My little girl is fond of taking everything in her own hands, maybe because as she is growing up, she is sensing the need for being independent. She reacts when her hands get dirty and need to be cleaned as she says; “saafi, saafi”. She runs to me whenever her nose needs a clean. So when it comes to cleanliness, her ground rules are almost set but still plenty of mistakes happen every time to invite loopholes for GERMS. And over the years germs have also evolved so it has become a real challenge to deal with them.

You check any social media channel or newspaper; there are talks about respiratory diseases, smog, dirt, pollution, bacteria, germs and viruses. It’s inevitable to make the environment 100% safe but still it’s best to do your part. I have inculcated few habits in our lifestyle to tackle with winter infections; probably you may find some useful in your life too.

Take charge of ensuring cleanliness:

• Keep your indoors clean and use a good disinfectant to mop the floor daily.
• Change kid’s clothes daily along with maintaining everyday hygiene and daily bath. If the kid is unwell then also ensure to give at least 3-4 baths in a week.
•  Keep minimum 2 handkerchiefs for the child at a time, one separate to wipe nose.
• Know how and when to wash hands: mandatory cleaning once the child comes back from park, school or any outings, before meals and before sleep.
• Use a good hand sanitizer in case water and soap is not available to ensure hands are 100% germs free and remember to pat them dry.

Introduce good habits to stay clean.

• Discourage eye- and nose-touching: Many children have the tendency to keep on touching their skin, politely guide them not to do it or use towel or napkin to clean the skin.
• Teach them how to cover mouth while coughing, indicate them to use their bent inner elbow, not in their hand to cover the mouth while sneezing.
• Don’t share food and drinks with any other kid with the same spoon, cup or bowl.

Keep an eye on the Health Indicators

• If the child exhibits any sign of lethargy and cold, it can be the start of illness. Try to avoid sending the child to school or better stay indoors.
• Start with home remedies like saline water steam, dry roast ajwain-garlic in a tawa and put it in a potli to keep it next to where the child sleeps. You can also rub lukewarm oil or ghee on the child’s chest to relieve from chest congestion.
• In case of fever and higher sensitivity, immediately contact the pediatrician.

Boost the Immunity

• Drink plenty of fluids to flush out toxins from the body.
• Try to include one serving of soup in the child’s daily meal.
• Have good intake of proteins in the form of dairy products, eggs, fish, green leafy vegetables, etc.
• Nutmeg (Jaiphal) has a calming effect when consumed in smaller doses. Add a pinch of nutmeg to a glass of warm milk and have it before sleeping.
• You can add ginger, ajwain, tulsi leaves or any other herbs in lukewarm water and offer it to child.
• Introduce jaggery, honey, mix herbs, green leafy vegetables, and warm liquids.

Take Precautions

• Avoid travelling in the busy buses, rails or during peak hours with the kids unless it’s absolutely necessary.
• Always carry wet tissues and hand sanitizer to clean the dirty hands that come in contact with public utilities.
• If your kid is small and shows  signs of illness, don’t hesitate to take off from work.
• Carry your own water bottles.
• Low cloud, dull and misty conditions tend to bring an increase in germs, avoid going out during such weather and plan some interesting activities indoor.

Contrary to many beliefs, winters cause more illness because of the smog in air. I had a tough time getting the pediatrician’s appointment for my girl as there is huge flush of ill children in the hospital these days.

With an experience of 2.5 years as a Mother, I can confidently say that children are more exposed to illness than the adults and there is nothing to be scared of. But yes if we take necessary precautions, we can always decrease the intensity of our child’s suffering and lower the risk. So make the best time of the lovely winters and stay germ-free…

I would be happy to read your tips and suggestions, please write back to me.

Also published at https://www.momspresso.com/parenting/droplets-of-thoughts-of-a-mum-wife-woman-and-much-more/article/winter-safety-protection-tips-for-your-kid

Pic credit: https://www.parents.com/health/cold-flu/cold/is-my-child-contagious/