from school or daycare, either to keep them from infecting others or vice versa. Warning signs in kids include a fever of 101 or above, repeat vomiting and diarrhea. The same applies to you at work. It may be a hassle and an unpopular decision, especially during tough economies, but it’s simply not worth the risk of having the illness worsen, resulting in even more time off.
22. Talk to me: Teach your kids to communicate the first signs of illness to you and to get to know their body’s signs and signals. This is a good lesson at any age, but especially for kids as they develop health habits for life.
23. No sharing: When you send your kids off to slumber parties or other group overnights, remind them to use their own bedding, pillows, and personal items. Also, check with the other moms about anything that may be "going around" that may make a reschedule more advisable.
24. Exchange regular towels for paper towels during illness to contain illness: It’s not exactly a "green" policy but it is a step toward keeping the illness contained.
25. Replace candy with herbal lozenges to ward off germs: When appropriate (check lozenge labels for age recommendations), teach your kids to trade in those empty sugary calories for vitamin C, or Echinacea lozenges.
