The return to school comes with many advantages for parents across Ireland (like the ability to pee alone or watch something other than Peppa Pig) but unfortunately, that time with classmates and the bitter chill in the air also poses the risk of your little one catching the flu. If you want to take some proactive measures to keep the bug at bay, try these five steps to prevent your child from catching the flu.
Teach them to wash their hands
We try to get our kids to carry out this practice all year around but flu season is especially not the time to allow them to rebel. In flu season you need to ensure they wash their hands regularly and thoroughly and the best way to be sure is to do it with them. Make it a fun experience by creating a lot of suds with the soap, making sure you get right in between those fingers and scrubbing under those nails.
Sneeze technique
It was routinely drilled into us as children to always cover our mouths with our hands when we sneeze or cough, right? However, this is actually one of the quickest ways of spreading germs in our immediate environment. Unless you have a bottle of hand sanitiser close by, you’re going to touch SOMETHING before you get to wash your hands. Instead, teach your little one to sneeze or cough into the crook of their elbow, a much more sanitary option.
Banish bulk
One of the best ways for your little ones to stave off the winter bite is by wrapping up warm. While we all love those bulky coats, it’s actually thin layers of clothing, stacked on top of each other, that will insulate your child during those icy crisp mornings. For extra protection this week, we’ll also be investing in some much-needed thermals.
Disinfect
During flu season disinfectant is your friend. If your children are in any way like the ones in the maternity & infant camp, they aren’t particularly hygiene-conscious when it come to germs. This can make it difficult to know where they’ve had those little hands, noses or even mouths in the house. A child-friendly disinfectant, used generously across all flat surfaces, will handle most of those pesky germs.
Recognise the symptoms
Recognising when someone in your immediate company has the flu is half the battle. Also, should your child succumb to the illness (hey, it happens!), by addressing the symptoms early you can stop them from worsening or spreading to others. Symptoms of the flu can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Muscle aches
maternity&infant
Originally posted 2017-01-10 09:54:44.