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Editor’s note: This post is offered as information only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. See a licensed healthcare professional in person if you or your child have any health concern.
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Back to school is upon us and for those of us with young children, that means germs. The kids head to school or daycare, and suddenly everyone in the house is coughing and sneezing. It raises the question, what exactly is going on in their classrooms and what can you do about it?
Young children and their parents are constantly sick because young children are still developing their immune systems and are regularly exposed to bacteria and viruses from other children in classrooms and care centers. And while your immune system is fully developed, your kids are bringing home germs that don’t create lifelong immunity. Even if you’ve had some of these viral or bacterial infections before, you remain vulnerable to them.
Because you and your children are constantly being inundated with germs, your best defense against disease is a strong offense – and that’s where you come in. Demonstrate healthy behaviors at home and keep illness from putting your family on the sidelines.
Model Good Hygiene
Young children are infamously bad at basic hygiene tasks like covering their mouths and noses when they sneeze, washing their hands, and keeping their hands and toys out of their mouths. All of this makes them more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses—and allows them to bring those germs home to you. Help them stay germ-free by introducing key hand-washing habits including before eating, after using the bathroom, and after sneezing or coughing.
Many guidelines recommend singing Happy Birthday—twice—while washing, but that can get old fast, even with young children. Make hand-washing with dad fun by replacing Happy Birthday with other kid-friendly favorites. As long as the songs run long enough, approximately twenty seconds after initial lathering, they’ll scrub away the germs and have fun doing it. Just make sure you sing too; dad needs to be in on the game.
Share the Table
Another important part of preventing colds and the flu is eating right, and that can be tough when faced with tiny picky eaters and a busy schedule. One way to get everyone on track, though, is by making meals family time. Though the average American only eats 1-2 servings of vegetables a day, creative and communal eating can bring those numbers up. Improvement happens at the level of families, not individuals.
Eating too much sugar is one of the greatest barriers to meeting your nutritional needs, and as adults, we’re just as guilty of bad eating habits as our kids. Instead of sugary cereal for breakfast or piles of pasta, cook nutritious alternatives together like yogurt with fruit, spiralized vegetables, and be sure to balance carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats. A balanced diet is vital to a healthy immune system, but kids only learn positive eating habits by seeing an adult model them.
Supplement Strategically
If your kids won’t get on the healthy eating train, it’s important to give them immune-supporting supplements. Research indicates the whole family can benefit from supplemental vitamin D, zinc, and probiotics. These nutrients are believed to minimize everyone’s susceptibility to stomach viruses, colds, and other infections. Most Americans have a vitamin D deficiency, even if they eat well, so you may want to add a little to your daily routine. Vitamins come in all sorts of fun and delicious forms, so it shouldn’t be any trouble getting the kids to take them.
Getting sick is a normal part of childhood—and parenting, but you don’t have to suffer through a dozen illnesses a year just because you have young kids. Instead, be a dad who makes health fun. When hygiene and nutrition are priorities at home, they become a normal part of your child’s life, not a battle brought on by back to school.
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This content is sponsored by Larry Alton.
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Photo credit: Pixabay