We’ve all been there—the sleepless nights as you try to monitor your child’s rising temperature, the heartbreak of seeing your child struggling with cough and clogged nose, and the fervent wish that you were the one sick instead of them just to alleviate the bad feelings they’re experiencing right now. And the worst part of it all? Even as your child has just recovered from sickness, they may go home the next day or two feeling under the weather again.
These experiences can also be particularly worse during the sick season, which usually occurs during the fall and winter months in the United States, with peak months between December and February.
But should you be worried about your kid always getting sick?
The quick answer is not yet.
Infants and toddlers are often prone to being sick, which shouldn’t be a cause of immediate concern. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, younger children may contract upper respiratory tract infections like common coughs and colds around 10 to 12 times a year. This reduces in frequency as the child gets older, about the same time as their immune system matures.
Aside from the relatively immature immune system, there are other factors that may contribute to making your child get sick often. These include hygiene, in that they’re more likely to hold on to several things and touch or rub their face with their hands. Another is the close interaction, especially in daycare settings, which increases the likelihood of your child interacting with another sick child and contracting their sickness, and so on.
5 Tips to Keep Your Kid Safe During the Sick Season and Beyond
I know that it could be particularly overwhelming to not know what to do when your child gets sick. But don’t worry, I got you! Here are 5 tips to help you and your child survive the sick season and beyond:
1. Boost Your Child’s Immune System
It’s always been said that prevention is better than cure, and our child’s health is definitely not an exception. Even with the fact that a young child’s immune system is still developing, there are still measures we can take to strengthen it.
Making sure that your child eats not just your “browns” (like chicken nuggets or hamburgers) but also some “greens” (like vegetables), could help provide them with vitamins and minerals that can fortify their immune system. But if they’re in their picky eating stage, don’t try to force it yet—trust me, I’ve been there.
Instead, what you can do in the meantime is ask your pediatrician for multivitamins that can supplement these nutritional requirements. Keep your child active as well, and have them sleep soundly within optimal ranges of around 8 hours a day.
2. Always Keep Your Child Hydrated
Encourage your child to stay hydrated when they’re playing or even when they’re just sitting around the couch. Always have your child’s water bottle personalized with the durable InchBug Orbit Labels® Personalized Baby Bottle Labels on them, and remind them to drink plenty of water. Have your child hydrate with warm broth or herbal tea to also help soothe their sore throat if they ever catch a cough or a cold.
3. Teach Your Child the Importance of Proper Hygiene
One of the most important factors that can make our children frequently sick is their lack of awareness on the importance of proper hygiene practices. Teach and encourage your child to properly clean their hands before and after eating, using the bathroom, playing outside, etc. Also, teach them to cover their mouth and nose properly when coughing or sneezing, and avoid touching their faces, especially after interacting with a sick person.
It’s highly likely that your child could touch dirt or other unsanitary surfaces while in daycare or during play. But that shouldn’t make you stop them from doing their usual activities that may make them sick! Instead, just emphasize that they must always keep their hands clean, never touch their faces with dirty hands, and never put their dirty fingers on their mouth nor suck on them.
4. Be Mindful of Food Safety
Our kids aren’t just prone to coughs and colds; they could also frequently complain about tummy aches! This could be a sign that they might be eating something that doesn’t do good to their stomach, so make sure to always make sure that their food is hygienically prepared. Also, make sure to avoid cross contamination that can lead to your child having an upset stomach by properly labeling and organizing food and utensils through InchBug labels.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
From one mama to another, I know how bad it feels and how you could feel guilty when you aren’t with your child 24/7 to nurse them back to good health, but know that your health matters, too.
Ask help or support from other family members with regards to looking after your child, especially when you and your husband are both working. Discuss with your husband as well the sharing of workload, so it would feel lighter and not overwhelming, otherwise you may run the risk of burning out.
Taking a break and resting won’t make you a bad mom—consider them as a way of recharging to be your best self when taking care of your child.
Keep Your Child Safe With InchBug Labels
Even with fewer kids getting sick when the sick season ends by May, it’s still important to protect your child. And for this, I found that labeling my child’s belongings with InchBug labels was particularly helpful. For one, it reduces the likelihood of the other kids drinking on my child’s sippy cup. The InchBug Allergy Alerts labels were also helpful in letting teachers know my child’s allergies and other health conditions.
As May ends, so does the worst season, and I wanted to applaud your efforts as early as now to ensure your child is free from diseases, or as comfortable as possible when they catch coughs or colds.
Keep it up, and hang in there, mama! You got this!
