Ah...chooo!

Poor unsuspecting Cate was driving a friend's seven year old daughter home from an activity.  She glanced in her rear view mirror just in time to see this little girl sneeze juicily and wipe her now wet hand on the upholstery of Cate's new car.  Let's just say that Cate still has nightmares about the scene.  :)

Kids are messy.  Kids can do gross things.  Watching young children interact with each other is not a pastime for the faint of heart.  It's no wonder viruses and other illnesses are spread so quickly among kids and their families.  No one wants their child to be sick.  No one wants to BE sick.  So, how can you lessen the number of colds and flu your family goes through during the year?

Number one - Teach them early!  Preschoolers are good learners and can understand basic rules of hygiene.  But!  You need to teach them.  Don't assume they know how to wash their hands.  Don't assume they know how to wipe their nose and throw away their tissue. 

Poor sweetie!

Number two - Even though it might be inconvenient, please keep obviously sick kids home.  Taking them to school or church or a play date when they have a cold is going to spread that cold to other children or adults.  Do you really want to do that?  That kind of sharing isn't nice.

Number three - Speaking of sharing, try not to let your sick child "share" utensils, cups, food, towels, etc.

Number four - Make sure they know how to cough or sneeze into their elbow or arm and NOT in their hand.  It might seem awkward at first but soon becomes second nature.  Have hand sanitizer around and encourage frequent hand washing.  Encourage using a tissue for runny noses.  Keep tissue in your car as well as at home...oh and a bag to hold the used ones!

Number five - Discourage kids from touching their faces.  That includes picking their nose!

Number six - Around the house clean frequently used surfaces...things like door knobs, handles, telephones and remotes.  Don't become obsessive but be vigilant and keep your house reasonably clean.  That's only common sense. 

It isn't possible to protect your young children from every virus and illness but by doing a few simple things, you might cut down the number of colds your child has to endure.  You might avoid getting the whole family (or neighborhood!) sick too!