Staying Healthy

In Kentucky the winter weather is in full force. Anyone that has a child in child care or school knows that this is a rough time. When you get a few kids together and one of them has a cold, the others usually end up with it also. Below are some tips on keeping your family healthy.

1) Wash hands. It is not enough to just run your hands under the water and maybe use a dab of soap. Let the water get warm, lather well and sing the ABC song while washing to be sure you get your hands clean.

2) When washing your hands be sure you are scrubbing between your fingers and on your nail beds. Here at the Child Care Council we have one of the germ finder boxes. After you wash you put your hands under the light and see all the germs you missed. It is very enlightening.

3) Sneeze and cough into your elbows. If you are having trouble teaching your kids to do this there is a great product called Germy Wormy which is basically a bandage that you put on the child's elbow. There is a very cute picture of a worm on the bandage and the kids like coughing on the worm. Once they do this, explain that the worm now has their germs. You could easily make something at home to mimic this product using your child's favorite cartoon character and a bandage.

4) Clean the heavily cleaned items. These are items I do not usually think about cleaning as often but clean your phone, doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, sink faucets and any other items that get touched frequently in your home.

5) Get enough sleep.When you are sleeping is when your body "recovers" from the day. Make sure you and your children are getting enough sleep every night.

6) Eat well. Make sure there are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products in your diet every day. If you are not getting enough, consider a daily supplement but it is always best to get your nutrients from healthy food.

7) Exercise. It is cold outside but you can still get some exercise inside. Your body needs a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity each day. This helps your immune system and helps to fight off bugs.

Follow these tips and try to take are of yourself. Spring is getting closer every day.