Winter hygiene is the best method to keep your children healthy and happy this winter. KidsStreet is here to educate you on best practices for winter hygiene for kids.
Common Winter Illnesses
Winter illnesses in kids tend to hit households hard during cold months, specifically November through March. Children who attend public school are especially at risk for developing winter illnesses due to their exposure to other kids, as well as the circulated air around schools.
Some of the most common ones include:
- Cold viruses
- Flu viruses
- Strep throat and sore throat
- Ear infections
- COVID-19
- Stomach viruses
- Pink eye
KidsStreet diagnoses and treats each of these illnesses with our urgent care services for kids.
Winter Hygiene For Kids
Personal hygiene for kids is the best way for them to stay healthy this winter! Teaching your child the following practices can drastically reduce their chances of getting sick during cold and flu season.
Hand Washing
One of the very best practices for keeping kids healthy is teaching them how to properly wash their hands! According to Lakeview Doctors, the appropriate amount of time for washing hands is at least 20 seconds.
If you’re unsure of the best practices of hand washing, KidsStreet has you covered! Teach your child these steps to ensure they always wash properly:
- Step 1: Thoroughly wet your hands with clean, warm water.
- Step 2: Apply a pump or two of soap, and begin to lather all over the hands.
- Step 3: After you have a rich soap lather, place your hands under the running water and rub vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Don’t forget to get under those nails and between your fingers!
- Step 4: Rinse the soap off, making sure all of it is off the hands.
- Step 5: Dry your hands extremely well, making sure there are no wet spots.
Make sure your child washes their hands frequently, especially during the winter months.
Cold weather can also bring dry skin, especially if you have a good hand washing routine. An additional step for comfort after washing your hands is to add a bit of your favorite lotion to your hands.
Covering Your Mouth
This crucial step in winter hygiene for kids helps reduce the spread of airborne illness! Although a small gesture, kids covering their mouth when sneezing or coughing can drastically reduce the spread of certain illnesses like cold and flu.
Go over the proper technique of covering your mouth and nose with your child when they are sick. The best practice for this is sneezing or coughing directly into the crease of your elbow. Make sure they completely cover both their mouth and their nose when they do this.
KidsStreet does not recommend using your hands to do so, as this can spread illnesses via touch if they do not wash their hands directly after covering their mouth.
Stay Hydrated
Another way to ensure healthy kids this winter is to ensure they stay hydrated! Being dehydrated can lead to a compromised immune system, which increases their risk of contracting winter illnesses.
Make sure your child drinks plenty of water each day, especially if they do extracurricular activities like sports and exercise.
Keep Sick Kids Home
If your child is experiencing a winter illness, keep them at home until they are feeling better or cleared by a medical provider. This is the best way to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria around school systems.
Turn To KidsStreet Urgent Care
Sometimes good winter hygiene is not quite enough to prevent your kids from getting sick. When this happens, KidsStreet is there for you! We can help your child heal and feel better fast.
To visit one of our kid-centric clinics, register online. You and your child will be able to join the queue from anywhere, and wait from the comfort of your home or vehicle until we are ready to see them.
Didn’t register ahead of your visit? Not to worry, we love walk-in patients! However, please be aware that walk-ins may experience longer in-clinic wait times. Patients are seen in the order that they register, and walk-ins are added to the same queue as those who register online.