How to Prepare for Cold and Flu Season

Keeping your child healthy during cold and flu season can be a struggle, especially when they are in school or daycare. Even with Covid, common colds and the flu are still around. You can prevent Covid, the flu, and even common colds all day long and teach your child to wash their hands thoroughly but you can’t prevent another person’s child from coughing in your child’s face or sneezing on their food. The joys of being a parent! It is not possible (or healthy) to put your child in a bubble all their life. Getting sick is a part of being a child (and even adult) but look at it as an immunity builder. Let’s talk about how you can prepare for the dreaded cold and flu season.

Making sure you have the proper necessities if your child does get sick is important. You may need to make a trip to the store once they come down with something but if you are a single parent, you may consider having some of the necessities on hand so you do not have to take your sick child out in the cold. A few of these items include:

• Fever reducer/pain reliever
• Pedialyte
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Elderberry syrup or gummies (HERE is a recipe if you would like to make your own!)
• Kleenex
• A nasal aspirator (for your little ones) along with a nasal saline solution.
• Humidifier
• Colloidal silver
• A designated “puke bucket”. Mop buckets from the dollar store are great for this!
• Thieves Cleaning Spray
• Essential Oils
• Trustworthy Thermometer

Some Essential Oils to Keep on Hand

Essential oils are a great way to help ease symptoms as well as prevent illnesses without filling your child’s body full of chemicals that could compromise their immune system. 

• Oregano Oil (great to rub on your child’s feet at the onset of sickness)
• Thieves Oil (great to diffuse)
• Peppermint Oil (rub on belly for stomach, on temples for headaches)
• RC Oil (for coughs)
• Lemon and lime oils great for congestion
• Frankincense oil for fevers

Inclined Sleep Support

One often overlooked aspect of sickness in children is how their positioning during sleep can impact the severity of their symptoms. While it may seem like a minor detail, the way a child sleeps can significantly affect their ability to breathe and clear mucus from their respiratory tract. When lying flat, gravity works against them, allowing mucus to accumulate in the sinuses and making breathing more difficult.

Additionally, when a child lies horizontally, blood flow to the head and face increases, exacerbating symptoms such as nasal congestion and throat irritation. This heightened blood flow can make it harder for the body to combat illness effectively, leading to longer recovery times and potentially disrupting your child’s sleep. Encouraging your child to stay active during the day can help naturally keep their airways clearer by utilizing gravity’s beneficial effects on mucus drainage. Supporting proper sleep positioning may not only improve their comfort but also aid in faster recovery from sickness.

The innovative design of Tum & Bum not only addresses the physical comfort of toddlers but also caters to their health needs. By encouraging optimal alignment and respiratory function, this forward-facing incline sleeper offers a holistic approach to soothing upper respiratory infections. The elevated position promotes better drainage, reducing the discomfort of coughing and congestion, ultimately leading to improved sleep quality for both child and parent.

Furthermore, the thoughtful consideration given to the size and incline of Tum & Bum underscores a commitment to providing a supportive environment that aids in restorative sleep. This attention to detail reflects the genuine understanding of parents’ desire for practical solutions during times of illness in their little ones. By acknowledging the importance of personal comfort items like pillows and blankets, Tum & Bum allows for customizable coziness while maintaining its focus on promoting effective rest for sick children.

A Trustworthy Thermometer

I have had some bad luck with thermometers. Several I have purchased have given false readings saying my children’s temps are WAY below normal when I KNOW they are running a fever. False readings happen often.

Another problem I have is, sometimes I need to take my child’s temperature while they are asleep. That can be a difficult task, especially if you do not want them to wake. Having them remove their shirt for an underarm reading when a child has a fever can send them into having chills while putting a thermometer in a child’s mouth when they are coughing can give an inaccurate reading… not to mention the germs from placing a thermometer in a child’s mouth!

The Termo 4-in-1 Digital Thermometer allows me to check my child’s temperature without even touching them. Using an infrared sensor, you can check your child’s temp to get accurate results and allow them no additional discomfort.

A Termo 4-in-1 Digital Thermometer is silent (or you can have it beep), it has an instant reading, AND it even has a colorful backlight which tells you if your child’s fever is normal (green), slight fever (orange), or high fever (red). That comes in handy when you are exhausted and unable to think as clearly!

Additional Tips for Parents with Sick Children

• Remember to keep your hands as clean as possible.

• Help prevent the germs from spreading by keeping your child home until their symptoms have subsided.
• Do not hesitate to ask for help from your loved ones when they offer.
• Wash your child’s bedding.
• Don’t forget to sanitize or get a new toothbrush after your child has been sick.

Let’s try and keep our kids healthy but, especially during cold and flu season, be prepared in case they wind up coming down with something. Feel free to add your tips in the comments for other parents!!

Image Source: Freepik