Healthy Kids

well lysol is not the answer, disinfecting/sterilizing things can make it worse, it creates super bugs. a clean home is sufficient, a chemically treated home can be the basis of problems. Id recommend vitamins and probiotics for you and your family and the minimal use of antibiotics. Vitamin c, zinc, echinacia, extra antioxidants, and a water delivery service.

My husband is going to be pre-med and is shadowing a doctor as part of his qualification. He noticed that the doctors don't get sick very often - and they NEVER touch their faces - always wiping their eyes on sleeves, etc. I think that's how germs get into our bodies- through the mucus membranes in our eyes/nose/mouth. It's REALLY hard to NOT touch your face, but maybe that can help you a little.

With 3 kids, i've been there and done that. It seemed like someone was always sick and just as one was getting better the other was sick. Everything at school was brought home and passed around over and over again. Try air purifiers. We bought a couple of air purifiers for our house because my daughter has asthma and it has helped alot. She hasn't had as many problems with asthma and it has helped cut down on illness in the house.

The stronger their immune system the better off they'll be. Doesn't mean they won't get sick but they may not get hit as hard.

Vitamin D is a biggie. My kids take a supplement - 1000iu (international units) I take 5-6 a day. You can take up to 10 (adults). I buy mine at Trader Joe's. Your 7yo can take it but your little one is too young (you could go to a health food store and find out if there is an alternative for the younger one).

Healthy foods rich in vit C and antioxidants - veggies, fruits. Little to no processed foods/sugar. Omega 3's (fish oil) - And plenty of water.

Washing hands - often.

I have never used lysol (I'm sensitive to smells) and we hardly ever get sick around here.

Fresh air.

Sorry! I know it's not fun. I always feel so bad for sick kids - especially the young ones :-(

You can go to Whole foods and get children's probiotics.... put it in their food or give it to them some other way. It will REALLY help build up your childrens' immune systems in a natural way. My son used to get EVERYTHING but then I started giving him probiotics in the morning with his cereal (he doesn't know it) and just a little a day has helped us keep alot of sicknesses out of the house. Of course we still get sick sometimes but the instances have definitely gone down.
good luck!

This was my house until we got on a really excellent vitamin program.

Build your immunity and use a safer germicide in your home that will last longer on surfaces. I can make recommendations if you like.

Separate towels for each person, especially important for after hand washing. Separate toothpaste too. And never touch your face, especially not with your hand/fingers. Try to eat food that you use utensils for instead of finger food--at least until you are over the hump. And have everyone get enough sleep. They say that hand washing is the #1 way to fend off illness and sleep is #2. Good luck!!!

As many other said, totally do the probiotics! Also, get their vitamin D levels checked, they may be deficient. (Unfortunately, it's a blood test)

Also, as others suggested, get rid of he Lysol. You are killing the good bacteria also, which help balance out the bad.

Like the suggestion of salt water Q-tip. Tried spray the other day with my 5 year old, and it didn't go well. He has bad congestion for the first time since April. None of us have been sick since April - (2 year old also). We are rarely sick.

wow I really feel for you my kids are older and have stopped passing bugs between them, sometimes you just cant help it. Try to make sure your 7 year old gets plenty of vitamin c and the post about the probiotics is a fabulous thing my friend used them and they seemed to work. other than that just make sure everything is wiped down all the time- lysol is great, wash thier sheets and bedding and towels always dont let them share beds or towels - even yours- you could be carrying and not sick - good luck hope you all feel better soon

I had to smile when I read your post!! It brought back a lot of memories!! Listening to my MIL talk about having 3 kids and having to stay home for about a year when they were all little, especially when her oldest started school!!! Mine doing the same thing!! I feel for you...... been there! I just wanted you to know that you're not alone!!! You already have a lot of good ideas...... so good luck with everything!!!

Kids getting sick and things lingering are just how it goes sometimes. Especially this time of year, the weather is colder, more people are out and about from before Halloween through New Years so no matter where you go everyone is exposed to a lot of people and a lot of bugs out there. The best thing you can do it make sure they wash their hands A LOT and make sure they get enough rest and routine and keep the junk food to a minimum with the water and fluids up to keep flushing this stuff out of their system.

I always try to keep my kids hands away from their nose and eyes also, this is a very easy place to pick stuff up. Other than that, you have to just hang in there and remember that given time this stuff gets less and less as their immunity builds up.

Good luck!

Teach everyone not to touch their face unless they have just washed their hands. When a child goes off to school this is the best you can teach them as they can't get to wash their hands inbetween every interaction with peopl and stuff. Watch out for too much use of antibacterials including the soap you wash your hands with, spreading stuff on your counters, the hand sanitizers as it also kills good bacteria and leaves an opportunistic opening for bad. So just a plain soap for handwashing, this goes for the whole family. I limit in winter who gets to go to the store with me as kids touch things. I wash my hands when I get done with the store and before I put away our groceries. I wipe down counter tops with vinegar and water. My kids take probiotics, and a multivitamin, my kids play outside all the way down to 0 degrees daily. We also check for playdates if Anyone has been sick at someones house and adjust to another day if so.

stop the lysol, it actually causes more harm then good as it's an airborne mist that contains nasty stuff.
Instead use bleach water in a spray bottle. For a smaller spray bottle I use a splash of bleach and the water. You can spray EVERY Surface in your house - clothes, fabrics, floors, walls, wallpaper - literally anything - and it won't stain or ruin it. It destroys EVERY germ, virus, etc. The only thing that does that is rubbing alcohol. Doctors and the CDC and DCFS all recommend diluted bleach to destroy germs.

Also I use hand sanitizer a lot - it is rubbing alcohol (see above). Anyone sneezes or coughs or wipes their nose then EVERYONE gets a squirt of sanitizer. When I do this consistently the illnesses at my daycare pretty much are not here. I have NEVER had pink eye spread here, and I allow sick kids to attend my daycare. Stomach bugs is the only thing I exclude.

I wish they still made anti-viral kleenex - the two years I had those I literally had NO colds that spread here. But can't find them anymore.

Hi AL - I feel your pain! I had a winter like that three years ago. My oldest was 2 and my youngest 2 months. I was in the peds office every day it seemed - and finally my oldest ended up with pneumonia. I was literally crying to the ped asking "what am I doing wrong". His response - "nothing". He explained that we were just getting hit really hard and the kids weren't over one thing fully and getting exposed to another. My kids also go to daycare so they're exposed to everything. He also reminded me that each illness helps build their resistance later on.
We do the lysol thing, each morning when the kids are out of their rooms we open up their bedroom windows (especially in winter) and spray the bed, pillows, loveys, stuffed animals etc. then leave the windows open to air the room out. I change my beds 2x per week. When the kids go to daycare - as soon as they get home during peak illness season, it's right out of their clothes and into the tub. Lots of hand-washing. One final thing, which may seem a little crazy...dip a q-tip in salt water and swab the inside of their nostrils before bed. It's a similar effect to you or I using the neti pot.
The good news, my oldest is now 5 and doesn't get sick as often as he used to and when he does is definitely able to fight it off faster - so hang in there! Good luck to you and the family...

You didn't mention hand washing habits. Hand washing is the biggest step in decreasing exposure to germs. I know it is very tough to get little ones to wash their hands but it is a must, especially after touching their mouth, nose, and eyes. Of course you will have to do it for the 8 month old but your 7 year should be able to it independently with reminders of course! Good lucj=k and wish you better health in the next year.

I have only one child - a two year old - and we were passing his cold, pink eye, and ear infections back and forth between him and me for months despite all the precautions I took. It got so bad for me, in fact, that I ended up with pneumonia. Finally my doctor put both of us on antibiotics at the same time, although my son did not have any major symptoms at the time. Since we finished the antibiotics, neither of us has been sick. Maybe ask your doctor about putting both kids on the same medicine the next time one of them is sick.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but...there really isn't anything you can do until everyone's immune system is stronger...when they are all older. It is a PITA to deal with until then!

My favorite time of year is when everyone starts with gastric bug...it is the best thing in the world to scrub the carpet and sit all the children on the floor with buckets in front of them. GOTTA LOVE IT! Then, I get it, and then my husband...GOD HELP US!

My kids used to get sick all the time. I figured out it that spraying everything with Lysol made everything worse. I got rid of all the chemicals and got 100% Natural, Chemical Free products in the household and now my kids have not been sick for a whole year. If you would like to know more please email me at ____@____.com

probiotics and vitamins and washing hands more especially at day care.