Thanks to Nina of The HSS Feed for sharing how her family stays healthy during back-to-school and winter months.
Since school started up again, I think you could say we’ve gone a little overboard trying to keep everyone from getting sick. It never fails, the kids go back to school and new germs get brought home, spread around – and in our case, mama is usually the first one to get sick (and I’m the biggest baby of them all!).
We’re doing our best to eat healthy meals at home, get a good amount of sleep and we are somewhat obsessively washing hands when the kids get home from school, after sneezes, trips to the bathroom and after the other usual messes that the boys make.
I also usually take some time once fall starts to do some disinfecting and cleaning of toys in our playroom. I honestly should probably do this more often, but every month or so is about as good as I’ve been able to do, and it does make me feel better! I’ve also been trying to make it part of our routine to wipe down highly used surfaces (like the coffee table, boys’ play table, etc.) before bed each night to just keep things extra clean.
We are also sure to keep up with our consistent well visits to the pediatrician, and we take the boys in for flu shots once they are available at our doctor’s office.
To be honest, I used to be a bit skeptical about flu shots. So skeptical, in fact, that Clint used to have to bribe me with sushi lunches to get me to go and get one. But after getting flu shots at my OBGYN’s recommendation while pregnant, I’ve made it a habit without a fuss for the last several years. We’ve managed to avoid getting the flu throughout the time we’ve been getting flu shots, and we’re happy to take any precautions we can to keep our home safe and healthy.
Our pediatrician has also always recommended flu shots for the boys, so we have consistently gotten them flu shots throughout their lives. Of course they’re never big fans of shots, and they definitely come with bribery (and thank goodness Target is nearby!). But with that, I do feel that if the flu shot is something we can do to help prevent them from getting very sick, or at the very least, help minimize the severity of the flu if the boys do get it, then I want to make sure I’m doing that.
As parents, all of us want to make sure our kids are happy and healthy, and there are many big and little ways to do that. I think it’s also really important to be informed so that we all make the best decisions possible.
Our pediatrician is also wonderful with providing any answers to questions we have about vaccines. I’ve also done my own research and a great resource for your vaccine questions, whether that be for flu shots or a regular vaccination schedule is I Vaccinate. I think I Vaccinate has a great FAQ section of their site with answers to common questions. That section also, to me, is a great way to start a conversation with your family doctor or pediatrician about what is best for your family and your children. So check it out and make an appointment to talk more and learn more for yourself and your family.