Preventing Colds and Flu

Ways to keep kids healthy during cold and flu season

By Dr. JJ Levenstein

If you are preparing for the cold season and want to protect your kids from colds and flu, you would like to hear some parenting tips and advice from experts. The first thing you can do is the vaccination which can reduce the risks of the flu.

Here are some other tips shared by parenting experts which are simple and effective to stay away from colds and flu.

Limit crowds

Indoor areas that bring together a large number of people are a hotbed for germs. (That’s because the flu virus spreads easily when respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze move through the air to the mouth or nose of others in close proximity.) If possible, instead of frequenting areas such as indoor playgrounds or malls, usher your kids outdoors to enjoy the fresh air if temperatures aren’t too cold.

Cover mouths and wash hands       

Two of the best–and simplest–protective measures you can teach your child are to wash her hands frequently and to cough or sneeze into her elbow if she doesn’t have a tissue handy.

Teach her to wash her hands with soap and warm running water for 20 seconds (a round of the ABCs should cover it). Scrubbing and drying properly are important to keep bugs at bay. And if there’s no sink in site, a little hand sanitizer will do the trick just as well.

These simple tricks can significantly help as preventive measures for colds and flu in cold season.