Secrets to a sick free season

As the cold season slowly creeps on us, it’s best to explore the various ways to keep our children warm, cozy and sick free. Just imagine one of your children getting sick and sharing the love to the others! not a pretty sight I must say.

Having a sick child alters and stalls a lot, like the child missing school, the parent unable to go to work or work from home, emotional and physical drainage,  lack of sleep for both parent and child, discomfort and uneasiness and many others. You sometimes reach the height of helplessness and wish there is really more you can do to help your sick child.

With the help of God and the tips we will be exploring today, we have been able to keep cold, cough and others away for a long time and I’m super thankful it had worked well for us and I do hope it does for you too.

 

Good nutrition

Nothing beats sickness like the body taking in the needed necessary nutrition, especially for growing children. I make sure they eat loads of fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in iron, plus loads of water. Iron is an important part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen to all the other parts of the body. It is needed to help our bodies fight infections and for brain cells to work well. Giving our children foods rich in iron will also help them have more energy, grow well and learn better. I look for the percent daily value (%DV) on the various food label we buy. A food is considered a good source of iron if it is 10% and above. The more percentage in iron, the better. Good sources of iron are;

∗ Chicken/turkey

∗ Meat (beef)

∗ Fish

∗ Shrimps

∗ Beans

∗ Liver

∗ Greens

∗ Cereals (fortified with iron)

∗ Pasta

∗ Wholegrain Bread

∗ Tofu

Make sure you combine these good iron sources of food with foods or drinks rich in vitamin C, to help their body use the iron correctly and make sure poultry and meat are thoroughly cooked to kill all germs.  Also, give them lots of clean drinking water at room temperature. Avoid too much ice and cold water during this season.

 

 

 

Keep feet covered

Always wear them socks or house slippers to keep their feet covered. One of the quickest ways for them to catch a cold is by exposing their feet or leaving it uncovered during this season. This rule applies to you, mom and dad also, as we cannot afford to get sick.

Here is a  gorgeous unicorn house slipper.

 

 

Hygiene

Keep teaching them the habit of washing their hands every time they use the bathroom, play outdoors, return back from school, before every meal or snack and as often as possible until it becomes a part of them. see a post on hygiene.

• Keep hands away from the nose and mouth.
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or yawning.
• Put all dirt and used tissue in the trash can after use.
• Do not use cups and utensils belonging to other children.
• Do not kiss other kids or their pets.
• Do not touch rashes or sores on other children.

Also, keep handy and around the house hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and disinfectant spray to keep the germs at bay.

Essential oils

I have always used eucalyptus oil for my girls since they were babies and it has always worked wonders. There are however so many types of essential oils now in the market with so many good reviews and how helpful they are, not only to keep the cold away but also relieve stress with its healing powers. Explore the various types of the essential oils by using them as an air freshener, allowing the children to breathe in its therapeutic properties.

 

 

Cleaning

This beautiful season always comes loaded with daily dust on surfaces in and around the house, so we must step up our daily cleaning game to keep everywhere well dusted because our children are professionals at running their hands through everything. Wash toys often with soap and hot water, then dry with a clean towel. If you use any kind of fan ( ceiling, table, wall or standing) in your home, you will need to clean it often because it tends to trap dust a lot. A humidifier is very good for purifying the air during this season.

 

I love this URPOWER 500ml Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Humidifier with 4 Timer Settings, 7 LED Color Changing Lamps and Waterless Auto Shut-off. It has lots of functions.

 

Sleepwear

This is a good time to pack up the cotton sleepwear and invest in thick ones or fleece. One of the fastest ways to catch a cold is while sleeping. Keep them well covered and the room temperature not too cold.

 

 

Bathing

During this season, another good thing that works for us is keeping the bathroom well steamed before giving them a bath. We get all our clothing for the day ready and place them on a rack in the bathroom so that we can do all our dressing in the steamy bathroom with the door closed. They wash, cream their body and dress up in the bathroom, leaving no room for unnecessary exposure.

 

Vapour Rub

One of our best companions is also the Vicks vapor rub. It’s simply magical. The girls are so used to it now. I apply on their chest, back, palms and feet every morning and night, after they apply the body lotion. The one for adults seems a bit too strong for the kids so we use the baby one, which is quite mild. It is one of the things we cannot do without now, I also use it too.

Vicks BabyRub Soothing Chest, Neck and Back Ointment 1.76 Ounce

 

I hope these work well for you as it does for us. Please do share what works for you and your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading.