14 Tips to Avoid Cold and Flu ALL YEAR LONG (Even with Littles in the House!)

I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there.

Your toddler takes a longer than usual nap, they’re grumpier too, and now you feel that familiar scratch in your throat.

Oh no.

Are we getting sick, again?

Well I’ve come up with a few tips and strategies to help you avoid and overcome those pesky bugs, colds and the general sickness that tends to ravage every household with small children a couple of times a year.

Some of these you will have heard before, but hopefully some of these will be new to you!

I hope you find them as helpful as I do!

So without further ado, let’s delve right in! This is, 14 tips to help you avoid cold and flu!

Zinc Tabs

This is one of the very few things that have been clinically proven to reduce or prevent colds.

Zinc helps make immune system cells that fight germs, and a vast number of published studies have used zinc oxide is an antibacterial agent.

That means that zinc is able to kill germs!

And what is something that often gets us sick?

Virus’s and germs!

So in our family, when we feel run down or start getting a sniffle, the zinc tabs start!

Humidifier

Did you know it’s actually easier to get sick when your nose is dry?

That means in the winter months, when it’s dry out, a humidifier can not only help ease a cold when you have one, it can also help to PREVENT infections in the first place!

I like to keep one by my bed so I am taking in that lovely moist air for at least ⅓ of the day while I sleep.

An important side note:

Make sure you are properly cleaning and disinfecting your humidifier REGULARLY.

A humidifier can actually make you more sick if you don’t clean it.

The humidity in and on it is a perfect breeding ground for germs when it’s not cleaned regularly, properly, or if the water isn’t replaced often.

If you want to try out the humidifier me and my family have used for years, check out this one:

Holmes Cool Mist Ultrasonic Cylinder Humidifier

I get a small commission if you buy through this link, at no cost to you.

Opening Windows

Sunshine kills germs, so outside air (usually) has fewer germs, and inside air which hasn’t been cleaned by the sun and the trees and the movement of a breeze, is disgusting in comparison.

How do we fix that?

Simply by opening the windows.

If it’s a nice day out, there’s no reason not to leave those windows open all day.

Even if it’s freezing outside, you can just open your windows for a few minutes or even a few seconds to get some of the benefits of that glorious outside air.

Even better, open windows on opposite ends of the house.

Get a good cross breezy going, and replace the air in your home EVEN more effectively.

If you are all about keeping your little ones healthy, this is another great read! 9 Things Your Pediatrician Should Have Told You But Didn’t

Regularly Touched Surfaces

Cleaning THESE.

You’ve seen the Lysol ads, germs live on every single surface we touch.

While it’s neither helpful nor healthful to go around trying to kill every germ in your home (and it’s impossible anyway.)

Disinfecting regularly touched surfaces (think doorhandles, light switches, and the fridge handle, etc, etc) during and/or directly after your family has been sick, is a great idea to help your family get better faster and avoid reinfection.

Sheets and Pillowcases

Washing THOSE.

I change the sheets and pillowcases throughout the house at least once a week.

And I make an effort to change them 2+ times a week when we’re unwell.

Think about it: we spend ⅓ of our lives snuggled up in bed.

That’s a lot of time to contaminate those surfaces with our germs,

And that’s a lot of time to reinfect ourselves with any bugs we’ve got going.

The nice thing is a little soap and water in the washing machine can fix that problem lickity split!

Changing Toothbrushes

Toothbrushes are full of spit and germs. They are especially gross when you’ve been sick.

Let’s be honest, the price of getting some new toothbrushes is not worth being sick even a single day longer, throw them out.

Buy new ones.

You’re supposed to change them every 3 months anyway, and who really does that?

They’re probably LONG overdo for a change anyway.

Disinfecting Toothbrushes

As soon as we get that scratchy feeling in our throat, I start doing this in earnest. Everyday if I can remember to!

How do I do it?

It’s simple.

Hydrogen peroxide.

It goes a LONG way.

I will soak our toothbrush heads and even the bases (they can get SO gross sometimes!) in hydrogen peroxide for 5-10 minutes to kill anything that might be growing on them, and keep my family as well as can be.

I do this every week when I clean our bathrooms, but I do it even more when we are feeling under the weather.

Avoiding the Plague

We do this by avoiding anyone who’s symptomatic, well, like the plague.

We all know that this is where it all starts,

That little kid with the snot running down their face

Or the coworker coughing during a meeting.

If there’s a way you can leave the general area or the room that someone who’s symptomatic,

you may very well save yourself and your entire family from the dreaded flu.

And as hard as it may be, we may need to keep even loved ones at (further than) arms length, if they’re not the self-quarantining type.

Hand Sanitizer

Slather it up!

I have a toddler.

And as with most toddlers, she has an unrelenting love of touching EVERYTHING.

So,

When we’re out of the house:

Ever time she touches the floor, anything in a public bathroom, and before she feeds herself

-The hand sanitizer goes on her beautiful and germ ridden little hands.

Hand sanitizer isn’t as good as hand washing, but its worlds better than nothing at all!

When we’re home

Anytime I’m pinched for time, but my kid has touches something unsavory:

It’s well worth the 15 seconds it takes me to get under my sink and rub it all over her little hands.

It helps keep the whole family well!

Which brings me to my next point:

Wash Your Hands

You might be thinking “no duh!”

But I’m not talking about YOUR hands.

I’m talking about baby’s hands.

This is something that I think is COMPLETELY under appreciated.

As adults we wash our hands constantly throughout the day.

Anytime we touch something gross, wash dishes, clean countertops, before we make food, after we use the bathroom, when we blow our noses etc, etc, etc.

It’s never ending the number of times we wash our hands when we’re caring for our homes and our families.

However, if your baby is still wearing diapers, they don’t really get that.

We might be wiping their hands constantly throughout the day, which is certainly better than nothing but it’s not nearly as good as actually taking baby to the sink, getting some soap and water and thoroughly washing their hands. 

It’s super common to hear complaints that kids are always sick.

While not all sickness is avoidable, I do think by keeping it in the forefront of our minds and making a concerted effort to properly wash our baby’s hands at least a couple of times a day, we can avoid a lot of the illness we’d otherwise have to contend with.

Keeping Our Health on Point

This one is pretty basic but also all too often overlooked.

Your immunity is very strongly linked to how healthy you are on the whole.

I’ve never been amazingly healthy by nature, so I know I need to put in work to eat well and exercise often so I can avoid losing the health I DO have. 

Good nutrition is essential for good immunity.

Some key nutrients you might want to focus on so you can keep any bugs at bay are:

• Iron: Iron is a component of enzymes critical for immune cell function. Sources include
  • red meat,
  • beans,
  • nuts
  • and fortified breakfast cereals.
• Vitamin A: Vitamin A helps protect against infections by keeping skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory system healthy. Sources include
  • orange and red fruits,
  • and vegetables like carrots,
  • apricots
  • and bell peppers.
• Vitamin C: Vitamin C stimulates the formation of antibodies, and the production, function and movement of white blood cells. Sources include
  • citrus fruits like oranges,
  • grapefruit,
  • strawberries
  • and tomatoes.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps regulate antimicrobial proteins that can directly kill pathogens. Sources include
  • sunlight;
  • fatty fish, like salmon;
  • egg yolks;
  • and fortified dairy.
• Vitamin E: Vitamin E works as an antioxidant to protect the integrity of cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals. Sources include
  • seeds,
  • nuts,
  • vegetables oils
  • and peanut butter.

And as we talked about before:

• Zinc: Zinc is needed for wound healing and supports immune response. Sources include
  • meats,
  • whole grains,
  • milk,
  • seeds
  • and nuts.

If you think or know you aren’t getting enough of one or all of these nutrients in your day to day diet, a supplement might really help you stay healthy.

Consult your Doctor before taking supplements, but making sure we get enough is one big reason why we take those handy little zinc tabs.

More in the vein of keeping healthy…

Exercise!

Exercise can improve your blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and release endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good and lower your stress levels.

Which brings me to my next point:

Managing Stress

Stress can have a negative impact on your immune system, as it can increase your cortisol levels, which are hormones that suppress your immune response. 

As parents, stress is an unavoidable part of the gig.

However, there are helpful and unhelpful ways to deal with it.

To manage your stress, we can practice relaxation techniques, such as:

• meditation,
• breathing exercises,
• yoga,
• or massage. 

Trying to keep a positive mindset can ALSO help us reduce stress.

Another helpful thing: talking to people we trust, such as friends, family members, or a therapist, about your feelings and concerns can be incredibly helpful when it comes to managing stress.

Another way we can mange stress is by making self-care a priority. See here: 20 Invigorating Self Care Ideas for Stay at Home Moms

Getting Enough Sleep

It would be tone deaf of me to say “sleep more” when this blog is directed towards parents.

With kids, how much sleep you get is not entirely up to you.

Just get as much as you can.

If that’s only 4 hours a night, I’m still proud of you for putting in the work to take care of yourself.

Getting Sick Anyway

And of course, this being a blog post about health I absolutely MUST SAY:

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may still catch the flu or another illness.

If that happens and you are having persistent symptoms that aren’t improving within 10 days, or if you have a fever of 105 or greater that’s not responding to medication GO SEE A DOCTOR ASAP.

In conclusion

This has been my BEST tips for keeping yourself and your family well!

Thanks Bunches for reading until the end!

-Emma