How I Help My Family Stay Cold & Flu Free

Cold and flu season is rapidly approaching--and if you are like my family we have already had one round of the cold strike while we were visiting family in Texas. I dread cold and flu season every year, but with a few simple things to remember I try to convince myself that we will make it through another season with the minimal amount of colds and hopefully zero cases of the flu hitting our household.

The following tips are ways that I keep my family as healthy as possible during the season:

Tip One: We get our flu shots. My entire family drives up to our military hospital and gets our yearly vaccine. This year my husband, Isabella, Madelyn and myself have all received our annual flu shot. This was even more important to me this year because Brynlie cannot receive her flu vaccine until she reaches 6 months of age which happens to be in November.

Tip Two: Wash your hands! My daughters are constantly touching things from toys, items on the ground, door handles, you name it. To help prevent the spread of the germs that they pick up we wash our hands a lot. I try to have them wash their hands before they eat, after the bathroom, and anytime that we've been outside. It's helpful for my family to keep a stool in our childrens' bathroom so they can reach the faucet and soap themselves.

Tip Three: I buy disinfecting wipes. I love disinfecting wipes! I have a stock of them at home at all times. They are a great way to wipe down light switches, door handles, toilet handles, counter tops, toys, etc. And a bonus? There is no prepping of them. You pull it out and get to disinfecting. These are great to keep in your car and/or bag for when you go on a car trip or to wipe down the shopping cart handles. Super easy to use and a great way to kill off cold and flu germs.

Tip Four: I carry hand sanitizer with me at all times. I have it in my purse, my diaper bag, my car. Honestly I am within reaching distance of a bottle of hand sanitizer at all times. This is great for when you are eating out or eating on the go and are unable to wash your hands with soap and hot water. They have a huge variety out there on the market today which is great if you tend to get dry hands easily (I have eczema). One of my favorite types is the foaming hand sanitizers that are alcohol free. They aren't as harsh on my skin which is a major bonus.

Tip Five: Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing/coughing. Now that two of my daughters are getting older they are catching on to cover up when they sneeze or cough. I still reach over to do it for them if I can tell that they will forget, but Isabella especially has been really good at covering up to help stop the spread of germs. It grosses me out when I see an adult who sneezes/coughs and doesn't cover up their face. Ew! Remember to wash your hands afterwards--and if that isn't possible use some hand sanitizer to kill off any germs.

Those are five of my favorite tips in stopping the spread of cold and flu germs. Do you have any specific tips that you want to share? Leave your comment below and maybe I will learn another way to keep my family healthy this cold and flu season.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.