How to Help Your Kids Combat Seasonal Sniffles

Did you know that almost 50% of all instances of the common cold occur during autumn and spring? As a parent, it might feel like every season is cold season, but rest assured those schoolyard sniffles are lurking especially close as the weather starts to cool.

So how can you help protect your kids from that nasty autumn head cold? Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Maintain a Clean Home Environment

Keeping your children healthy starts with the environment they’re exposed to at home. For instance, air pollutants like dander and dust are pulled into HVAC systems and can be circulated up to seven times a day. For this, you should hire ac services or a professional that has undergone hvac training to clean your HVAC systems. Neglecting to clean your HVAC filters or ducts could be contributing to your child’s sniffles. In addition, cleaning commonly used surfaces like countertops, doorknobs, and faucets can make a big difference in how many germs are spread through your home. Even areas like your living room carpet — which can hold almost one pound of dirt per square yard — can be breeding grounds for bacteria if you’re not careful. A healthy life starts with a healthy home.

Know the Symptoms

Part of avoiding seasonal sniffles is understanding what the symptoms are. Teaching your child to look out for these symptoms can also help them avoid interacting with other kids who might be sick at school. Some key symptoms to look out for and teach your kids about include:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Cough

Sore throat is often the first sign of a cold, which means preventive measures should start as soon as that symptom arises. Considering a cold can arise anywhere from one to three days after exposure to the virus, it’s best to take precautions as soon as possible. Whether one of your kids has a sore throat or one of their friends does, now your family knows what’s coming and what to avoid.

Teach Proper Handwashing

Handwashing is one of the most common tactics recommended to prevent the spread of germs that leads to seasonal sniffles. That being said, the key to making this a successful cold-prevention tactic is teaching proper handwashing. Washing hands in soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds is the hard and fast rule here. If you’re struggling to help your kids reach that 30-second mark, consider putting a timer next to your bathroom sink. Not only is this a great visual reminder, but it makes handwashing for younger kids more interactive.

Encourage Healthy Habits

Healthy habits help form a healthy lifestyle. You’re probably familiar with the American Heart Association’s recommendation that children over the age of two get at least one hour of moderate physical activity each day. Habits like that, as well as proper hygiene and diet, van make all the difference in your child’s life. Practicing all of these things can help build up their immune system and more effectively fight off those seasonal sniffles. In addition, teaching your children not to share cups or utensils with other people can help them avoid sickness in the future.

Keep Sleep Top of Mind

Sleep is one of the most important tools you have in your cold-preventing toolkit. Your kids might complain about earlier bedtimes, but that extra hour of sleep can help their bodies fight off germs and viruses when they come knocking. Doing your part to explain this to your kids can help them understand why sleeping is so important to their health.

Whether your child is one of the three-fourths attending preschool or they’ve just started seventh grade, keeping these cold-prevention tips handy could save you a lot of sniffly struggles later in the season. Which seasonal sniffles tips are you teaching your kids?