Beating the Booger Monster
If you have small children, or are around small children frequently, or you have a friend that has small children (honestly, if you even just come within a mile radius of small children) then you have officially been attacked by the Booger Monster. You might not have been aware, but I can assure you it happened.
The Booger Monster is a very real thing. You can't always see it (unless you're staring some little snot nose kid in the face who sneezes on your glasses), but if you fall into any of the above categories, then you have been a victim. Kids are like Petri dishes... a cozy home for bacteria and microorganisms to grow and flourish. And it spreads like wild fire.
Before I had kids I used to look at other parents and think, "Geez, why can't they keep their kids' hands clean, and noses dry, and basically just quarantine them when they get sick so no one else gets it!?"
It didn't take long for me to realize that's just not possible. Once your kids venture out into the world of germy other kids, your kids become those germy kids as well... and the cycle continues.
We were pretty lucky with our first baby as she didn't really get sick for the whole first year of her life. But I know for a fact she carried around the germs she came into contact with because my hubby seemed to be sick every other month after she was born.
Anyway, after our son was born it was like he became the poster child for breathing treatments and nose suctions. He was congested ALL THE TIME! Some kids have better immune systems than others, but that doesn't mean they don't carry around the germs and viruses that wipe us out for several days at a time. Whatever my daughter was around at preschool, she brought home to her brother and he felt the results.
Well, my daughter is now almost 6, in kindergarten, and my son is 3, in preschool and church is like our second home so Sunday morning kids class is another place they frequent. Needless to say, they have soooo many opportunities to turn into the Booger Monster.
BUT, after 6 years of having kids I finally feel like I caught on to a few ways of helping keep the Booger Monster at bay. Not that our kids never get sick, but it's far less than it used to be and even my hubby has seemed to back off the colds way more than he used to.
There's always the obvious:
Make sure your kids wash their hands after bathroom breaks and after playing outside or just in general if they've been at high germ density places... like Chuckee Cheese 😞 Make hand washing fun for them so it doesn't turn into a fight! I'll make waterfalls with my hands under the faucet when my 3 year old washes his hands.... he thinks it's awesome... but I am awesome so it makes sense😉
Also, teach your kids how to find some tissue or toilet paper so they can WIPE THEIR OWN NOSE! I'm pretty sure I saved myself about 3 hours a day (during cold season) after they were empowered to wipe and blow their own nose.
One more obvious, but not always focused on, is talking to your kids about HOW germs spread. Teach them to cough/sneeze into their arms and step away from others when doing so. I've also taken the extra step to explain to my Kindergartner that if she sees her friends coughing and sneezing or if she has a little cold, maybe try to stay at arms length from them instead of doing the normal kid thing and standing nose to nose just to tell her friend about the fun time she had at the park over the weekend. And for the love of God, do NOT touch my face until you've hosed yourself down in the shower!
So here are a few other tips that I can attest to, from experience, that can help keep your munchkins' immune systems up and the Booger Monster away.
SLEEP
Some of you might have noticed that you're more likely to catch a cold when you aren't sleeping well. That's because they are related. Studies show that when you don't get enough sleep depending on your age, it can lead to higher levels of a stress hormone and also inflammation in your body! Both things that lower your immune system. The Sleep Foundation says:
Infants 12-15 hours/day
Preschoolers 10-13 hours/day
School-Aged 9-11 hours/day
Teens 8-10 hours/day
Pay attention to your kid's sleep patterns and make sure they are getting the correct amount on a regular basis.
EXERCISE
Physical activity or exercise obviously promotes good cardiovascular health and lowers blood pressure. But it can also contribute directly to improving immune systems by promoting good circulation, allowing the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. Exercising also boosts 'feel-good' chemicals which can help you sleep better (see above).
Make sure your kiddos are getting outside regularly and running around! Even if you're in a cold climate area, YouTube for kids has some awesome kid exercise videos! It's fun and they can do it inside.
NUTRITION
If you've read my Health and Fitness page, you know how important good nutrition is to me. But if my personal experiences don't motivate you, maybe this will:
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs your immune system cells that attack bacteria. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a sugary drink or pack of candy. What happens when our immune system can't fight bacteria? Uuuuhhhhhh... the bacteria wins, duh. There are reasons that doctors have always said eat more fruits and veggies! They are rich in vitamins C and E, and also beta-carotene and zinc! All great immune system supporters. Limit the sugar intake for your entire house and see what happens.
My children are, by far, not the best eaters. It's a constant struggle with them, as are most households (I hope for the sake of my confidence in parenting). But ever since my hubby and I started focusing on eating better, that directly related to keeping most junk food out of the house, which ends up affecting the kids whether they like it or not. And guess what else happened? Sicknesses have been cut in half! I'm not exaggerating. That's not an exact count, but it's pretty dang close.
When it all boils down, it's really about taking care of ourselves too. When our munchkins get sick, there's a pretty darn good chance that we will get sick too. And even if we don't, we're still going to lose sleep because of their late night coughing sessions, and miss work because they can't go to school, and get stressed because we have to help with their makeup homework.
I'm all for scary movies and haunted houses, but PLEASE let's just keep the Booger Monster away this year.
Praying for all of you and a healthy Fall and Winter♥
The Booger Monster is a very real thing. You can't always see it (unless you're staring some little snot nose kid in the face who sneezes on your glasses), but if you fall into any of the above categories, then you have been a victim. Kids are like Petri dishes... a cozy home for bacteria and microorganisms to grow and flourish. And it spreads like wild fire.
Before I had kids I used to look at other parents and think, "Geez, why can't they keep their kids' hands clean, and noses dry, and basically just quarantine them when they get sick so no one else gets it!?"
We were pretty lucky with our first baby as she didn't really get sick for the whole first year of her life. But I know for a fact she carried around the germs she came into contact with because my hubby seemed to be sick every other month after she was born.
Anyway, after our son was born it was like he became the poster child for breathing treatments and nose suctions. He was congested ALL THE TIME! Some kids have better immune systems than others, but that doesn't mean they don't carry around the germs and viruses that wipe us out for several days at a time. Whatever my daughter was around at preschool, she brought home to her brother and he felt the results.
Well, my daughter is now almost 6, in kindergarten, and my son is 3, in preschool and church is like our second home so Sunday morning kids class is another place they frequent. Needless to say, they have soooo many opportunities to turn into the Booger Monster.
BUT, after 6 years of having kids I finally feel like I caught on to a few ways of helping keep the Booger Monster at bay. Not that our kids never get sick, but it's far less than it used to be and even my hubby has seemed to back off the colds way more than he used to.
There's always the obvious:
Make sure your kids wash their hands after bathroom breaks and after playing outside or just in general if they've been at high germ density places... like Chuckee Cheese 😞 Make hand washing fun for them so it doesn't turn into a fight! I'll make waterfalls with my hands under the faucet when my 3 year old washes his hands.... he thinks it's awesome... but I am awesome so it makes sense😉
Also, teach your kids how to find some tissue or toilet paper so they can WIPE THEIR OWN NOSE! I'm pretty sure I saved myself about 3 hours a day (during cold season) after they were empowered to wipe and blow their own nose.
One more obvious, but not always focused on, is talking to your kids about HOW germs spread. Teach them to cough/sneeze into their arms and step away from others when doing so. I've also taken the extra step to explain to my Kindergartner that if she sees her friends coughing and sneezing or if she has a little cold, maybe try to stay at arms length from them instead of doing the normal kid thing and standing nose to nose just to tell her friend about the fun time she had at the park over the weekend. And for the love of God, do NOT touch my face until you've hosed yourself down in the shower!
So here are a few other tips that I can attest to, from experience, that can help keep your munchkins' immune systems up and the Booger Monster away.
SLEEP
Some of you might have noticed that you're more likely to catch a cold when you aren't sleeping well. That's because they are related. Studies show that when you don't get enough sleep depending on your age, it can lead to higher levels of a stress hormone and also inflammation in your body! Both things that lower your immune system. The Sleep Foundation says:Infants 12-15 hours/day
Preschoolers 10-13 hours/day
School-Aged 9-11 hours/day
Teens 8-10 hours/day
Pay attention to your kid's sleep patterns and make sure they are getting the correct amount on a regular basis.
EXERCISE
Physical activity or exercise obviously promotes good cardiovascular health and lowers blood pressure. But it can also contribute directly to improving immune systems by promoting good circulation, allowing the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. Exercising also boosts 'feel-good' chemicals which can help you sleep better (see above).
Make sure your kiddos are getting outside regularly and running around! Even if you're in a cold climate area, YouTube for kids has some awesome kid exercise videos! It's fun and they can do it inside.
NUTRITION
If you've read my Health and Fitness page, you know how important good nutrition is to me. But if my personal experiences don't motivate you, maybe this will:
Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs your immune system cells that attack bacteria. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a sugary drink or pack of candy. What happens when our immune system can't fight bacteria? Uuuuhhhhhh... the bacteria wins, duh. There are reasons that doctors have always said eat more fruits and veggies! They are rich in vitamins C and E, and also beta-carotene and zinc! All great immune system supporters. Limit the sugar intake for your entire house and see what happens.
My children are, by far, not the best eaters. It's a constant struggle with them, as are most households (I hope for the sake of my confidence in parenting). But ever since my hubby and I started focusing on eating better, that directly related to keeping most junk food out of the house, which ends up affecting the kids whether they like it or not. And guess what else happened? Sicknesses have been cut in half! I'm not exaggerating. That's not an exact count, but it's pretty dang close.
When it all boils down, it's really about taking care of ourselves too. When our munchkins get sick, there's a pretty darn good chance that we will get sick too. And even if we don't, we're still going to lose sleep because of their late night coughing sessions, and miss work because they can't go to school, and get stressed because we have to help with their makeup homework.
I'm all for scary movies and haunted houses, but PLEASE let's just keep the Booger Monster away this year.
Praying for all of you and a healthy Fall and Winter♥
Comments
Post a Comment