Keep Your Kids Healthy During the Cold and Flu Season

USA Today reports that about 7,000 children end up in the emergency room each year as a result of cough and cold drugs.  A study showed that most of these trips are the result of overdoses.  The study included both over the counter and prescription medicines and involved children 11 and under.

About 2/3 of the cases were children who had taken the medicine unsupervised.  But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1/4 were the result of parents giving the proper dosage but an allergic reaction or another problem developing.  This is, of course, the place where everyone points out the importance of keeping ALL medicines totally out of reach of small children - Possibly to the point of not allowing them to even know where they’re kept.

The Food and Drug Administration has warned that over the counter cough and cold medicines are too dangerous for children under 2.  Parents should always take a very small child to the doctor when he/she’s under the weather. 

I was all over that advice when my girls were little…..okay, okay, I still haul them to the doctor when they feel the least bit bad.  But better very safe than very sorry.

Keep your kids safe and healthy during the cold season:

• Have a good talk with them about germs - how they can cause you to feel really bad.  Remind them that when they feel bad they aren’t able to play or have fun.  Don’t ever use “You’ll have to go to the doctor” as a warning.  After all, we don’t want the doctor to appear to be the enemy.  You also might not want to go with, “If you get sick, you’ll have to miss school..”
• Point out the way they could pick up germs, such as eating after others, sharing toothbrushes, etc. 
• Teach them the importance of washing their hands before they eat, and the why not’s of putting things in their mouth like pencils, pens, erasers, etc. (I used to have a horrible habit of chewing on pencils and the plastic tops to pens….oooh, so crunchy.  But I jabbed myself in the gum once and made a huge sore place that lasted for weeks.  It hurt to eat, drink, brush my teeth, etc.  Not fun. )
• I’ve always bought little bottles of anti-bacterial hand gel for my girls to carry in their purses.  You don’t always have access to water before you eat, so these come in really handy.  It’s also a good idea to use them after handling a shopping cart.  I mean, have you ever stopped to think…..
• Herbal supplements can help to boost a child’s immune system. There are packets called Emergen-C that are pretty amazing, for yourself AND your kids.
• You might want to look into the new products under the Airborne label.  These are amazing!  Airborne was created by a second grade teacher, and isn’t just for kids.  They’re adding to their line of “Keep Kids Healthy” type products and I’ve got nothing but love for all of them.   Squidsoap is my favorite - it teaches kids the importance of washing their hands and shows them the proper way to go about it.  There’s a wonderful article about Keeping Your Kids Healthier this Winter that extends to the other seasons as well.  The advice is amazing - if you’re a parent, grandparent, or concerned family member, I highly recommend reading it.
• We all know how important it is to stay warm and dry, but something that’s often overlooked is the importance of a good variety of foods.  Kids should get food from each of the food groups - with plenty of fruits and vegetables. 
• Another area that’s often overlooked is rest.  Most kids just don’t get enough of it, yet their bodies need the rest to grow, fight off problems, and build a stronger immunity.
• It goes without saying, of course, but if your child has pre-existing conditions such as asthma or diabetes (or a host of other diseases that just shouldn’t jump on little ones), take them to the doctor at the first sign of a sniffle.  Spoken like a mother hen?  Spoken like a mother hen.

A mother hen’s who has the words, “Better very, very safe than very, very sorry!” embroidered on her apron.