Like many young children, my kids get sick a lot through the fall and winter, probably an average of once a month or two, from October through March or so. Usually just an average cold, nothing worse, but still a bummer. I just booked our airfare for winter break and I am trying to figure out how to keep them healthy.

One thing I just thought of is that they won't have school for the 9 day before we go, so do I just keep them tied to the house (except family Christmas stuff) for that whole time?

Any other ideas besides the obvious - handwashing, lots of sleep, etc. Does anyone do anything special? Have you had to deal with an illness on a trip?

TIA!!

Like many young children, my kids get sick a lot through the fall and winter, probably an average of once a month or two, from October through March or so. Usually just an average cold, nothing worse, but still a bummer. I just booked our airfare for winter break and I am trying to figure out how to keep them healthy.

One thing I just thought of is that they won't have school for the 9 day before we go, so do I just keep them tied to the house (except family Christmas stuff) for that whole time?

Any other ideas besides the obvious - handwashing, lots of sleep, etc. Does anyone do anything special? Have you had to deal with an illness on a trip?

TIA!!Airborne? It has worked here. Keep the house aired out.

Flu shots are recoomended by my son's pediatrician. He got his first one last fall and had the healthiest winter of his life. I know they don't prevent colds or stomach viruses, but at least you wouldn't have to worry about the flu.

Frequent hand washing, I know it sounds mundane, but it really does help. Remember that most sickness enters our body through our eyes, nose and mouth. Try to keep your kids from touching their face a whole lot. I definitely recommend a flu shot, remember it takes 2 weeks for the immunity to build in your body. If your doctor doesn't have it, or is too costly, call your public health department. And I totally agree with Malcon10t Airborne works! I give my kids one half tablet every day for a week prior to travel, and I pack it with us to take for extra protection while we are in the park. Cheers to happy healthy traveling:D

Keep them from touching hand rails! Escalator rails are the worst for germs!! Use those disenfecting wipes for shopping carts, sometimes the stores have them for you to use. I use those Clorax wipes around the house to wipe off the phone, tv remotes, door handles, toliet handles, light switches and it has made a huge difference!! Really though, lots of sleep and lots of good healthy food will also keep them immune systems running!!:) Have a great trip!

Keep them from touching hand rails! Escalator rails are the worst for germs!!


Besides the general thought of "who else touched that with their hands" here is a little story just to make you go "eewww!".
Last year while waiting (in the rain) to get our picture done with Santa in the Magic Kingdom I saw these two little kids rubbing their hands up and down the rail in front of them...then licking their hands.:eek: They did this for 2 or 3 minutes before the mother notcied. I kept thinking to myself, next week she is going ot wonder where they got some funky bug.

Try Echinacea this is what i use with my children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea

First sign of a cold i dose us all up with vitamin c.

I haven't tried it on my son yet, but my parents swear by Airborne - if anything, it minimizes an already existing cold, but I'd be careful of the amounts you give to children and talk to you doctor first. Personally . . . we just quarantine our kid. :) Not really, but pretty close . . . he's only three, so its' a bit easier for us. I'm doing my best to keep him from touching all things public - door handles, railings, etc., but a curious three-year-old touches EVERYTHING!! UGH! It drives me nuts. We wash and Purell a lot. Just make sure you bring some cold meds along with you just in case. You'd hate to have to run to the store during your trip just to buy the same stuff you have sitting in your cabinet at home. It can't hurt to tote it along. Drink lots of water and orange juice.

Be careful with that Purell hand sanitizers. I heard they are not good for your hands. It kills the top layer of cells therefore disinfecting your hands but if you touch anything right after you are more susepticble to pick up those germs. That is what I heard. Who knows if it is true, guess I could ask the peditrician.:)

And although they are havens for bugs - PLEASE use handrails when descending/ascending stairs. You can wash your hands frequently to ward off ickys - broken limbs would really put a cramp in your vacation plans!

(I was doing some work at a pigment plant -they made lots of blues and reds to go in paints and such - there was pigment EVERYWHERE - they even told you not to wear khaki pants, even though it was washable - and they painted their stair rails black so that people wouldn't see how dirty they were and would not be discouraged from using them)

Be careful with that Purell hand sanitizers. I heard they are not good for your hands. It kills the top layer of cells therefore disinfecting your hands but if you touch anything right after you are more susepticble to pick up those germs. That is what I heard. Who knows if it is true, guess I could ask the peditrician.:)

Sounds slightly odd to me - isn't the whole top layer of cells on your hands already dead? The living cells are safe underneath.

Purell is probably bad for your hands mostly because it dries them out, so you'll get really dry skin if you use it too much. But it's great when you don't have time for soap & water.

Purell is probably bad for your hands mostly because it dries them out, so you'll get really dry skin if you use it too much. But it's great when you don't have time for soap & water.Right. Studies have shown that of the two, Purell type products do a better job than handwashing.

Remember to keep Purell away from kids though. It is 62% ethyl alcohol.

I actually use Avon's natural antibacterial hand gel and i have eczema on my hands and this product actually never dries my skin out and it does not burn either and it also comes in some nice scents . I am not sure about the alcohol content though .

Vitamin C - feed them oranges and orange juice, but if they don't like those, then they make vitamin C tablets for kids I believe. And I think some are chewable.

Also, have your kids wash their hands a lot and use Purell or something similiar afterwards - but don't let them have free reign of the Purell.

And I'm sure you know this ;), but remember to have your kids wash their hands before eating after you've been at the park. My brother and mom got the flu while we were at Disneyland last year. :S

Good luck and have fun.

(EDIT: Just felt I should mention that I know this because I work at a daycare and my sister is a 1st grade teacher, so I'm pretty up on preventing sickness.)

Try Echinacea this is what i use with my children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea

Pseudo medicine.

Airborne? It has worked here. Keep the house aired out.

Pseudo medicine.

First sign of a cold i dose us all up with vitamin c.
No proof of effectiveness.

No proof of effectiveness.

Can you site your source for this.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/62/71548.htm

Can you site your source for this.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/62/71548.htm

Not exactly a rining endorsement, and no double blind (the only type that matters) study.

Not exactly a rining endorsement, and no double blind (the only type that matters) study.I prefer double blinded studies myself, however, I also know somethings will not be tested in a DB and we then have to make the decision for ourselves. We did find, anecdotally, Airborne seemed to help.

Not exactly a rining endorsement, and no double blind (the only type that matters) study.

Not sure what a "rining endorsement" is. Still waiting for your "No proof of effectiveness" source.