Following these Five Tips to Beat Cold and Flu Season.
Cold and flu season hits the hardest for kids in daycare. Ottawa winters keep your kids inside, creating a perfect environment for germs to grow and spread. Your child’s immune system is still developing, which makes them more susceptible to cold and flu viruses. Although illness usually lasts only a few days and has few lasting effects, it is important to teach children early about preventing the spread of germs. Here are 5 tips to help your child avoid cold and flu viruses while attending daycare in Ottawa.
Understanding Symptoms
Cold and flu both present with similar symptoms, so it is important to know which illness your child suffers from to best treat it. Colds are gradual and usually characterized by a stuffy or runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and a sore throat. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the common cold. Colds are typically caused by a virus and are spread through mucus contact.
Unlike cold symptoms, the flu comes on suddenly. Symptoms are similar, with runny noses, coughing, sneezing, and sore throats being extremely common. However, flu symptoms also include fever, nausea, and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration. Luckily, the flu vaccine can help prevent and protect your child from the flu.
Five Tip for Preventing Illness
These five simple tips can go a long way towards keeping your kids healthy at daycare in Ottawa during flu season:
- Vaccination: Flu season is between November and April, so make sure to get the whole family vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines work best when everyone gets them. Since flu viruses are constantly changing, remember to get vaccinated every year.
- Wash Hands Often: Since cold and flu viruses are transmitted through mucus, all it takes is one runny nose wiped with a hand that then touches a door handle, which is then touched by other children. Teach your children to wash their hands often with warm water and soap, especially after touching public objects or sneezing into their own hands.
- Crowd Control: it is best to avoid groups of sick people or exposing your sick child to groups of other children at daycare. If they are running a fever, vomiting, have diarrhea, or have a sore throat, it is best to stay home to help prevent the spread of infection to other children.
- Start Good Habits Early: Adults often touch their face throughout the day, and perhaps children do even more. Teaching your child to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth will help prevent the transmission of cold and flu germs. Likewise, teach young children to cough and sneeze into their elbow instead of into their hands. It is best to always carry tissue to cough into as well.
- Sharing Isn’t Always Caring: Although we want children to share with others, it is best to avoid sharing drinks, food, utensils, or anything else that comes into contact with their mouth.
Follow these helpful tips to keep your child healthy while at daycare in Ottawa this cold and flu season. While it’s not a guarantee they won’t get sick, it’ll still go a long way towards helping prevent these all too common illnesses.
