No matter how much you love your children, there are going to be times when you feel frustrated and even angry with them. However, it’s important to remember that children are vulnerable and need special care because of their size and lack of experience handling dangerous situations. While it’s easy to feel exhausted as a parent, take care not to get so wrapped up in the day-to-day business of taking care of children that you neglect the basics of keeping them safe and healthy. Check out these 10 tips for protecting your little ones from disease!
1.In Case of Emergency
1. Know the Symptoms and Call a Doctor Right Away
2. Create an Emergency Supply Kit to Handle Day-to-Day Threats
3. Cleanse the Area Where an Illness Spreads and Disinfect Afterward
4. Make Sure You Have Insurance Coverage
5. Wipe Down Beds, Toys, and Common Play Areas Regularly
6. Keep Pets at Home If Sick to Reduce Infection Risk or Contact Animal Control Authorities to Have Them Removed
7. Reduce Stress by Telling the Kids What They Can Do Even Though They Can’t Go Outside
2.Avoid Crowds
1. Avoid large crowds. Studies show that a person with an infectious disease is most likely to spread it to others when one of the gender is around large groups of people.
2. Stick with your child during illnesses, and don’t let them go out and play at recess while they’re sick.
3. Use protective equipment during illness, including gloves and masks, so you don’t accidentally touch the virus or pass it on to others by touching them or anything they’ve touched before washing your hands thoroughly afterward.
4. If you have more than one child in your care, keep them apart from each other as much as possible, even if they have different symptoms.
5. Wash their toys and belongings frequently if they are infected with a contagious disease such as chickenpox or measles.
6. Teach children how to avoid getting ill in the first place by eating healthy foods and practicing good hygiene habits like hand-washing after using the bathroom and before eating food; sneezing into elbows instead of sleeves; staying home when sick; not touching eyes, nose, mouth, or face without washing hands afterwards; avoiding kissing (especially in areas where germs collect)
7. Keep their vaccinations up-to-date 8. Get plenty of rest 9. Keep stress levels low
3.Stay Hydrated
A single teaspoon of liquid from your lips needs to go back into your body in order to replace the fluids lost. This includes liquids like water, milk, juice, and even sports drinks with electrolytes. It is recommended that you drink 1 cup (8 ounces) every 15 minutes while you are exercising. Drink at least 12-16 cups (1-2 liters) of fluid each day to maintain hydration and health. Make sure that 8-10 cups (1 liter) of this water come from beverages like low or no calorie juices or flavored waters, but try not to fill up on them alone. Keep cold water on hand at all times and have a plan for when you can refill it so it doesn’t get warm.
4.Eat Healthy Foods
Eating a healthy diet with fresh foods will provide children with lots of vitamins and minerals which they need to be healthy. You should serve plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Dairy products like milk and cheese are an important part of any diet, but be sure to opt for the non-fat or low-fat options. Avoid sugary drinks and sodas altogether. Offer the kids unsweetened herbal teas or water. Vitamin D supplements can also help ensure that your little ones get enough calcium and vitamin D.
Talk to your doctor about other ways you can make sure your child is getting enough nutrients from food sources before taking supplements.
Protect their little hands with hand sanitizer and teach them to always wash their hands before eating anything.
Also encourage them to keep their fingers out of their mouths as much as possible in order to avoid infections like colds and flu.
If you have sick kids in the house, try to minimize contact between other people who aren’t feeling well and your kids by keeping them at home until they’re better (except when absolutely necessary).
5.Get Vaccinated
Vaccination protects your child against infectious diseases, but it also provides significant benefits to society. Studies show that infants who are unvaccinated, or under-vaccinated, tend to have more doctor visits and miss more days of school than vaccinated children. In addition, unvaccinated children are more likely to end up in the hospital because of a severe vaccine-preventable disease such as measles. With some illnesses a mild case can be just as contagious as a full blown infection. Even if your child doesn’t become infected with the disease itself, there is still risk of transmission via coughing or sneezing.
6.Keep Them Outdoors
Indoor air pollution is made up of two parts-volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide. VOCs are byproducts of certain household or office products, while nitrogen dioxide comes from vehicles and coal-fired power plants. These pollutants can cause irritation to the respiratory system, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, headache and sore throat. Also long term effects include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and some cancers. Researchers suggest that a way to protect your children is to get them outside for more fresh air in an unpolluted environment as much as possible. For example, they might ask their teachers if they could do outdoor activities on nice days instead of being cooped up inside all day. Parents should also make sure that their kids wear masks when they’re around these indoor pollutants so they don’t breathe them in too deeply.
7.Cover Your Mouth and Noses When You Cough or Sneeze
Coughs and sneezes spread cold and flu germs, even if they don’t produce a lot of droplets. Doctors recommend that people cough or sneeze into a tissue (or the crook of their arm)
And then dispose of the tissue in a wastebasket with a lid. You can also hold your nose shut while you sneeze or cough. Afterward, wash your hands well with soap and water to remove any germs you might have touched. Be Careful When You Touch Others’ Faces: Germs from dirty hands, toys, doorknobs, etc., can be easily transferred to others by touching faces. Try not to touch your face at all until after you’ve washed your hands with soap and water. Get Vaccinated: Get vaccinated against these diseases so that children are less likely to get them and pass them on to other children through coughing or sneezing–and before the next outbreak happens!
8.Know What’s Going Around
Childhood diseases can be scary, but there are things you can do to protect your kids. If you are a parent, caregiver, or even an older sibling, take some time to read through these simple tips. They can help keep your family safe and healthy this flu season.
1) Make sure all of the members of your household are up-to-date on their annual flu shots, which have been shown to protect against the flu about 60% of the time when matched with what is going around in circulation.
2) Clean hands with soap and water before eating or cooking and after using the restroom, changing diapers, touching animals or sick people, handling dirty objects like garbage cans or toys in public places such as parking lots and parks; spread germs too!
9.Keep Them Entertained
Oftentimes, parents are only able to provide entertainment while they are present in the room with their child. Try these fun and interactive activities that can help you keep your little one entertained even when you are busy in another room of the house.
1) Provide tactile input by exploring a different texture on their skin each day- such as different types of fabric, fuzz balls, sponges, and so on. If it tickles or makes them laugh, keep going! It’s important to continue providing stimulation after infancy because children’s brains need time to develop. In order for this brain development to happen, children need adequate sensory input which we can give through playtime and early childhood education programs. For example, practicing fine motor skills through playing patty cake is great for teaching kids how to hold objects properly later on in life.
10.Check Their Temperatures
Fever is the body’s natural way of fighting off infections and illnesses. However, when a fever goes over 102.9 degrees Fahrenheit or doesn’t go down with treatment, it may be due to something more serious than a feverish child. Take your child’s temperature to monitor their progress and notify the pediatrician as needed.
-Allow your child to drink as much fluids as they are able while they are symptomatic. This includes soup, water, popsicles, juice, ginger ale – anything that will stay down! -Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen if your child has a fever but no other symptoms. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is best for babies less than six months old and those who have problems metabolizing acetaminophen well. Ibuprofen (Advil) is better for children over six months old who are in good health, have no liver problems, do not take medicines containing acetaminophen (like Tylenol), or can handle ibuprofen well.
-Restrict outside activities so that your little one has enough time to rest and heal up between outings.
