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Teach them to use tissues. This helps prevent the spread of infection through the air when children sneeze or blow their noses. Kids can also use tissues to cover their mouths when coughing. Show them how to cough into the upper sleeve of their shirts if a tissue isn't available.
Teach them to use tissues. This helps prevent the spread of infection through the air when children sneeze or blow their noses. Kids can also use tissues to cover their mouths when coughing. Show them how to cough into the upper sleeve of their shirts if a tissue isn’t available.
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Children are cold magnets. And every school year brings another round of sore throats, sneezing, coughing, aches and runny noses. Confined to classrooms or preschool, kids spread colds easily to one another and bring the seasonal bout home to their families.

Colds are so prevalent, in fact, that the common cold is the chief reason students miss school and adults miss work. But parents can take measures to help keep their kids cold-free. Here are some tips we share with families at the SOS – El Sol Wellness Center on the campus of El Sol Science and Arts Academy charter school in Santa Ana.

1. Don’t let them share cups or utensils. They’ll also be sharing germs. If your child has a cold, use disposable cups and cutlery to prevent spreading the virus. Also, if your child attends preschool, talk with administrators to learn how they disinfect cups, plates, utensils and toys – all shareable items that could spread the cold virus quickly.

2. Encourage adequate sleep. Fatigue can compromise your child’s immune system, creating the right environment for catching a cold. Also, providing a variety of nutritious foods to eat and plenty of water to drink will help boost their immune system so they can fight off infections.

3. Enforce sanitary hand-washing practices. Instruct your kids to scrub their hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water frequently – especially before eating, after using the restroom and after coughing or sneezing – to send viruses down the drain.

4. Teach them to use tissues. This helps prevent the spread of infection through the air when children sneeze or blow their noses. Kids can also use tissues to cover their mouths when coughing. Show them how to cough into the upper sleeve of their shirts if a tissue isn’t available.

5. Hands off! Kids are fidgety, but you’ll help them dodge the common cold by teaching them to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. The cold virus can enter their bodies this way and cause infection.

Dr. Eric Huang is the chief medical officer of Share Our Selves, a nationally recognized nonprofit operating community health centers in Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and Santa Ana that serve low-income and homeless populations in Orange County.