Ward Off Coughs & Colds in Kids: Some Top Tips

With the start of a new school year and Christmas very much on the horizon, the last thing you want on your hands is a cough or a cold – and we’re not just talking about you! Thanks to bugs being passed around the classroom, kids are more susceptible to picking up illnesses than anyone else.

But why not nip coughs and colds in the bud before they even occur? Here’s how:

Encourage Regular Hand Washing – Often, kids don’t understand the real importance of hand-washing, with most assuming it’s just another silly rule parents impose – just because they can. The fact is, washing their hands regularly could be the number one prevention tool when cold and flu season sets in. Schools are rife for viruses, with hundreds – if not thousands of kids – passing through the corridors, touching chairs, bannisters and door handles and blindly affecting others with colds or coughs. For teenage children, a good quality hand sanitiser might be an idea for popping in their school bags, while younger children need to get in the habit of hand washing whilst at home. Teach them why it’s important as early as possible and it’ll hopefully (fingers and toes crossed!) rub off on them enough that they remember at school, too. Now this is a tricky one, but it’s also worth letting your kids know – particularly high school-age ones – that touching their face is a big no-no. All this does it help spread any infections or viruses looking in the air. Don’t give germs a helping hand! 

Eat Healthily – It may seem an obvious one, but so many parents – following the rush of the school run – resort to ready-made meals and frozen, packaged food. And we almost can’t blame them! The weekdays can be busy enough without having to devote an hour or two in the kitchen cooking up healthy foods. But the good news is you can prepare lots of things in advance; carrot sticks and celery are ideal for popping into lunch boxes, while fruit can be grabbed on the go. WebMD also recommends everyone eat more phytochemicals, which are basically foods featuring the natural chemicals found in plants. Think dark green, red and yellow vegetables and fruits – eating healthily can be simpler than it sounds!

Try a Multivitamin – High street shops like Superdrug and Boots offer a whole host of child-friendly multi-vitamins, many of them chewable and some even in gummy bear form to ensure little ones remember to take them. Why not chat to your local pharmacist to see what other options are available, or head down to your local health food shop for some failsafe natural remedies? Getting kids into the habit of taking a multivitamin – or even a single vitamin C tablet – daily could be all that’s required to ensure colds and coughs stay well away this autumn and winter.

And if Operation Cough and Cold Prevention fails, don’t panic. There’s all sorts of tips, tricks and advice for parents online. We also love places like Pinterest for coming up with things we’d just never think of. These honey and lime ice lollies (pictured), for one, are absolute genius. Simple to make and perfect for little ones as colds and other viruses set in, they’ll help bring down a fever, as well as soothing sore throats.

How do you ward off coughs and colds?