How to Keep Back-to-School Germs at Bay

When your kids head back to school
and the cooler months hit, germs and sickness tend to follow not long after.
While keeping your family healthy is a top priority, you may need
some help convincing them that mitigating germs is a necessary step in
keeping them feeling their best. Read below to learn a few ways to keep those
back-to-school germs at bay and keep your family as healthy as possible this
school year.

Teach your
kids what germs are and how they can cause illnesses.

Kids tend to understand best when they’re
taught with detail. Explain what germs and viruses are and how they multiply
and spread. Tell them why it’s important to rid your hands and belongings of
germs throughout the day. Make sure you do your research first and learn the
facts on germs, then encourage your little one to share their new knowledge
with friends! You never know, you might start a mini anti-germ movement, saving
the community from a few viruses here and there.

Encourage
and model proper hand-washing thoroughly and often.

You know what they say, monkey-see
monkey-do! Be a role model to your family when it comes to washing your hands. Make it fun, sing a song,
count to 20, add lots of bubbles! Teach your family members to wash their hands
before eating, after using the bathroom and any time they are dirty or touch a
shared object. Arm them with hand sanitizer to take to school and work to use
when they can’t get to a sink (some germs are resistant to hand sanitizer, so
teaching them not to rely on it is key).

Make sure
everyone is getting enough Vitamin ZZZ.

Your children probably plead to
stay up later on school nights, but proper sleep is crucial to the health and
wellbeing of your whole family. That includes you! Adequate sleep helps to fight off infection, illness
and stress by producing a protein known as
Cytokine, which also promotes growth, can increase attention span and reduces
the risk of injury.

Offer lots
of fruits and vegetables to boost their immune systems.

Whole, nutritious foods play a big
part in our overall health. Help keep germs and sickness at bay by emphasizing
the importance of eating fruits and vegetables with your family. Foods high in Vitamin C are especially
important, as they are known to be a great antioxidant when it comes to skin
health and immune function. Foods like broccoli, bell peppers, kiwis and citrus fruits are all great sources of Vitamin
C. If you struggle to get your family to willingly swallow their veggies, try incorporating them into new meals, healthy baked goods and smoothies
or talk to your doctor about vitamin supplements for your family members.

Incorporating probiotics into your
meals is a great idea as well. Boosting your system with healthy bacteria is a
great way to stay healthy. Things like incorporating a
yogurt parfait into your breakfast routine or packing a yogurt tube in your
kid’s lunch is a great way to get healthy probiotics into their system.

Wipe down
surfaces and school supplies daily.

Keeping your home free of germs
doesn’t come easy. It’s important that you are wiping down surfaces often, such
as kitchen counters, the refrigerator handle, door knobs, faucets and
any high-traffic areas that your family touches frequently. A water and bleach
solution is the best way to rid your home of germs, but be sure to keep the
bleach away from your children. It’s also a good idea to disinfect your
children’s backpack and any supplies they’ve brought
home. If you’re really invested in keeping germs at bay, have them change their
clothes as soon as they come home from school and leave their shoes at the
door when they walk in, as to not track outside germs and bacteria through the
house.

Keep your
child home if they’re sick.

Simply put, staying home and away from others is one of the most
effective ways to help avoid the spread of germs and illness. If you or your
child has a fever or is vomiting, it’s imperative that they stay home to rest
and recover before coming into contact with others. If there is no fever but
they have a runny nose and are sneezing or coughing frequently, it may be best
to keep them home for a day, too. It’s especially important for small children
that aren’t well versed in tissue-etiquette to stay home when frequently
coughing and sneezing, which can help to stop the spread of germs.

Catching a cold or the dreaded
stomach virus every now and then is a part of life. But there are many ways to
help you and your family keep germs at bay. Be sure to use these tips
throughout the year to keep everyone feeling their best. For more tips on
keeping your living space germ-free, click the button below.