Recognizing the “ew” in everyday life

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

It’s the time of year again when kids are bringing home germs and getting sick. School is one place that is to blame but there are so many different ways that kids come into contact with the “ew” that makes them sick. Today I wanted to share some tips and ideas to help you recognize those “ew” situations and things you can do to prevent them. In addition, I am going to give you some suggestions on what you can do to treat that “ew” that is sure to make it’s appearance in your household this year.

Germs at play

• The sun’s ultraviolet light rays kill bacteria, so playground equipment in the shade will have more bacteria.
• Sandboxes are a germ culprit, particularly if they remain uncovered overnight, which allows bacteria to enter.
• Any microorganisms on kids’ hands will spread to monkey bars, slides, teeter totters, swings and other touched surfaces where other children can then pick them up when playing.

Germ class is in session 

• Half of students don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom ­ – and of those who do many don’t even use soap.
• Less than one-third of teachers said they regularly disinfect germ-laden objects in the classroom.
• Desks often have more bacteria than a toilet seat and if eating happens in class, the number of germs multiplies.
• Up to 2.7 million bacterial cells per square inch live on common school surfaces such as water fountains, desks, computer keyboards, bus seats and cafeteria trays.
• Shared technology in classrooms introduces new high-touch surfaces for spreading germs – the computer mouse, keyboard and tablet surfaces have some of the highest germ counts.
  • Each keyboard key contains up to 1.3 million germs—that’s more than 135 million germs on the entire keyboard, and a standard iPad screen has up to 192 million bacteria!

“Ew” is in the air 

• In addition to school and the playground, the supermarket is a festival of “ew”, with shopping carts, credit card machines and reusable grocery bags acting as the leading germ carriers.
• Some germs can live on dry surfaces, such as toys, for several hours.
• Colds and other respiratory infections are spread by the hands and touching the nose or eyes, while 81 percent of people with the flu virus spread it through the air when they cough.
• Most kids touch up to 20 objects per minute and touch their face 50 times per hour – leading to wide germ spreading.

Even with all these great tips on where to find the “ew”, it is likely going to affect your life in one way or another. Kids are the culprits in my house. They seem to get sick more often than my husband and myself… which makes sense when you see how often they come into contact with “ew”.

Say goodbye to perfect attendance 

• More than 38 million school days are missed by U.S. children each year due to the flu.
• Parents miss about 126 million workdays annually caring for a sick child, which equates to 40 billion lost dollars.
• Missing work to stay home with their sick kids and worrying about sickness outbreaks going around the classroom were the top concerns parents have when their child is sick at school.

So what do you do? There are a few fabulous products I want to share with you today that will make a difference in not only treating your child this year, but also making sure the sickness doesn’t last longer than absolutely necessary!

For Joley and Johnny, I turn to Children’s Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold Relief Dye-Free. I love that it is dye-free so any spills on clothing don’t leave a stain. This is a multi-symptom product so I can turn to it when the older kids (Johnny is 10 and Joley is 8) can take it when they are plagued with more than one symptom. This medicine eases your child’s stuffy and runny nose, while quieting a bothersome cough. The kids don’t mind taking it because it is a good tasting grape flavor. Remember though, this is for ages 6 and up only!

Poor Jemma (who just turned 5), is getting ready to start Kindergarten in the fall and I know the coughs and sniffles will be starting. Thankfully, there are products available for children aged 4 and under so she can also be treated with some Pfizer products. (Be sure to read all labels before choosing a medication for your child!) For Jemma’s cough, I choose Children’s Robitussin® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief. That 12 hour relief means that Jemma can play all day or sleep all night without a cough keeping her down. It comes in grape or orange flavor so Jemma has a choice, but to be honest, she doesn’t mind either one. I use this product often with Jemma when she gets a cough and have for some time. I love that it treats children under 6 and is long-lasting. This is a lifesaver when Jemma is coughing and can’t sleep!

Finally, I have a product I don’t think any parent should be without! For treating fever and the aches and pains that comes with illness, I always turn to Children’s Advil®. For children aged 2 to 11, you can trust Children’s Advil to be consistent in giving your child relief. Children’s Advil® comes in several great-tasting flavors, including: Sugar-free Dye-free Berry, Bubble Gum, Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape flavors. Don’t despair if you have a child younger than 2! There’s also Infants’ Advil® White Grape, which provides unsurpassed fever relief (among OTC pain relievers) with a syringe for easy dosing for children 6-23 months.

My kids mean the world to me and their health is of the utmost importance. I do everything I can do to avoid the “ew” of everyday life, but we can’t keep kids in a bubble. They are going to catch illness from time to time. For those moments, I am glad to have Pfizer products to get them back to running, playing, and being healthy again!