| Tips & Strategies For Weathering Cold and Flu Season | |
| An Ounce of Prevention: It’s referred to as just the "common cold," but that nasty wintertime staple is actually caused by a whodunit lineup of more than 200 illness-wreaking viruses. Add other bugs (such as flu virus) and bacteria (such as strep) to the mix, and you’re looking at a potential mob of angry germs. So beyond vaccinations or quarantining your family how do you keep from hosting your own pestilent parties? Much of illness prevention is common sense: eat right and get enough rest. But a child can help also. Coughing and sneezing into the crook of his elbow will minimize the airborne spread of germs, but having him wash his hands may be the best defense against getting sick. Hand Washing Works: When it comes to sickness, hands are the bearers of bad news: your fingers pick up germs and whenever you touch your nose or mouth, even your eyes, you’re giving those germs a warmer welcome then they deserve. Kids need to be reminded that it’s not enough to merely dampen your palms and dry them on your pants. People don’t wash their hands long enough. It is the act of vigorously rubbing together under water with soap that breaks the bacteria and viruses away from the skin. A Fun Lesson in Hand Washing: Help your child learn the dos and don'ts of washing with this hands-on exercise. To Start, rub your child’s hands with cooking oil and sprinkle them with cinnamon. The spice specks represent germs and will quickly spread all over her hands. Now have your child remove the “germs” from her hands using the Centers for Disease Control’s washing guidelines.
She should: 1. wet her hands and apply liquid, foam, or clean bar soap 2. vigorously rub her hands together, scrubbing all surfaces for a full 20 seconds (the length of the ABC’s sung twice) 3. rinse her hands and dry them well with a clean towel
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