Every year, cold and flu season seems to sneak up on us. One day everyone’s doing fine, and the next your kiddo wakes up with a runny nose – game over. If it were possible to keep our littles in a magical bubble of illness protection, many of us would consider it. But we’ve got to rely on good old-fashioned preparedness instead. Here are five tips to help your family prepare for cold and flu season.
1. Stock the medicine cabinet.
From sniffles to the chills, having the right medicine on hand can make any bug easier to handle (both for the sick kid and their parents). Take stock of your medicine cabinet to see if anything has expired since its last use or what you’re running low on. Avoid a tussle with another parent over the last bottle of cough syrup on the shelf at the drugstore.
2. Get the right gear.
Having the right tools around will also make your life easier if a little member of the family comes down with something. For your infant, invest in a medicine spoon or syringe to make liquid medicines go down easier. It’s also a good idea to keep a humidifier running throughout fall and winter to fight viruses and help to ease cold symptoms. A nasal aspirator, an ear otoscope, and a forehead thermometer will also come in handy.
3. Stay up-to-date on inoculations.
It’s not secret: Kids hate shots. But the flu vaccine is your best bet to keep the flu virus as far away from your family as possible. There’s a reason it’s all you hear about once the leaves start falling – it helps keep everyone healthy. If your kiddo just isn’t having the whole needle thing, ask your doctor about the nasal spray option. And no parent is above a little bribery – rewarding your brave little buddy with a giant teddy bear might just do the trick.
4. Wash your hands.
It’s worth repeating, again, and again, and again. Make sure your LOs are washing their hands with soap and warm water throughout the day and remind them the rules are still the same even when they’re at daycare or preschool.
5. Have a sick day plan in place.
Sick days are always unwanted, unexpected, and un-fun. Talk with your partner or caregivers about your plan in case a little one wakes up feeling under the weather. That way you don’t spend a morning running around trying to figure out what to do with your sick kid.
Finding the right stuff for sick days can be tricky, so we’ve packaged all the gear you’ll need into a Sick Day Survival Kit to make taking care of your little germy babe less complicated.