Its the middle of winter here in Alaska and flu/cold season is in full swing! It is this time of year that I find myself bundling my daughter up a little tighter and becoming more strict about hand washing to avoid as many germs as possible. Every parent hates when their child is sick. Here are 10 simple ways I help my daughter prevent colds and the flu.
Water
Water is extremely important for the health and wellness of our bodies. Our bodies are 50 – 75% water. The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking 6 (for children) – 12 cups of water a day by drinking a little bit at a time throughout the day. It is more beneficial to continually sip water through out the way verses chugging a couple glasses at once. Build a habit of starting your child’s day with a glass of water. Staying hydrated is the most important thing to prevent your body from getting sick.
Sleep
Sleep allows the body to fight off sickness, heal and rejuvenate. This study shows that someone who gets 7 or less hours of sleep is 3 times more likely to catch a cold verses someone getting over 8 hours of sleep at night. Our body is working even harder to fight off any sickness when we sleep because of that we need to encourage our children to get as much as possible. It is recommended that children get in between 10 – 14 hours of sleep each night depending on their age. If your child is not getting enough sleep try establishing a consistent bedtime routine.

Fruits and Vegetables
We all heard as a child “Eat your veggies! They will help you grow big and strong”. This is one of those sayings that turned out to be completely true. Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that boost our immune systems. It can be extremely difficult at times to get your children to eat their vegetables. Constantly give them the option to try new food. Even if they do not eat it the first time, the more exposure they are given, the more likely they are to eat it. There is also always the ability to hide fruits and veggies into foods they will eat. Make a yummy smoothie or add chopped up spinach to a pasta dish. Vegetables are a game changer no matter how you get them into your child’s body.
Vitamins
Sometimes our healthy (or unhealthy) diets are not giving our bodies the appropriate amount of vitamins. For example, in Alaska, everyone has an extremely low vitamin d levels, because the sun does not come out that often during the winter. It is important to substitute in vitamin d to keep your immune system at full strength. Check with your doctor to see if your child should be taking any vitamins.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberries have so many health benefit. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities help keep the immune system strong. Since elderberries are extremely bitter it is easiest to consume them in syrup form. Beware when shopping for elderberry syrup that you stay away from ones with high sugar content, especially cane sugar (it can limit the effect it has on the body). This is what I recommend (thank you Rebekah for the amazing recommendation). It is made with organic elderberries with raw honey, propolis, and organic echinacea.
Nature
Being outside helps boost the immune system. It can lower anxiety/depression, reduce inflammation in the body, lower blood pressure and decrease fatigue. For toddlers especially, eating (I know gross) /playing in the dirt gives their immune system a huge boost. Children should also be encouraged to go barefoot (when appropriate). Here is a book all about how being barefoot in nature will improve your all around health.
Avoid Going Outside with Wet Hair
This suggestion has mostly been labeled a myth all over the internet because going out into the cold with wet hair cannot actually get you sick only bacteria can do that. Our head is usually where colds and the flu start. The eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all entry points for germs to climb in. Wet hair plus cold air can drop the temperature of your head and make those entry areas more susceptible.
Cover Up in Cold Weather
Keeping the nose covered in cold weather is essential to prevent colds and flu. Our nose is one of the main tools for fighting off bad bacteria by not allowing them to pass through the nostrils into the body. When the nose in met with colder temperatures its response time slows down which in turn lowers its effectiveness. Cover up your children’s faces in the cold weather. Scarves, face masks and blankets all come in handy during the colder months.
Wash Hands
This will be the number one recommendation to prevent colds and the flu from any doctor, ever. Children touch everything, literately everything and will usually put those hands in their mouth or nose exposing those entry points to what germs are on their hands.
Clean Often, But Not Too Often
There is a healthy balance when it comes to cleaning. If a house is completely sterile and a child’s body is never exposed to germs and their immune system does not have a chance to build and grow stronger. At the same time it is also important to clean, especially areas that have had a ton of contact from unknown areas, such as grocery carts (always wipe them down with the free disinfectant wipes they provide).
Boosting the immune system takes conscious thought and effort. Just because it is cold season that doesn’t mean your child ever has to catch one.
These are some things I don’t think people think of a lot of the time! Going to bed and going outside with wet hair especially can make a big difference!
Such good advice, especially with all the colds going around London at the moment!!
yes yes yes yes! going to bed early and then making sure that i DONT have super wet hair is key for me ha- it def makes a huge difference for this girl
It’s so hard if you take showers in the evening like I do!
I’ve never heard of elderberry syrup before, but I will have to try it! I had elderberry once in an acai bowl and it was yummy!
It is honestly amazing!
These are great tips! I also have not tried elderberry syrup before, but have heard great things about it from others. I do get outside every day no matter what the temperature is and feel so much better afterward without fail!
It is amazing!
I don’t think people realize how important water is. Thanks for the post.
Great tips! I make elderberry syrup at home, and it takes much better than the storebought kind! My toddler will even take it by the spoonful. Unfortunately, I got the flu like a week after I started taking it (total coincidence, I think) and that was enough to make my husband think it wouldn’t help at all. Some things just get through no matter what!
I’m going to make my own this weekend! That is very true. Sometimes you’ll get sick regardless of how well you care for your body.
These are all great ideas! We do most of them already and they truly do help!
I’ve never heard of the elderberry syrup tip, I’ll have to get some. Thanks!
These are great tips for preventing cold and flu! I’m working on the water thing with my son now.
I’m so guilty of not enough water lol
I love how you broke down the wet hair thing. It aggravates me so much when people say this can’t make you sick. While it’s not what makes you sick, it is something that makes your body more susceptible to sickness. It brings your immunity down! Thanks for the article!
These are some great tips! I miss living in Alaska sometimes.
Great tips I will use some of these because I do not want to get the flu this year.
Great tips! Staying healthy during cold and flu season is such a struggle!
It really is!
These are awesome ideas for natural and simple ways to prevent colds and flu. Add extra nutritional food to the diet is definitely a game-changer, and Elderberry Syrup is super effective. Thanks for the wonderful tips!