Tips to Prevent Kids From Getting Sick

My social circle and feed are rife with stories of kids picking up nasty bugs. It’s not just the kids either; teachers and parents are also getting wiped out for days at a time. We’ve had a brush, too–hubby and I–but not too severely. Kiddo has been fine for the last few months, even after returning to school. (Knocks on wood). So, let’s talk about it—how to prevent kids from getting sick.

Daily Vitamin C Supplement

Before my daughter started school, she got a fever maybe once or twice. She did not go to daycare, so the introduction to the school environment was a real slap in the face to hubby and me. Her first bout of illness (a cold) came on in less than a week. The second week of school knocked my little one out for the count. She needed penicillin, bacteria replacement, and the whole shebang.

It freaked me out, so I started wondering how parents prevent kids from getting sick. After thinking about it, I bought a bunch of vitamin C and loaded us all up daily. (Hubby worked at the hospital, so he got it, too.)

Over the years, I’ve recognized that one particular brand, Redoxon, has more of a kick than others I used. Right now, a Redoxon tablet is included in her daily breakfast. It works wonders for us. I am not saying it is a hail-mary, but illnesses associated with a new school or returning to school after a break are minimal. For us, this practice has been a Godsend.

Shower Immediately After School

Have you seen how these kids roll around on the ground at school? In addition, they hug and touch each other constantly. They also tend to cough and sneeze a fair bit. By the time our kiddo gets home, I assume she carries remnants of all that on her person.

Once she gets inside, it’s time to clean up. Handwashing when we get home is immediate.

After cooling down or warming up for about five minutes, it’s time to shower. Before a shower, there is no sitting or rubbing up on the sofa and most definitely not anywhere near the beds in school (or outside) clothes-—Strip, clothes in the hamper, straight to the shower.

After that, she can kinpupalick where she pleases.

Clean/Wash School Gear Regularly

Have you ever stood watching dumbfounded as your kid runs into school, throws their backpack straight on the ground and gets right to play? Yeah, I have, too. I was initially horrified, but I guess I am mellowing out. It’s part of kid life, I guess. Anyway, their stuff gets filthy—the snowsuits, jackets, gloves, bunny hugs (hoodie), and so on.Wipe down lunch bags daily with soapy water and a bit of bleach. I specifically went and bought a full leather lunch bag that would be easy to wipe down during doing the dishes. It’s a cute, pink, insulated and easy to clean. Win-win for parents and kiddo.

Regularly Disinfect High Traffic Areas

Throughout the pandemic, living with a medical professional who could come home and a young child was both a blessing and a curse. My cleaning had to be robust! Now that it is over, some habits remain—including cleaning high-traffic surfaces more regularly than before. The countertops are cleaned daily. Light switches, door handles, and remotes don’t quite need daily cleaning (you can, of course), but certainly with a high frequency.

What to Do When Your Kids Gets Sick

Now, for all the preventative measures in the world that parents can take to prevent kids from getting sick, it will happen. Their still relatively new little bodies will pick up germs and need time to recover. So, what then? The goal is to help them recover quickly. How do we do that?

Keep Kids Medication on Deck

Technically, this is before the illness happens. Keep your most effective brands stocked at home and properly stored. For us, that’s

• Cough Syrups/Decongestants
• Allergy medicine
• Ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts
• Saltine crackers

Make sure to stay on top of expiration dates and such. Beginning treatment as soon as they come down with a fever or start to throw up can be the difference between being knocked out for a day or two versus four to five days.

Keep Them Hydrated and Something in their Stomach

The kiddos may not want to eat, especially when dealing with a stomach bug. Keep them hydrated with hydration fluid, water and juice (I like for it to be orange juice). Small sips help. Saltine crackers are great for nibbling and helping to settle the stomach.

That is also when mealtimes most often turn into soup. Try to avoid force-feeding kids, especially when they are not feeling well.

Clean like Mad to Prevent Kids from Getting Sick, Again

Have you ever been in a re-infection cycle? Yea, that happens sometimes. It is often when the germs are passed through contact or to the caregiver (I know I don’t care about distance when my little one doesn’t feel well), but it can also be from not getting rid of germs expelled through coughing, sneezing or runny noses. Clean the spots they choose to be comfortable and spend the most time in as much as you can, and change their clothes regularly (and yours, too). Strip their sheets every two days until they feel better. The point is to remove the germs; a clean environment will help with that.

Provide Comfort

Sick children are often miserable and want comfort. Since you can’t take the sickness away (as much as we wish), the next best thing is to provide them with comfort as much as you can until whatever it is works its way through their system.

Give Yourself Grace

It’s mentally and physically challenging to see your typically perky or bubbly child curled up, not wanting to move. The mental toll is real when they become clingy and easily agitated. Remember to give yourself grace. They know you are doing everything you can.

What do you do at home to prevent kids from getting sick? Let us know i the comments.

XO, Shandean.

Connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.