Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids

It’s no coincidence that kids tend to get sick in the fall.  When they head back to school, they’re exposed to a lot more people, and therefore, germs. Lysol has created a really cool program called the Healthy Habits Program with great resources for educators and parents.  The tool kit includes:

• Ready to Use Lesson Plans that are aligned with current National Education Standards and give students the opportunity to learn about germs, hand washing and other healthy habits.  I love the “Make Your Own Soap” lesson!
• Free Posters and Literature for home and classroom use that serve as reminders of the healthy habits they should be practicing every day.
• Parent’s Activity Guide to help parents get their kids get excited about practicing healthy habits
• Healthy Habits Bus is an exciting “science museum on wheels” that will visit dozens of schools this year with fun, interactive exhibits that reinforce good hygiene behaviors.

Teaching good hygiene in schools has been shown to reduce the number of absences due to illness.  We can do our part at home too!

The number one way to reduce the spread of germs is hand washing.  I’ve found that there are two types of kids (at least in our family): Ones that hate hand washing, and ones who love it so much they’ll spend way too much time playing in the sink.  For both types of kids, there’s a great rule to follow!  Proper hand washing requires 20 seconds of lathering.  It takes about 20 seconds to sing the alphabet or the Happy Birthday song.

Remind children to wash both sides of their hands and in between their fingers while singing the song of their choice.  We always wash our hands before meals and after using the bathroom.  We also remind our kids not to put their hands in their mouth (or fingers in their nose) because germs LOVE to live on our hands!

Another healthy habit we’ve tried to instill in our kids is to cough and sneeze into their arm rather than their hand.  I’ve heard teachers refer to this as sneezing or coughing like a vampire.  This helps prevent germs being released into the air and spread by contact.  It’s a great rule for everyone to follow!

As a parent, I try to take the time to keep germs at bay by using Lysol products.  Lysol has been a trusted brand in the filed of health and hygiene for more than 100 years.  Lysol Disinfecting Wipes are super handy and kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria including Influenza A, E.coli, MRSA, the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and more. These thick and strong wipes are great for use on hard surfaces all around the house including counter tops, sinks, door knobs, light switches, telephones, toilet seats and more.

When someone is infected with the cold and flu, the virus can live on the surfaces they touch for up to 48 hours!  Routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces can help prevent the transmission of cold and flu viruses.  It only takes a few minutes to wipe down surfaces with these disposable wipes!

Lysol Disinfectant Spray is another handy germ buster!  It has the same effectiveness as the wipes and can be used on hard surfaces AND soft surfaces including couches, mattresses and pet beds.  Frequently spraying Lysol Disinfectant Spray on hard surfaces such as door knobs, remote controls, phones, keyboards and toilets as well as on fabric and in the air can help prevent the spread of viruses like cold & flu.  I like the clean Crisp Linen fragrance of the spray and the peace of mind Lysol products give me, knowing that germs are immediately stopped in their tracks when they meet up with Lysol.

The suggested retail for a standard size bottle of Lysol Disinfectant Spray is $4.97 while a 35 count carton of wipes sells for $2.99.  You can find out more about these products at www.lysol.com.

 Lysol has recently partnered with Box Tops for Education! For a limited time, when purchasing two participating Lysol products, 20 bonus eBoxTops – the equivalent of $2 worth of Box Tops – will be available for redemption. To learn more about Lysol and Box Tops for Education-eligible products, visit Lysol.com/boxtops.

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