November 27, 2018
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As winter approaches, I can’t help but think about the looming cold and flu season. Lawrence and I both fall somewhere on the spectrum of germophobia and do the best we can to prevent illness and germs. Our approaches aren’t fool proof (Kaia just picked up her first fever bug of the season this past weekend). But, there are a few things we do consistently that we hope are helping us to stay healthier this winter.
Change clothes after school/work each day and wipe backpack/purse.
Every day after she gets home from school, Kaia knows to wash her hands and change her clothes. We always wash hands regardless of the season! We change out of school clothes mostly in the winter months. Although it creates more laundry for me, I think it makes a difference to change into clean clothes.We also use a Lysol antibacterial wipe to wipe the bottom of her school bag and my purse as they are likely filthy! The hope is that preschool germs aren’t being trekked through our house!
Wipe your phone daily.
Lawrence and I have been doing this for awhile. Think about how germ infested our phones get? We carry them around all day with us! We use an antibacterial wipe and wipe down our phones in the evenings. It doesn’t appear to cause any damage to our phones and keeps most germs away.
Leave shoes at the door.
Despite being Asian American, I did not grow up in a household where we left our shoes at the door. Gasp! But, Lawrence did grow up in an Asian household and they always took their shoes off. I feel like this is a great tip for any household, especially when you have babies and young children crawling around on the floors.
Utilize the drive-thru pharmacy or online prescription services.
I have a monthly medication (birth control pills) that I refill every month at my local pharmacy. During the winter months, the pharmacy is filled with sick people (understandably). To avoid waiting in line with a ton of sick people, I usually go through the drive thru to pick up my meds.
Make any well visits first thing in the morning.
If I need to make well visits for Kaia or myself, I try to schedule them first thing in the morning. The waiting area and exam rooms are most likely the cleanest in the morning. Also, if you are one of the first patients to be seen, the waiting rooms likely aren’t as crowded.
Bonus Tip: Get your flu shot.
This is an obvious one, but I didn’t always “believe” in the flu shot. I just didn’t think it was necessary, and the shot always made me feel like I had the flu for a day or two. So I would skip it. Since I was pregnant with Kaia, and now that I am a parent, I get my flu shot every year. Yes, I still feel yucky for awhile after the shot, but I don’t want to chance it given the terrible outbreaks of flu that have occurred in recent years.
