Sick kid being taken care of.

Healthy Habits for Keeping Colds Away

About the Author
Melissa Weekes is a Product Development Specialist. Prior to joining Great Kids® in 2018, she worked as a home visitor with Public Health Services where she used the Growing Great Kids® Curriculum. Melissa lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and enjoys any opportunity to be creative! 


This morning I woke up with a dull headache and to the sound of icy rain beating against the window. It’s the kind of dreary, low-energy day that makes you want to opt-out, roll over in bed, and pull the covers up. Ugh.

But then that small, somewhat squeaky, responsible adult voice kicks in, and you haul yourself out of bed to face the day…because that’s what adults do. And if you’re like me, you pull up your optimism and gratitude like a pair of well-worn, fallen-down socks on the skinny legs of a first grader and adjust your attitude like a wayward necktie.

Because that’s what ADULTS do.

But kids, not so much.

If you care for a child, you’ve likely experienced days when they wake up sick and generally not themselves. You know the kind of day I’m talking about. You accidentally miss a minor step in the child’s routine (which they normally wouldn’t notice), but on this day, it results in an epic meltdown. Or you end up spending the day comforting an out-of-sorts toddler that won’t let you put them down, not even for half a millisecond.

These kinds of days can be challenging for adults and kids alike, but they can also be part of the journey to building strong immune systems in young children. I was interested to learn that babies aren’t born with fully functioning immune systems.9  It’s not until after birth that a child’s immune system really starts to develop through gradual exposure to germs.1,9 

And sometimes, it can seem that kids are constantly catching a bug. According to pediatricians, it’s normal for children to experience more illnesses during the first year they’re around other kids, with the frequency usually declining in the second year.1  So, for those of you nursing a child with another cold, you might take a little comfort in knowing that over time their immune system is developing a “memory” that will last them into old age.9

Thankfully, no matter our age, there are some things we can do to boost our immune system. These include:

  • Eating a variety of nutritious foods.6,8
    • Our immune system can function more effectively when we give it the fuel it needs to fight off illness. If anyone in your family is a picky eater, talk to your healthcare provider about different options that might work for you.
    • If you have an infant and are able, breastfeeding is a great way to kick-start a developing immune system.4
  • Getting enough sleep.6,8
    • This includes establishing healthy bedtime routines such as limiting screen time before bed (yes, this applies to us adults, too!).6
  • Getting outside and being active.6,8
    • If you’re not sporty like me, this can be as simple as taking a walk or going to the park with your child or family.6  These are excellent ways to get moving and enjoy a boost of vitamin D.
  • Following your health care provider’s recommendations around checkups and immunizations for your family.2,6,8
  • Practicing good hygiene, such as handwashing and coughing into your elbow.2,6
  • Getting a pet!3,5,7
    • *Disclaimer – Don’t get a pet unless you’re really ready for a pet…BUT, studies have shown that being around animals such as dogs, cats, and farm animals can support children’s immune systems.3,5,7
  • Reducing stress.6,7
    • We’ve all experienced times when we’ve been stressed, and our immune system has taken a dive. Unhealthy stress that continues unchecked can affect our immune system long term.7
    • Reducing stress for children can look like giving them the support they need, and protecting them from overstimulation and overscheduling.7  Kids need downtime too.

On days when our family members or we aren’t feeling the best, one way we can reduce the stress is to downscale our to-do lists and go with the flow. There’s no way you’ll ever get that enormous pile of laundry done and keep your sanity with a sick toddler attached to your hip. And you may not get that report written for work the way you’d hoped.

So, take a deep breath, and give yourself permission to take care of yourself or just BE with your child as much as possible. Not only will you be reducing your family’s stress, but you’ll be boosting everyone’s immune system, too.

References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Early Childhood. (2022, December 6). When to keep your child home from child care. Healthychildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/work-and-child-care/Pages/when-to-keep-your-child-home-from-child-care.aspx

2. Caring for Kids. (2021, August). Colds in children. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/health-conditions-and-treatments/colds_in_children

3. Fall, T., Lundholm, C., Örtqvist, A. K., Fall, K., Fang, F., Hedhammar, Å., Kämpe, O., Ingelsson, E., & Almqvist, C. (2015). Early Exposure to Dogs and Farm Animals and the Risk of Childhood Asthma. JAMA pediatrics169(11), e153219. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3219

4. Government of the Province of British Columbia. (2021). Baby’s best chance: Parents handbook of pregnancy and baby care (7th ed.). HealthLinkBC. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/babys-best-chance.pdf

5. Havstad, S, Wegienka, G, Zoratti, E. M., Lynch, S. V., Boushey, H. A., Nicholas, C., Ownby, D. R., & Johnson, C. C.  (2011). Effect of prenatal indoor pet exposure on the trajectory of total IgE levels in early childhood. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology128(4), 880–885.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2011.06.039

6. McCarthy, C. (2021, October 12). Boosting your child’s immune system. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/boosting-your-childs-immune-system-202110122614

7. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2020). Connecting the brain to the rest of the body: Early childhood development and lifelong health are deeply intertwined: Working paper no. 15. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. www.developingchild.harvard.edu

8. O’Leary, S. (2022, September 21). 5 ways to help your kids have a healthy school year. Healthychildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/school/Pages/back-to-school-tips-to-help-kids-have-a-healthy-year.aspx

9. Simon, A. K., Hollander, G. A., & McMichael, A. (2015). Evolution of the immune system in humans from infancy to old age. Proceedings. Biological sciences282(1821), 20143085. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.3085

Recent Posts

Riding the Child-Led Play Train

“Choo! Choo!” my nephew Scotty* called out, “Auntie, come get on the train!” As I made my way into the family room, I saw Scotty instructing my sister where the ticketing line started, eager for us to hop aboard the train. As we each sat in our assigned seats, our train grew longer and longer as we all joined in on the fun! 

read more

Becoming Trauma-Informed, Becoming Resilient

Since I moved into my own home several years ago, the season I look forward to most is Spring. The previous owner left many lovely plants, trees, and bushes, including a coral azalea that brightens the view outside my office window for a few brief weeks each year.

read more

Becoming a Parent Changes Your Brain

Don’t you love crawling into bed each night? The weariness of the day seems to soak away as you snuggle under the covers and feel the comfort of your bed envelop you.

According to researchers, our bodies and brains need sleep as much as breathing air and drinking water, but the amount of sleep required differs from person to person.

read more

Nurturing Traditions

Upon opening the door to my grandmother’s house on a Sunday afternoon, you are delighted with the sweet aroma of buttery biscuits and the sound of joyful family laughter greeting you. As you enter the kitchen, you will find us all working together to prepare the Sunday Dinner, a treasured tradition that has been passed down from my grandmother’s generation. Childhood memories often play a profound role in shaping our adult lives. These moments have taught me more than culinary skills. They have passed down values, cultural connections, and a sense of togetherness that will last a lifetime.

read more

Playing Together

The other day, I was walking by a local playground. I stopped for a minute to notice all the happy children running around and playing with each other. It brought back such sweet memories of when my own kids were little and played on this playground with my community’s playgroup. Seeing how much the kids loved playing together and their parents bonding was such a heartwarming experience. Playgroups had a significant role in my parenting journey, and I’m so grateful for the memories they helped create.

read more

Imagination in Adults

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you picture “playing pretend”? Maybe you conjure up the image of a toddler using a recycled cardboard box as a racecar, or perhaps a preschooler mixing up a questionable potion from rarely used kitchen spices and tap water. I must admit, I have quite a bit of personal experience with the latter. For many adults, I think, we can quickly put together a colorful picture of a young child tapping into their imagination and transforming the world around them into one of their own designs. It’s more difficult, though, to find a similar picture for ourselves as grown-ups. When was the last time you activated that creativity?

read more

Growing Great Kids®

Why Choose Great Kids?

Never any recurring licensing fees

Proven Success

Over 37,000 people have been trained to use the Great Kids curricula

Protective Factors – GGK Constructs

Research informed constructs embedded in the Protective Factors Framework

Alignment with Head Start

The Growing Great Kids Home Based Curricula Series exceeds all Head Start Curriculum requirements

Evidenced Based Research

As evidenced by seven independent evaluations, the GGK Curriculum produces outstanding results

Specialized Training Programs 

On-site and virtual training options available

Healthy Families America

The Growing Great Kids curriculum aligns with and builds upon the HFA model approach