Prepare Your Child for the Cold and Flu Season

Nobody enjoys being sick, especially a child. So, before yours gets ill, prepare him for the cold and flu season. Give your little one the necessary tools to protect him self and avoid some of the germs floating around school.

Tell your child to:

1- Wash his hands.Explain that sickness and disease are spread primarily through touch. When he turns a doorknob, shares a book or gets a dollar from a friend, he's also accepting whatever germs are on this person's fingertips. (Don't forget to emphasize the use of soap and warm water.)

2- Sneeze into his arm.

Unlike popular belief, sneezing or coughing into one's hands is a no-no. As you've already illustrated, these appendages carry germs. Just as much as you don't want him to catch anything, you also don't want him to give anything to someone else.

3- Avoid touching his eyes.This area is sensitive and can be an entry way for cold and flu germs. The only time he should touch this area is after he has sanitized his hands. This way, he won't transmit any sickness in the process.

4- Drink/eat only his lunch. When he puts his mouth on a can, bottle or cup that someone else has drank from; he's opening himself up to germs. This fact is also true regarding food. As a result, you only want him to drink and consume what you give him.

5- Stay away from sick kids.Reiterate the quickest way he can get sick is to be around someone else who already is. So, he needs to find someone else to play with or keep a safe distance from a friend who has a cold or the flu.

6- Wear his coat in the cold. Although low temperatures can't necessarily make him sick, they can attack his immune system. Advise your child that a warm coat or jacket will help his body fight germs and stave off illness. For this reason, he should always wear his gear even when thinks it's unfashionable.

7- Admit when he's feeling ill. Ask your child not to pretend to be well because he wants to go to school. When he acts like he's feeling good and goes around other children, he can infect them too.

These are the main things you need to tell your child to prepare him for the cold and flu season. Remember, knowledge is power. The more your child knows, the more of a chance he'll have of staying healthy.