What Every Parent Must

Know About Colds and Flus www.fridayschildmontessori.com

Before you get into a panic at the

slightest sign of a sniffle in your

child, relax.

There are quite a few strains of the

flu knocking around, and the one

that struck the world about 100

years ago (called the Spanish Flu) is

only one among many.

The flu virus mutates very quickly.

You may have heard the palaver

about Swine Flu and Bird Flu not

that long ago.

These are other forms of flu, and

scientists are very quick to put

people on the alert at the first sign

of anything that looks like it just

might possibly turn into a second

pandemic like the Spanish Flu.

And the majority of flu strains

aren’t fatal, especially if they’re

properly treated and your child has

a good immune system.

There are two main errors to fall

into regarding colds and flus.

The first of these is when your child

has the flu but you think that

he/she just has a cold.

In this situation, a severe case could

develop and your child could be in

real trouble because he/she hasn’t

been treated soon enough.

The second type of error is the

reverse: when you think that your

child has the flu but he/she only

has an ordinary cold.

So how can you

tell the

difference?

With a cold, you get the

characteristic runny nose and yellow

snot all over the place. Children

(and adults!) get blocked sinuses,

which can often lead to headaches.

Children sneeze and cough, and they

may get sore throats. Some people

get a mild fever and mild illness

(the key word here is “mild”) but

this doesn’t last very long.

Your child will probably want to get

up and play within a couple of days,

even though they might still be

coughing or their nose might still be

runny.

With the flu, the illness lasts longer

(can be a week or so) and the fever

and headaches are a lot worse.

Those with the flu also start

shivering and may have a dry cough,

and they get muscular aches all

over. You don’t ache all over if you

have a cold, and you don’t usually

have a runny nose for the flu.

Bed rest helps with colds if your

child is feeling and acting particularly

miserable, and bed rest is essential

in the case of the flu.

Give your child paracetamol to stop

the fever getting out of control and

to deal with the headaches

associated with both conditions.

Drinking lots is essential whether

you have a cold or the flu. If your

child doesn’t seem to get better

and want to get out of bed and

start playing within a couple of

days, suspect the flu and get hold

of your doctor.

You should definitely get hold of

the doctor if your child gets

dehydrated, has extremely bad

headaches or starts coughing yellow

or green phlegm. Antiviral

medications are out there to help

with the flu.

The good old home remedies often

do help with colds and flus, as they

tend to contain immune boosters

that help the body fight the virus

as well as usually being fluids.

Chicken soup (preferably home-made

and with lots of raw garlic) and

gently warmed citrus juice with

honey are great for children – but

save the ones involving a small shot

of whiskey (it’s a painkiller inside

the throat) for adults.

Do you have something to share

about colds and flus in children?

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www.fridayschildmontessori.com