Unbelievable, My Kindergartner Already Has a Runny Nose & It’s Only the 4Th Da

We use the Flintstones immunity support and a vit C supplement during cold and flu season. Right now we use regular Flintstones and lots of fresh fruits since they are in season...my kids love smoothies so we use overripe and frozen fruits in with some OJ and ice. It makes for a healthy treat afterschool too. Another thing to consider is a probiotic. They can be found in yogurts, however we found one called FloraBaby that's a powder that can be put into most any food or drink and is tasteless. It's not cheap, but I think it helped keep their immune systems in balance and stronger to fight off common "bugs" that we're all bound to come in contact with. This is particularly helpful if your child does have to go on an antibiotic because they often wipe out all good bacterias and leave the child more susceptible to getting sick again. The FloraBaby helps re-establish the good "germs" faster so your kid can get back on track.

Some other thoughts for you...
I have to say that kindergarten is a cesspool of germs. Some kids have NO hygiene skills despite Mom's best efforts. I constantly find my kids sticking their fingers in their mouths, wiggling teeth, biting nails, etc. no matter how much I remind them not to! Plus I have seen plenty of other kids picking their noses, coughing and sneezing without covering or turning away and then touching the tables, scissors, etc.

I think the best things you can do are try to teach your son the basics about washing frequently and keeping his hands away from his face. When he comes home, say hello, then bring him RIGHT to the bathroom to wash up and maybe even change his clothes. Our pediatrician recc this after we had a newborn and two school aged kids...she said the clothes should come off and go right into the laundry. We have "lounge wear" and "play clothes" that the kids use as their after school clothes. Although this creates mountains of laundry, we felt it was in our newborn's best interest and honestly, I think we dodged many of the common bugs that were floating around.

I've also heard of another mom who every hour made her kids wash their hands when someone in the house was sick, just to keep transmission to a minimum.

Just remember that K is when many kids get sick as they haven't been exposed to many of these viruses yet. I know helping them deal with the illness stinks, but just know that it really is making him stronger in the long run.

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I would also suggest probiotics. There is a powder form we buy on www.vitacost.com. I think it is Kids Primal Defense. I just mix a 1/4 tsp. in my children's morning smoothie and they don't suspect a thing!

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Shaklee's are GREAT!!!

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http://www.oligofructosecomplex.com/ is what I use. They have vitamins for all ages and they are proven to be the most soluble and protecting against free radicals on the market, anywhere. The science is there and it's published in medical journals already. It's by referral only so call or email me if you need the info. J. Baird ###-###-#### ____@____.com

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http://airbornehealth.com/

check out this website and see if its what you are looking for.
I agree though - simple colds are good for boosting ones immune system - as long as it doesnt last to long or develop into an infection and causes a fever to develop - then you are good to go. Fevers are what cause such things to become contagious and sharable.
My daughter just started first grade and as much as I want to keep her from the common cold - keep in mind that right now there is a lot in the airs that are causing uncharacteric allergies - I hardly ever have reactions with my allergies but something is bothering me off and on recently... I wont take anything though - I will let it run its course and deal with it because its not bad and isnt affecting my day to day
Good luck in finding a solution!

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I give my girls regular gummy vitamins - but last year we started drinking orange juice at breakfast. My girls don't drink a lot of juice, but I figured some extra vit C can't hurt anyone and despite being at school/daycare during the week, I think we only had 1 or 2 colds the entire winter. In fact, I think my husband and I were sicker then the kids!

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Flintstones or the generic equivalent. Both my kids love the taste of them.

And, I feel your pain on the sicknesses starting. Both my kids were in daycare this whole summer and had no illness. My daughter started Pre-K and since then my son has had croup and a stomach virus. My daughter has had the stomach virus twice! And, I got the stomach virus too. I HATE germs. If the gems don't get us, I think the chemicals in all the disinfectants I have used the past 2 weeks will!

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I hate to say this, but being exposed to germs actually boosts our immune systems.
My son and I are just getting over summer colds and he didn't start school until Wednesday. Part of the problem with where we live is that it's 100 degrees one day and 50 and foggy the next. We've been roasting for 5 days straight and today it's so cold, I have the heater on.
You've received really great advice about vitamins.
Make sure your son knows to wash his hands after blowing his nose, keep his hands away from his eyes, and if he has to sneeze or cough to do it in the crook of his arm.
That's good advice for anybody.
Make sure he gets plenty of liquids and rest.

I hope he feels better soon!

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My girls take the disney gummy vitamins. They're 9 and 3 and never (knocking on wood) get sick. They sell them at walmart for $5 a bottle. Also give him a bottle of hand santizer to clip on his pants or backpack or to keep at his desk. Kindergarders are gross, lol.

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I recommend Xango juice. It is made from the Mangosteen fruit which is on Dr. Oz's list of top 5 super foods. Mangosteen has a special class of nutrients called Xanthones which have many great health properties, including boosting the immune system. It's better than Vitamins A, C, and E all put together. My grandkids love it, it tastes great. Check it out at www.tryxjuice.com. And, it is a referral marketed product, so it's a great way to make extra $$ as well as get your product for free. Call me if you have any questions ###-###-####).
Blessings,
K.

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Vitamins are good another great thing to do is make sure after he comes home he strips down and washes his arm/hands right away it's added work but seriously after seeing a huge bugger glob (gross I know) on my daughters back after coming home from school one day this is a ritual especially now that we have a 4 month old at home. YUCK! lol some kid must have sneezed behind her in line or something. We use shaklee vitimins

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I am a school teacher, and it is kinda unavoidable. My 5 year old is also sniffling and sneezing... try to encourage good hand washing and keeping hands out of mouths (seemingly impossible for my little guy!)

Not sure if a vitamin is going to help, but we use "Lil Critter Gummy Vites" that tastes good. I have stored it up out of reach since it really seems like candy to my son.

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Actually the incubation period for a cold is up to 14 days, so he could have picked this bug up two weeks ago. I'm not saying that schools aren't hot beds of infectious diseases, I'm just saying it might not be from the school.

That being said, the best way to get specific vitamins into kids is to do it through their diet. However, if you think you can get him to swallow pills, maybe you could give him half of a C and half of a Zinc every morning. This is a super-combo to boost the immune system. I always take it when I'm traveling and I never get sick any more (even when I was sitting next to a "Typhoid Jim" on my last flight!) I also always take it when I feel any symptoms coming on and it knocks them right out. Of course I take the regular dose in the morning and evening for several days to fend off illnesses and at all other times I take the full dose in the morning daily to prevent them in the first place, but for a 5yo a half dose once a day should be sufficient.

Also, not sure about the Zinc, but I know they have chewable lozenges for C that taste okay for kids to chew. Maybe you'll be able to find something similar for the Zinc.

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I just found these gummy vites online. It is a gummy that is a combo of only C, Zinc and Echinacea which is truly an immune system triple whammy. I'm going to order some myself since it's made specifically for kids!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G7QPYG/ref=pd_lpo_k2...

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L'ilCritters Gummy Vites, 2010 Chef's Best Award for best taste.

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Alacer's Emergen-C multi vitamin plus (half packet per serving), Alacer's regular Emergen-C, and Alacer's Emergen-C for kids. I've used them all at different times and for different health needs with my kids. They mix with any liquid and my kids love the flavors. Here's the website; www.emergenc.com
I've also given my kids Airborne when it seems they are coming down with something. For a fast recovery, in addition to vitamins, limit your child to liquids and watery soups with little bulk and eliminate meats and dairy products till he is at least on the up side of his illness. This will allow for his body to focus less on digesting and processing and more on fighting off the bad germs :)
May God bless you~Chell

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It may not be a cold. Both my boys are having major allergy symptoms this year even though they have not had any in past years.

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Yes I can, I work for a company called Advocare and have for almost 11 yrs. one of the biggest reasons I love it is the children's line is exceptional. Our daughter is in the 4th grade and has never had a cough,cold, runny nose,etc. If you would like more information you can call me at ###-###-#### or check out our website www.webuildchampions4life.com
I look forward to helping you, K. Roberson

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Any daily children's multi-vitamin will help. You may have to try several to find the one your child likes. They have swallow ones, chewable ones, and gummy ones. I would say let him pick, but he might pick the one that is the character he likes without paying attention to taste.

Is this his first time in close surroundings with other kids? If so, it's to be expected. Kids (and adults) have to be around the germs and bacteria to build up an immunity to them. Have you ever talked to a new teacher or nurse? Their first year of working they get everything, especially if they don't have kids of their own that they are around. You can't keep them in a bubble, because when they come out, they are going to catch everything. I am a firm believer in general cleanliness, cannot understand germaphobes. We didn't have all these anti-bacterial this and anti-bacterial that when I was growing up (or my parents, or their parents before them) and we turned out just fine.

And be wary of hand sanitizers. Kids very easily use too much, either in amount each time and/or frequency. And hand sanitizers are POISONOUS! They are 90-something % rubbing alcohol. If a child puts his/her hands in her mouth before the sanitizer has dried, it can poison them.

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If your son likes gummy candy, I highly recommend Juice Plus gummies.
My two younger daughters (9 yrs& 17 months) both take these in different quantities. They are rarely sick & since they have started taking these, they are enjoying more veggies & fruit in their diet. The rest of our family is on the adult capsules. Juice plus is concentrated natural fruits in one gummy(red) & concentrated natural veggies in the other gummy( green). My husband sells them but you can also go on line to order! Hope this helps!!

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I second the probiotics. They help your intestine stay healthy and have the good bacteria to fight the bad bacteria. You can get them in yogurts like Stonyfield farms, in kids pills and other ways. Go to a local health food store and they will help you pick one out.

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My daughter loves the Hannah Montana gummy vitamins. if you can find them in the store, you can see if there's a more "unisex" style next to them. They are so yummy that I even started taking hers!

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We use Nature's Plus Animal Parade vitamins and Lil' Critters DHA. I also give them an over the counter probiotic. I do notice a difference in how often they get sick but sometimes that also comes with age (so, maybe it's not the supplements that are responsible). I feel like my son recovers from colds quicker but I'm afraid getting sick in school is the inevitable. Just teach him to wash, wash, wash (or use hand sanitizer). And to keep his fingers out of his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. ....I'm sure you do. I get pretty graphic (telling him that these microscopic viruses and bacteria make there way into your body...they are like little bugs). Maybe it freaks him out a little. :) I feel like my kids are getting better at this and they are still very young.

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You will find a lot of websites out there claiming the benefits of taking vitamins (particularly vitamin C) and probiotics for cold prevention, but I think the facts speak for themselves. For cold prevention, more than 30 clinical trials including over 10,000 participants have examined the effects of taking daily vitamin C. Overall, no significant reduction in the risk of developing colds has been observed. In people who developed colds while taking vitamin C, no difference in severity of symptoms has been seen overall, although a very small significant reduction in the duration of colds has been reported (approximately 10% in adults and 15% in children). For cold treatment, numerous studies have examined the effects of starting vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms. So far, no significant benefits have been observed. The #1 way to prevent you from getting a cold is good hygiene - hand washing and hand sanitizer. Check out the Mayo clinic's website for more information.

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