5 Ways to Prevent Your Child from Catching a Cold

It’s inevitable that from time to time you and your child will be exposed to people who have a cold or who are spreading airborne germs.  While the odds are that your child will catch the occasional cold, there are certainly a few ways to reduce the number of colds that she gets.

1. Try to keep ahead of the germs.  Disinfecting wipes or a water and bleach solution can be used for this task.  Make sure that you are regularly cleaning door knobs, handles, cabinets, toys, and anything else that little hands might come into contact with.  For every gallon of water, 1 ½ teaspoons of bleach should be added to create a solution to disinfect surfaces and toys. For diapering and toileting areas, 1 tablespoon of bleach can be added to 1 gallon of water. Let the bleach solution sit for 2 minutes before wiping it down.  If you are worried about your child coming into contact with chemicals, look for all-natural sanitizing solutions.  You’ll also want to make sure that everyone in the house frequently washes their hands with warm water and soap. 
2. Change toothbrushes often.  Toothbrushes can harbor germs and re-infect your child if the germs are not killed.  Dentists recommend that toothbrushes be replaced every 3 months if you are healthy, more often if you are not.  Toothbrushes should also be replaced after an illness. To kill germs soak the toothbrush in antiseptic mouthwash for 5 minutes or run your toothbrush through the dishwasher.  Warning: Boiling your toothbrush or running it through the dishwasher will wear out the bristles faster.
3. Feed your child a healthy diet.  If your child eats a proper diet it will strengthen his immune system and he will be better able to fight off cold-causing germs.  Make sure he eats plenty of fruits and vegetables, as these contain the proper vitamins and minerals needed to build up his body’s natural defenses.  Eating foods high in vitamins is better for absorption of those vitamins than taking vitamin tablets.
4. Encourage your child to drink plenty of water.  Water not only keeps your body hydrated during the very dry winter season, but it helps your body flush out unwanted toxins.  Water also helps your lymph system run better, which is part of your body’s immune system, and it fights off illness.
5. Make sure your child gets enough sleep.  Sleeping is extremely important, and most people don’t get enough of it.  Doctors recommend that children sleep 10-11 hours per night.  A lack of sleep can affect how well your child grows because the body produces a growth hormone during sleep.  Digestion also takes place during sleep.  Bodies need this down time to recover and rebuild after a busy day of being a kid.  By getting enough sleep the body is better prepared to fight off germs.    

P.S. This post was created and proposed to me by Martina Keyhell . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.becomeananny.com/blog/5-ways-to-prevent-your-child-from-catching-a-cold/

10 Reasons Parents Don’t Believe Their Child Is Sick

It’s a never-ending battle and a narrow tightrope to walk, dealing with kids who tell you they’re sick. On the one hand, as a caring parent you always want to look out for the welfare of your children and to help them when they’re feeling less than 100%. On the other hand, however, you just don’t know when to believe them sometimes. They can be quite crafty at getting what they want. Take, for instance, these 10 reasons why parents don’t believe their child is sick:

1. The oral thermometer reads 114°. You go into the bathroom for 2 minutes while your son takes his temperature. For a mere 2 minutes he’s left alone with the thermometer. You come back and, what the … Say, what’s that smoke coming from the table lamp light bulb, Junior?
2. It’s Monday morning. What is it about 7 AM Monday mornings that make them so susceptible to all manner of germs and viruses anyway? The Monday morning blahs are not something that needs to be diagnosed by the family physician, in case you were wondering.
3. They’ve faked it umpteen times before, in which case you can hardly be faulted for your skepticism toward the situation. Tell your son the fable of the boy who cried wolf – while he’s dressing himself for school.
4. The sudden ailment coincides perfectly with final exams or an assignment that is due, which your child has failed to study for or complete on time. It’s amazing the things you can learn just by taking a child’s temperature.
5. They’ve got an appointment with the dentist scheduled for today. Another remarkable coincidence that your child could fall ill the same day she is due to have dental work done.
6. You’ve seen your son will his way through the bubonic plague all the way up to Prestige Mode, in Call of Duty. Surely a measly flu bug isn’t going to send our little Commander to sick bay. Perish the thought. Damn the torpedoes and all that.
7. It happens every spring. Those nice warm days filled with brisk air and sunshine just seems to make the kids so ill. At least on five out of seven days of the week, none of which start with the letter “S”. Oddly enough, they seem to build up an immunity right around Friday afternoon at 3.
8. They went nearly three full months (June, July, and August) germ-free and in tip-top shape as the immaculate picture of health. Now they seem to be sick every week. Something tells us it’s got nothing to do with allergies or their immune systems.
9. When we were kids, we never got sick. We walked 5 miles to school, uphill both ways, in our bare feet. And when we got home, we churned butter on our bicycles while painting the barn …
10. Your daughter swears she’s sick, pointing out her gaunt and pale appearance – which you could have sworn she just spent an hour and a half cultivating in the upstairs bathroom, while coordinating her Hot Topic emo ensemble.

P.S. This post was created and proposed to me by  Tinzley Margolin. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

http://www.nannyflower.com/blog/10-reasons-parents-dont-believe-their-child-is-sick/