As much as I love fall, I do loathe the cold and coughs that come with the season. The kids seem to have a never ending cough. It’s the last lingering effect of a cold they had last month. Thankfully other than the cough, it didn’t effect them all that much. We’ve been doing all that we can to avoid anything else coming through our house. With both girls in school, they come into contact with germs all of the time, so I am trying to teach them the best way to stay healthy. Thankfully their teachers are proactive as well and I’m hoping that between all of us, the girls can help us stay cold and cough free this season.
Here’s what I’ve been reminding the girls (and myself and MacKay) to do to stay healthy. I’d love to hear what you are doing, too! Leave your tips in the comments.
1. Our motto: “Keep Your Hands to Yourself (and out of your mouth.)”: I’ve been saying this for a while, especially when the girls start to argue and one of then inevitably pushes or shoves. During this season especially, I always add on the “hands out of your mouth” phrase. They probably hear it way too often, but I want to make sure they aren’t transferring any germs they come in contact with into their mouth.
2. Wash Your Hands: This one is simple and Harlan has done amazing with reminding Avery to do it as well. Harlan does it a lot in her classroom at school because of the kids with food allergies and I think it’s just a good habit to have in general. We always wash our hands after coming back from running errands, before we eat, after using the restroom, and after playing around the house. It’s a nice reassurance knowing that if they do end up putting their hands in their mouth, they are clean hands!
3. Boost Immunity: From the foods we eat to vitamins that we can take, there are several ways that I have all of us boost our immune systems. Everyone takes a daily vitamin and the kids eat a ton of fruits and vegetables. Avery is a huge fan of broccoli (I know!) which is loaded with Vitamin C and Har eats spinach like it’s her job which is a veggie full of Vitamin E. Macks is testing and trying all new fruits and veggies that are packed with nurtrients. I am so lucky to have kids that really do love fruits and vegetables and prefer them over most foods. I’ve also been giving the girls the Little Remedies Cough + Immune Support. It’s a natural way to help soothe their cough (which seems never ending these days) and it also contains elderberry, which is an anti-oxidant. The girls love the taste, and I love that it’s a drug-free way to help soothe and keep them healthy.
4. Get Some Sleep: Easier said than done, especially for parents of little ones. This time of year I am very strict with our bedtime schedule. Not only because it’s a school year and we have to wake up early, but because sleep can help prevent us from getting sick. There’s been research done that says lack of sleep can make us more prone to getting a cold or the flu. I’m trying to follow this rule, but as we all know there just aren’t enough hours in the day (and when there are, one of the kids usually wakes me up from my slumber.)
5. Disinfect: I’m a neat freak, but even more so now that it’s cold and flu season and especially if someone around the house is sick. I’ll get out the cleaner and start to wipe down everything. With everyone living in such close quarters, it’s important to help eliminate the spread of germs. To make this a family affair, I’ll get the girls involved by helping me get paper towels or helping me wipe everything down. They LOVE to help me out these days and I take full advantage of it.
I’m always looking for new ways to help protect me and my family from getting sick, so I would really love for you to share how you stay healthy during this cold season.
{This post is sponsored by Little Remedies. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!}
