I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….. and also the most germy time of the year as well. In the northern hemisphere flu season stretches from October to May with a peak between December and March. There’s no coincidence that flu season coincides with the school year and with Alleigh in kindergarten this year I am even more paranoid than usual. The flu can literally rock your world. I remember coming down with H1N1 while pregnant with Kaelyn… the flu is awful no matter what, but when you’re also pregnant it feels like the end of the world.
The important thing is to be prepared. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about the flu I highly suggest checking out the ebooklet A Parent’s Guide to Flu Season written by the bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution, Elizabeth Pantley.
This ebooklet is full of so much useful information starting with defining exactly what the flu is and what it’s not…. it’s NOT a bad cold. It goes on to explain how the flu is spread, why children are more vulnerable, and why prevention is key. Keeping your family healthy this flu season can be as simple as the A, B, C’s.
A is for Annual Vaccine. Every time I think about vaccines a song pops into my head from one of Alleigh’s favorite cartoons – Sid the Science Kid – when the characters sing “It’s gonna hurt a little bit, but it’s gonna help a whole lot!” Vaccines contain the same antigens that cause a disease, but in a dead or weakened form which causes the body to create antibodies to fight it off. These vaccine-created antibodies will help protect your child if the actual disease germs enters their body. And the great thing is you have options because the flu vaccine is also available in a nasal spray so it doesn’t have to hurt at all. Since Alleigh is old enough for the nasal spray we do that instead because one less pinch equals a much happier kiddo.
B is for Be Healthy Handed or in other words – wash your hands!! Encourage your children to wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their faces. It’s also very important to remember that the temperature of the water and the type of soap doesn’t really matter that much. What does matter is the technique.
1. Wet your hands with clean water.
2. Rub, scrub, and lather with soap for 20 seconds.
(Sing the Happy Birthday song twice!)
3. Rinse with clean, running water.
4. Dry with a clean towel or air dryer.
*If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
C is for Capture the Germs. If you or your child does come down with the dreaded flu be sure to capture those germs by sneezing and coughing into a tissue and immediately throwing it away. If there are no tissues available the next best option is to aim directly into the crook of the elbow. Flu germs can survive on a surface for up to 8 hours so be sure to clean and disinfect your home.
Remember when even one person in your home gets the flu it effects the whole family and will most likely get passed around. As a parent it is our job to do all we can to keep our family healthy. Start by making sure everyone is eating healthy foods, getting plenty of exercise, sleeping well, and following the A, B, C’s of flu prevention. Perhaps if we all follow these steps this will truly be the most wonderful time of the year with no sneezing, coughing, aches, or chills.
How do you protect your family from the flu?
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.