No parent wants to see their child get sick. In addition to their child being unhappy, parents miss work, kids miss school, and everyone loses productivity. Fortunately, sickness can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. Here’s what you should know about how to keep your children healthy year-round. 

How to Ensure Your Child Stays Healthy Year-Round

A Healthy Diet

Nutritious foods will boost your child’s immunity making them less prone to sickness. Aim for foods high in antioxidants like summer berries and winter citrus fruits. Several food items increase immunity year-round such as leafy green veggies, almonds, ginger, and sunflower seeds.

Get Them Vaccinated

Ensure your child follows their recommended vaccination schedules. Children should also get the flu vaccine each year. Shots and nasal sprays are available. Talk to your pediatrician to determine which is right for your child.

Encourage Them to Wash Their Hands Properly

Hand washing can significantly reduce the spread of germs. Teach your child to wash their hands properly. They should scrub their hands for at least 20 seconds ensuring they clean both the fronts and backs.

You may also send your child to school with hand sanitizer that they can use to clean their hands throughout the day.

Make Sure They Get Enough Sleep

Sleep and immunity go hand in hand. Sleep aids with the production of cytokines, antibodies, and T-cells that fight infections. Ensure your child follows a regular sleep schedule and gets at least eight hours of sleep nightly.

Discourage Sharing Food and Beverages

Children may think sharing food and beverages with their peers is fun, but this practice increases the spread of germs. A child can carry an antibody that doesn’t make them sick but can cause illness in others. Teach your child that sharing food may seem polite, but it puts their peers in danger.

Teach Them Coughing and Sneezing Etiquette

Coughing and sneezing spread germs. Children should learn to cough or sneeze into their elbows or a tissue. If they sneeze into a tissue, they should wash or sanitize their hands afterward.

Wipe Down Surfaces

Parents can keep families healthy by wiping down surfaces that are frequently touched. These include countertops, doorknobs, electronics, and light switches. Use an antibacterial cleaner to ensure these surfaces are germ-free.

Discourage Face Touching

The face is a prime spot for germs. The mouth, nose, and eyes have mucous membranes that allow germs to enter. Discourage children from touching their faces to ensure they stay healthy.

Consider Prestige Home Care Agency for Pediatric Care

Prestige Home Care Agency can help keep children healthy. We are here to care for children who require extra assistance. Our trained nurses can care for children at home, in transport to school, and at school.

We can assist with g-tube management, bowel and bladder management, seizure management, medication management, and more. We can also help new mothers with newborn health assessments, lactation consultation, vital sign monitoring, cesarean recovery, and other issues that may arise with newborns.

Keeping children healthy is not easy, but we are here to provide support. Contact us for assistance with parenting needs.