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Tips for Protecting Your Preschooler's Health During Flu Season

Admin • Feb 07, 2018
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Flu season fills many parents with dread each year. It can seem inevitable that all the little ones in class will get it at some point. However, there are things you can do to decrease the odds of your children contracting the flu this year. Consider and follow these tips to protect the health of your preschoolers throughout flu season and beyond.

Talk to Your Children's Pediatrician About the Flu Shot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children are more likely to get the flu than adults. In fact, millions of kids get the flu each year. Sadly, over 100 children died from the flu during the 2016-2017 flu season. Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend influenza immunization for all children over the age of six months.


When kids under the age of eight receive the flu shot for the first time, they may need to be given two doses of it at separate times. The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions that it's better to get children immunized as early as possible, especially since the second vaccine will be administered about a month after the first one.

Emphasize the Importance of Covering One's Mouth

Help Build Your Children's Immunity Through Good Nutrition

A balanced diet that's rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can help optimize your kids' immune system. Teach your kids to enjoy a rainbow of foods. You may encourage them to snack on their favorite fruits and vegetables after school. Prepare nutrient-rich carrots, apples, kale, oranges, celery, berries, tomatoes, and avocados for them regularly.

Teach Kids the Importance of Handwashing

One of the best ways to protect your kids from the flu is teaching them to frequently wash their hands. Handwashing can prevent a variety of illnesses, including the flu. Influenza can spread when people touch something in a room after touching their mouths or noses.


Talk to your kids about washing their hands before leaving preschool for the day. You should also teach them to wash their hands after they sneeze, cough, or touch their mouth and nose when they're sick. Also teach kids to wash their hands before eating, after playing with friends, and frequently throughout the day.

Praise Kids for Establishing Good Habits

Maintaining your kids' health during flu season requires their full participation. When you notice your children following healthy habits you've taught, heap praise on them. This kind of positive reinforcement can be very effective, and it can make you and your kids feel great. Be specific with your praise, reinforcing how they're being smart to take such good care of themselves.

Keep Your Kids Away From Their Sick Peers

When one of your kids gets the flu, keep your other children away from the sick one. It's also important to keep a little one with the flu home from preschool. Avoid close contact with people who are suffering from the flu. If there are any common areas shared with someone with the flu, clean the area before touching items in that room.


Finally, protecting your kids' health is complicated. It's impossible to prevent all illnesses. However, by teaching your kids optimal habits to protect their health, you can help them avoid preventable diseases. Children can enjoy all the benefits of a school environment. At Kids & Company, we're happy to help students thrive throughout flu season and all throughout the year.

Kids running together — Wilmington, NC — Kids & Company

3 Major Benefits of Outdoor Play for Preschoolers

By Admin • 30 May, 2019
If your child prefers the screen over the swing set, read this article to learn why preschoolers should play outside & how you can help them to enjoy it.
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Your Preschooler's Not a Morning Person? Prevent School Lateness

By Admin • 30 Mar, 2019
Trying to get an uncooperative preschooler out the door and to school on time can be a challenge. So prepare ahead of time to make the mornings easier.
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Dealing With Separation Anxiety in Children

By Admin • 30 Jan, 2019
Every child is different, and you never know when, or if, separation anxiety will become an issue. Some kids have no problem skipping into a child care center and are eager for Mom or Dad to leave. Others have a difficult time saying goodbye. Still other kids might have some days when they're excited for time with their friends and other days when they cling to a parent's leg. In these last cases, parents sometimes have trouble figuring out what triggers their child's separation anxiety. The good news is that there are ways to work through these separation anxiety issues. Compassionate caregivers at the child care center and understanding parents can help children through this important step that's just part of growing up.
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Is Your Child Ready for Preschool?

By Admin • 30 Nov, 2018
Deciding whether to send your child to preschool or not is one of the earliest decisions you make for your child's education. Your child's future success in school begins with making positive decisions based on their needs. While many preschools begin taking children while they are still toddlers, this does not mean you and your child are ready. You may want to ensure your child is emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively developed enough to attend an educational program with other children.  Continue reading to see if your child is ready to begin preschool.
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4 Ways Preschool Benefits Your Toddler

By Admin • 07 Oct, 2018
Studies indicate that children who attend preschool are more prepared for kindergarten than those who do not. A quality preschool curriculum helps your child build a foundation of social and developmental skills that will them excel in school. Though there is no disputing the benefits of preschool, there is some controversy regarding when your child should start preschool and whether or not preschool benefits toddleraged children.  Most children start preschool between three and four years of age. However, you can find preschool programs for younger children as well. Young children, including toddlers, can benefit from these programs. Read on to understand a few of the benefits that preschool has for your toddler-aged child.
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Common Questions About Preschoolers, Activity, and Obesity

By Admin • 06 Aug, 2018
Obesity is an epidemic that affects one in three American children, according to the American Heart Association. With a growing trend towards a sedentary lifestyle, including a heavier reliance on screens on less time spent outdoors or being active, it's easy to figure out why the number of young children who are overweight or obese is growing. As a parent, you may wonder what you can do to help your preschooler reduce the risk of obesity. Along with the daily physical activity your child gets during their preschool day, you can help them to eat right and stay active at home. Not only will regular physical activity help to keep your child at a healthy weight, but it will also improve both their fine (small) and gross (large) motor skills. These abilities are necessary for your child to do everything from buttoning their coat to walking up and down the stairs. How can you help your preschooler to combat the obesity epidemic? Look at some of the common questions that parents of prekindergarten children have about weight gain and a healthy lifestyle. 
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3 Milestones That Mark Your Child's Readiness for Preschool

By Admin • 08 Jun, 2018
Early education can set your child up for success later in life. Enrolling your child in a preschool class can be a great way to jump-start your child's education. Many parents assume that their child will be ready to enter preschool when they hit the age of eligibility, but this isn't true. Children develop at different rates, both physically and emotionally. Sending your child to preschool before he or she is ready could end in disaster. You should use more than just age to help you determine when your child is mature enough to attend preschool classes. Here are some basic guidelines.
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Tips to Communicate With Your Child's Preschool Teacher

By Admin • 11 Apr, 2018
Your child's preschool teacher serves as a partner in their development, and strong communication between them and your family is essential to your child's success. However, it often feels as though there is little time to communicate during the rush of dropping off and picking up your child. At drop off time, you may worry about interfering with the teacher's other duties by asking to talk. Alternatively, you may not know exactly how to broach a difficult topic such as your child's special needs. Now that your child is in the right preschool classroom use these tips to foster excellent communication with their teacher that supports your child's learning.
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Technology Use in Preschool Programs

By Admin • 11 Dec, 2017
You already know that your preschooler is learning and growing every day. From building basic math skills to beginning to read and write, the early childhood classroom is the seat of development for your young child. In addition to science, social studies and art, modern curriculum also includes technology. Even though your child is under the age of five, that does not mean they can't get a jump-start on technology use. Obviously, classroom tech-time doesn't look the same as it does for you. Your preschooler isn't answering slews of emails, and they're not binge-watching their favorite show on a tablet. So what does technology use look like in the preschool classroom? Take a look at how computers, media and other technological devices function in preschool programs.
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Preschoolers and Independence: How to Help Your Child at Home

By Admin • 11 Oct, 2017
Your preschooler is completely self-sufficient, in-control and an A+ listener—at school that is. Even though the teacher raves about your little learner's ability to follow directions, clean up after playtime and do things (such as putting on her own jacket) without adult help, you just aren't seeing those skills at home. What is going on? Don't stress. This is completely normal. The seemingly Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine of behaving one way at preschool and another way at home is common and typically isn't anything to worry about. Of course, that doesn't mean you won't daydream about your child acting like her school-self when she's around you. How can you help your preschooler to act independently, cooperate with you (or siblings) and behave in more acceptable ways at home? Take a look at these tips for getting your child to show off some of that "school-time" behavior when she's around you.
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