For parents, the winter season means stocking up on food to create warm meals, making sure the home is warm during cold days and stacking up the bathroom cupboards with medication, in case the kids catch a cold.
This is not an easy task as it requires a personal touch and a lot of multitasking.
As we prepare to embrace the cold season, setting our homes ready for cold days around the fireplace or the heater while creating special family moments, let us be mindful of these few tips that can help keep our kids healthy this cold season.
Practise good hygiene – Good health starts with good hygiene, therefore, if you are a conscious parent about your kid’s health, good hygiene practices have to be part of your household. In winter specifically, some kids tend to not wash their hands as the thought of cold water gives them chills. They should be motivated to do so regardless of how cold it is, or preferably, use a sanitiser.
Use the right immune-boosting supplements: While making sure that your family follows a healthy diet, local leading pharmaceutical company Dis-chem suggests you speak to your doctor for suitable safe supplements for your kids for the season. Chat with your doctor about a few safe supplements for your kids. Fitness and wellness expert, Lisa Raleigh shares that for her daughter, she uses “a good probiotic as well as a zinc/ vitamin C complex and an additional immune support syrup for winter.”
Teach your kids ‘cough etiquette – It is important for kids to be taught cough etiquette as that will help others not catch their sickness if practised properly. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, kids should be taught to “turn their heads and cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue or the inside of their elbow.”
Keep your kids at home – Kids love tagging along when parents go to the shops, this is often nice for parents too as having a companion while shopping has its perks. Very Well Mind, an online hub that offers guidance on mental health and finding balance adds that much younger kids may be affected easily when around sick people.
Put a Pause on Sharing – Whether it is at home or school, kids love to share. This act of kindness should be discouraged during the winter season as kids may easily catch each other’s gems, share health care centre, Health Park Paediatrics. The hub adds, “Discouraging this particular type of sharing is probably a good practice all the time, but during winter it becomes even riskier.”
Also see: Ways to get your child to try new food
