Weather Up & Down? How To Prevent Your Kids From Getting Sick

Mother Nature has menopause, here in the Northeast, and I am NOT complaining! In a state that saw Hurricane Sandy and some significant snow storms as early as mid-October, we are LOVING the 70 degree weather we've had this week. Still, we did have colder temps last week and more seasonal weather is on the horizon.

So how can you keep kids healthy in the face of Mother Nature's mood swings?

 Here are some tips:

 

 

1.  Dress them in layers. It can be 40 when they leave for school and 65 when they get out. Plus, they have recess for a good hour in the middle of the day. Layers are essential so they can adjust their clothing with the temps. My daughter wears a camisole top, then a short-sleeved shirt, and carries a little jacket. She dons leggings which she rolls up to form shorts in case she's too warm.

2.  Pack back-up gear in the car. I carry an extra, slightly heavier jacket for her in the trunk and gloves just in case the weather is significantly colder at pick-up. I also stock blankets in the back seat so she can bundle up in the mornings while we're waiting for the car's heat to go on.  My 15-year old?  He's on his own.

3.  Make sure the kids are hydrated. This would go without saying, but when I ask my kids how much they drink, they usually tell me they forgot to fill up their reusable water bottles. I carry bottled water they can grab as I taxi them around (or in the case of my son, seltzer) so I can watch them drink water.

 4.  Watch them take their vitamins in the morning. Just today, my son found his multi-vitamin on the table where he'd forgotten to eat it at breakfast-time. Watching him take his vitamin would have ensured he'd had the proper amount of nutrients to combat germs during the day.  Oops.

5.  Keep hand sanitizer out in the entryway when they get home and remind them to use it. Kids are not the best hand-washers and in the course of the school day, they've touched lots of surfaces that have been sneezed and coughed on. Reminding them to clean their hands when they first walk in the door, especially before they eat, will keep germs at minimum. 

Using these tips, I'm hoping no one gets sick for quite a while and that their immune systems are able to fend off the latest strain of cold/flu.

Warm weather is fun – being sick is not. Stack the odds that YOUR kids will remain healthy.

Thanks for reading!!!

In Honor Of World Health: Improve Your Health IMMEDIATELY With This

It's World Health Day which means lots of articles on diet and nutrition. Okay, but those can take some time to render an affect on your body. 

There's something your can do RIGHT NOW to avoid getting sick and spreading germs:

LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY WASH YOUR HANDS

Washing Your Hands IMMEDIATELY Reduces Your Chances Of Getting Sick!

Hopefully, this is something you do every day, but are you doing it to maximize the amount of germ killing you're doing? Here are some tips to remember:

WHEN TO WASH YOUR HANDS

Before:

• Preparing food or eating
• Touching your eyes (whether to put on make-up or inserting or removing contact lenses)
• Treating wounds, giving medicine, or caring for a sick or injured person 
  
  
  
  

After:

• Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
• Using the toilet or changing a diaper
• Touching an animal, their toys, leash, or waste products
• Touching dirty laundry
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick or injured person
• Handling garbage, household or garden chemicals, or anything that could be contaminated — such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes
• Touching exercise equipment at the gym
• Coming home from work or school
• Getting off public transportation
• Shaking hands with others
  

HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS

1. Wet your hands with cold, running water. Using warm or hot water doesn't increase germ killing, and it actually raises your odds of skin irritation (source).
   
2. Apply liquid, bar, or powder soap. Don't use anti-bacterial soap – it costs more and is no more effective at killing germs than regular soap, plus it contains chemicals that can actually damage your health.
   
3. Get a lot of lather going! Lathering and scrubbing creates the friction necessary to lift the dirt, microbes, etc. from your skin. Make sure you get the backs of your hands, under your fingernails, and the space between each and every finger. Scrub for at least 20 seconds (or two rounds of The ABC Song).
   
4. Rinse well and dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel before using a towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

SO WHAT ABOUT HAND SANITIZER?

Hand sanitizers are great, but only when soap and water are not available (don't be lazy – go to the sink!). Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol and remember to:

• Apply enough to your palm to wet your hands completely (source).
• Rub your hands together, again vigorously, covering of the surfaces and getting in the nooks and crannies until your hands are dry.
  
  

Antimicrobial wipes or towelettes are another effective option if used properly.



For a fun, catchy tune on how to wash your hands, watch the YouTube video below:

HAPPY WORLD HEALTH DAY! 

Now go wash your hands!