5 Ways to Prevent the Common Cold During the School Year+ #Giveaway
When kids come home after a day at school they bring all kinds of things with them; class pets, library books, homework, friends… All of these are usually welcome in any home (except for maybe the class pets) with open arms. However, there’s something kids bring home during the school year that’s NEVER welcome, and that’s the common cold.
The common cold usually affects the upper respiratory system; sinuses, throat, chest and is no fun at all for anyone! Knowing the necessary precautions to take that’ll prevent your child from getting sick is key during any time of year. However, seems to be even more so during the school year.
TEACH YOUR CHILD TO WASH THEIR HANDS
Proper handwashing has got to be the most important tip I can give you.
First, ensure your child is not just wetting their hands. Soap and water or hand sanitizer are the only ways to get rid of germs. If they’ve been in contact with the public, for example; school, shopping, the park, etc…make sure they wash their hands when they get home. And teach them to always wash their hands; after they go to the restroom and before they eat…no matter what!
DISINFECT EVERYTHING
Let’s be honest, just because you teach your kids the proper way to wash their hands it doesn’t mean they’re going to. Disinfecting everything ensures that at least the germs aren’t going to spread. Be sure to pay special attention to the toilet and door handles in your home.
NO SHARING FOOD OR DRINKS
Temptation can come in the form of many things – a Slurpee on a hot summer day or a yummy chocolate bar. Whichever your little one’s weakness may be, let them know that sharing food and drinks can cause cold & flu viruses to spread fast, so it’s a big NO-NO!
MAKE SURE THEY GET PLENTY OF REST
Kids are constantly doing something physically or mentally draining, and even more so once school is in session; gym, recess, brainstorming in class, etc…just thinking about it all makes even me tired. Depending on the age of your child they should be getting a minimum 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Having a bed time based on when they get up in the morning is essential for making sure they (and you) get the rest that’s needed to stay healthy.
MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is essential for children and can be found in some fortified foods and many fruits & vegetables, such as; apples, cabbage, dark leafy greens and of course, peppers…just to name a few.
So, what do you do if you have a picky eater that will only eat a few of these foods?
You get them a supplement that they’ll WANT to eat, something that looks and tastes a lot like candy - HALLS KIDS Vitamin C Supplement Pops is the first supplement pop offered nationally. It contains 60 mg of Vitamin C in a citrusy orange flavour that my boys love so much they think they’re eating a sucker. Luckily, Colton is past the recommended age of 4-years-old because I don’t think he’d forgive me if I didn’t let him have any.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS…
As much as we try to prevent the common cold from coming in our homes, sometimes it sneaks in any way. Having some relief on hand for those little stuffy noses and sore throats is what every child (and parent) needs.
HALLS KIDS Cough & Sore Throat Pops is the first kid’s lozenge in the form of a pop. This delicious Strawberry or Cherry fruity flavour with 5 mg of menthol helps relieve nasal congestion, sore throats and annoying coughs for a short period of time.
I’ve been lucky enough this summer to NOT have to try the HALLS KIDS Cough & Sore Throat Pops, yet on my boys (or myself) but you can guarantee that when the school year starts this will change. Thankfully, my cupboard is stocked with 2 packages of 10 pops; one in each flavour, just in case…
What’s your #1 tip to keep the common cold out of your house during the school year?
Enter to WIN…
Enter to WIN…HALLS KIDS wants to give ONE lucky CANADIAN readers to WIN 4 packs of HALLS KIDS – flavours may vary (ARV $27.96) – giveaway ends 9/15.
64 Comments
Anne Taylor
My number one tip is to have everyone wash their hands multiple times a day! Last year, my grandson and I were sick with colds one after the other for months!
kathy downey
My #1 tip to keep the common cold out of my house is soap and water!
Soozle
My number one tip is to practice good hand hygiene
Jennifer P.
My #1 tip is to wash your hands!! Every day at school/preschool drop off I remind my kids to wash their hands several times throughout the day - when they use the bathroom, before they eat, when they come in from the playground or gym or library etc. And as soon as they get home the first thing they have to do is wash their hands.
409cope
We wash our hands often and take vitamin C to help prevent colds.
Lynda Cook
I wish I had a tip, it seems as soon as school goes back the colds and other virus’s come home, but I’m big on washing hands and using sanitizer
DebH
For me wiping down commonly touched areas with a cloth sprayed with vinegar seems to help; railings, switches…
nicky
We wash our hands when coming in the house to keep colds at bay.
Darcy Koch
I always stress the importance to the kids of washing their hands. They each have a small bottle of sanitizer in their backpack. There are other things I do as well such as disinfecting lightswitches and door knobs routinely.
Joni
My #1 tip to keep the cold out is Vitamin C and washing hands and everyone get your own glass to drink that tiny sip of water from that you so desperately need
jan
Hands must be washed when coming into the house from outside.
Janet M
We do try to make sure hands are washed and coughs go in one’s arm, but it is tough.
Elizabeth Matthiesen
Washing hands well and often helps prevent passing on bugs and germs. Clean door knobs and handles often - and don’t forget your phone either that is a huge germ carrier.
MaryG
#1 tip: wash your hands & try not to touch your face too much. Rubbing my eye during cold season is a sure way of me getting one every time.
Jonnie
We eat healthy and use hand sanitizer to try and keep the cold away.
Victoria Ess
We practice good hand hygiene!
Judy Cowan
My #1 tip is to make sure everyone takes the time to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. I am always saying wash your hands!
Laurie P
washing hands as often as possible! That’s pretty much it for us, and seems to keep the cold away!
Jeannie Lam
We wash our hands and make sure they cough into their elbow.
Erika Letson
My #1 tip is handwashing! I always make the kids wash their hands when they get home from school first thing.
tanyab79
Wash your hands regularly and your door handles.
Sab Edwards
WASH those hands after using the bathroom please .
ivy pluchinsky
My best tip is to make sure they wash their hands regularly and before they eat is a major one!
KellyPC
Wash your hands & learn to sleeve sneeze!
Florence Cochrane
Covering your nose and mouth when sneezing and washing hands often.
Tara Betterley
I ask my kids to wash their hands constantly, don’t share drinks or food and always cover their mouth and noses when sneezing/coughing.
Elizabeth Matthiesen
I’d have loved to have made a comment on a non-giveaway post but they all seem to be closed. Even the coffee one from Aug. 1st.
catherine almond
Since I am a nurse, I have always told the kids to wash their hands to the song of Happy Birthday. Once the song is finished it means that they washed their hands long enough. I also make sure they do it with running water to flush the germs away
Amanda Komoski
Great tip!
Dana Miller
My #1 tip to keep the common cold out of my house is good handwashing habits! We wash our hands when we come in from school or elsewhere. We always wash before we eat too.
Cathy Coibion
My #1 tip is be proactive! Every morning I drink a tablespoon of lemon juice, honey and apple cider vinegar. I dissolve it in a quarter cup of warm water. I haven’t had a cold in 20 years!
Amanda Komoski
Apple cider vinegar is also good for so many other things, isn’t it?!
lisa bolduc
teach my kids how to cover their noses and mouth if the cough or sneeze
Allie f
Keep surfaces clean and have kids sing twinkle twinkle little star when washing their hands!
Tainan Lu
My #1 tip to keep the common cold out of my house is taking vitamins
Julie bolduc
My tip is to always wash your hands and well it’s hard to keep the bugs out
LINDA G
Proper hand washing is key!
crystal porter
Wash your hands and get lots of rest!
loucheryl
As soon as my boys and I get home, we wash our hands. I kept hand sanitizer in my purse too.
Jamie hall
Washing your hands and using hand sanitizer is my number one tip
Pat Drouillard
We always cough or sneeze in our arm and wash hands a lot.
Marla P
We wash our hands and use hand sanitizer.
Andrea Amy
Washing hands, eating fresh produce even in the winter, and dressing for the weather.
Marlene J
We use hand sanitizers, drinks lots of juice, echinacea & wash our hands frequently.
darci paice
The best way to keep the cold from our home is to continually wash our hands, doorknobs and fawcets, handles and those things that you come into contact with.
Maria
I make sure we take vitamins, wash hands often and eat healthy
Dianne G.
Besides frequent hand washing I like to disinfect all the door handles, light switches and other surfaces that are always being touched. If anyone has a cold or flu I also take away all the hand towels and put paper towels in their place to help prevent the spread of what they have.
Gillian Morgan
Wash you hands often and disinfect commonly touched surfaces.
dave
My number one tip is to practice good hand washing and take vitamins.
Cassandra Gale
Daily vitamins and good hygiene.
travelbuds
I keep enforcing hand washing in my house.
Marina M.
Tip number N1 from our family is to wash hands and eat lots of fruits and veggies.
Robyn Bellefleur
My #1 tip is frequent hand washing.
Caryn Coates
I am always making sure the kids wash their hands. I am so big on that.
Carey Hurst
We use the old trick of generations past and have cut onion halves placed all through the house to clear and clean the toxins from the air . Replace every 3 months or before dependant on how much has been taken from the air.
Stephanie LaPlante
My number one tip is to always wash your hands! Kill those germs!
Josie Tusa
Washing our hands frequently, especially when we first walk in the door.
Linda Svarovsky
We wash our hands all the time
Nicole Jubleew
My number one tip is lots of handwashing.
M
Always wash hands
Lucy
We are sticklers about washing our hands often.
Brenda Penton
My biggest tip is to wash hands and also to cough or sneeze into the elbow to even further reduce germs on hands.
Ami B
Washing our hands is the best tip. And I spray Lysol on the door handles. Kids are germ buckets 😂😂
Robyn L
our #1 tip is hand washing and when no water/soap present we use Sanitizer.