Being around people this time of year means we might catch their colds or come down with other illnesses. Staying healthy allows you to keep up your festive spirit and enjoy this special time of year. In order to stay healthy this holiday season, especially if you have a child in daycare or preschool, there are a few things you and your family can do.
These tips are especially useful if there are younger children in the home. Kids are always bringing home their friends’ colds, so showing them how to stay healthy while they’re at school, at day care, or in after school childcare means the only things they’ll be bringing home is their homework or their school projects.
- Washing your hands often will help stop the spread of anything you don’t want to catch. Kids touch everything! So make sure they touch soap and water, too. Carrying a portable container of hand sanitizer and teaching them how to use it – a little is all that’s needed – can help a lot, too.
- Make sure your whole family is getting enough sleep. A tired immune system loves to invite infections in for prolonged visits. And they aren’t nearly as fun as when your family visits.
We’re usually running a lot of errands or going to multiple parties – at work, at our kids’ schools, at friends’ houses, with our families – which means we might not be eating right either. Taking the time to actually prepare healthful meals and snacks will prevent us from eating too much of the wrong things when we’re partying. Or from stopping for fast food while we’re shopping.
- Dry air can affect your health, too. Using a humidifier in your house helps keep your mucous membranes healthy, which leads to fewer colds or other respiratory problems.
- Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. We usually remember this during the hot summers, but might not think about it as much during the winter time. Send your kids to daycare or school with their own, clearly labeled water bottle and make sure they know not to share.
Stay healthy this season with a sensible approach to washing your hands, eating right, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water, and your whole family will be able to stay healthy all winter long. You’ll look and feel better, plus be able to fully enjoy the season without suffering from any illnesses. And you won’t have to take out a loan to keep your family in tissues either!
Happy, healthy holidays from A Child’s Place at the Ranches!
