Summer is definitely over in Ohio. The days are often cool and the nights are cold. The leaves are no longer bright green but are now turn more golden brown as they begin to make their turn to brilliant fall colors. There are even leaves already on the ground crunching underfoot as you walk. Yes, fall is here. Winter is approaching. There may be a few things to look forward to in winter....trees glistening with beautiful white freshly fallen snow, cozy fires int he fireplace on lazy Saturday afternoons, building snowmen from the smooth blanket of snow that fell silently the night before. However, there is one thing I cringe about when I think of the approaching cold weather...cold and flu season!
when you have a houseful of young children, even a simple cold could mean weeks of taking care of sick people as the germs spread from one little one to the next. A flu can be devastating. There are things I do to help protect our family from these evil germs! Here are some suggestions to help you keep your family
cold and flu free.
Try to avoid leaving your home when you know your destination will be its busiest. You know when you go to that superstore and you spend 10 minutes just trying to find a parking space? That's the worst time to take your family out. You will be exposed to many people. Many of those will be sick. The best time, I have found, to go out is early morning time. I have noticed when I am at the store at 8 a.m. there are barely any other people shopping.
Carry a good supply of antibacterial products on hand that you take with you outside the home. A quick wipe down of the touching surfaces of your cart will keep your hands more germ free and also any little ones riding in the cart more germ free. When we leave the store I give everyone a quick squirt of hand sanitizer before they get into our vehicle and begin touching their carseats etc inside. Little ones who are still in the habit of putting their fingers in their mouths get a sanitizing once or twice while we are shopping as well.
Make sure you avoid going past the pharmacy area. You will find lines of sick people waiting for prescriptionsi during flu season. Many will look so sick you wonder how they even left their home. If I have to get a product they keep near the pharmacy counter I will purposely go to a smaller, less visited store rather than that big super store, even if it means paying a bit more to avoid the convention of ill people that will be present in the big store.
Try to avoid going to the doctor for routine visits during the peak of flu season. Even if it means canceling and rescheduling an appointment for a couple weeks later...its worth it to avoid the likely myriads of germs present in the doctor office during those times. If you absolutely have to visit, avoid touching anything. I have even kept my childrens' gloves on their hands while we were waiting in the waiting room. then taken the gloves and washed them promptly when we get home. Try waiting in areas where people are less likely to wait. standing beside the lobby rather than sitting in the chairs. I also try to schedule appointments for early first thing when there will be less people there and there is less of a chance you will have to wait long, before they get behind in the schedule over the day.
Avoid going out if anyone has even a minor seeming cold symptom. Their immune system will be compromised a bit at that time and it will be easier for them to catch possibly more germs. Besides, its not nice to spread your germs around either!
You can keep your family's immune system in peak performance by making sure they are nourished with healthy diets. Eat a good variety of fresh foods daily. Plenty of fruits and vegetables are required. Whole grain products help too. Avoid the processed foods and convenience items.
You can also boost your family's immunity with supplements. Look into herbs that are reported to help immunity. Things like vitamin C are even available in easy to take children's formulas.
Keeping your digestive system in peak condition actually helps keep you healthy as well. Make sure your family eats yogurt that has active live cultures in it. If they don't like yogurt, consider supplementing the cultures in pill form.
Of course, everyone gets sick from time to time. Keep supplies on hand as the cold and flu season approaches. Make sure you have things like soup, Gatorade, and 7 up stocked. Have pain relievers in the medicine cabinet for all ages in your family. Get your humidifier up and running. That way if anyone in your family does end up ill, you won't have to try to run out to get these basics. Also, keep things like Lysol on hand to help avoid spreading germs within your household. i will say that normally I avoid cleaning products and go a more natural route. however, when waging war against present germs, we get out the heavy stuff! Lysol makes a lot of products that really help keep those germs under control!
Lysol Spray and Lysol Wipes kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on hard non porous surfaces.
Yes, its is unavoidable...each year the cooler weather brings the germs into season. Yet, there are things you can do to arm your family. I know I am ready for the fight here in this household!!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here
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