Keeping you and your kids healthy

We are just a few weeks into the new year, and here's a question for you:  are you healthy?  How about your kids?  Those yucky bugs are going around - big time!  And, let's face it, with little ones, it's not always easy to keep the germs away.

Shannon Waters is an M.D. at Greater Mobile Urgent Care and a Mom.  She says the best thing we can do to stay healthy and beat the winter bugs is to wash our hands.  Wash your hands after pushing around a shopping cart, after being around sick people - you get the idea.  Easy for us adults to remember, but that's not necessarily true for children - especially if they're little! 

Shannon explains, "you can't be with them every second of the day and keep them from putting their fingers in their mouth.  But, you can teach them to wash their hands before the eat, to wash their hands with you after you have changed their diaper or taken them to the restroom.  And get them used to using hand sanitizer when you can't take them to wash their hands."

And, Moms - listen - Shannon says kids actually do need to get sick every once in awhile to keep their immune systems working.  But, we certainly want to stop the germs when we can.  So, in addition to washing hands, Shannon also suggests washing the toys, wiping down the books and sanitizing the play areas.  And, we - and, our little ones - need to be sure to get plenty of sleep.  Sleep is when our bodies repair all the damage done during the day.  Eating healthy and drinking plenty of water also help.  And, of course, if possible, stay away from sick people.  Germs spread more easily in the winter because we're inside more and we're in closer proximity to each other.  

For more stay healthy ideas, click here . And, to reach Shannon at Greater Mobile Urgent Care, click here .