How to Stock Your New Home for Back-to-School Sickness Season

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Whether you rent or own, it's important to get your home into shape from the back-to-school sickness season. Roughly 50% of all cold cases occur during the fall and spring, making them more likely to be picked up at school. Although we wish we could avoid it, it's, unfortunately, a very common occurrence. To help you prepare, here is what you need to know.

1. Stock Up On the Necessities

There are a few things that you need to keep in your home for when sickness rolls around. A thermometer, for instance, will be essential for helping to pinpoint a fever -- which usually ranges between 100.4 F and 104 F. You'll also want to keep lots of easy to digest soups on hand, electrolyte filled drinks for hydration, and disinfectants to help prevent the illness from spreading around the house.

2. Stock Up On Immune Boosting Foods

Although it's good to keep things on hand for when sickness occurs, it's also important to stock up on things to prevent it. Antioxidant-rich foods like the maqui berry have an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of 19,850 per every 100 mg. Similarly, fresh blueberries have a slightly higher ORAC value of 21,080 per every 100 mg. Adding foods like this to your kid's lunches or using them as a snack when they come home, can help boost their immune systems and keep them from catching anything during the school year.

3. Stock Up On Medicine

You don't want to wait until someone is sick to run out and get medicine, so it's important to keep some key OTC medications on hand at all times. Some of the most important include:

  • Aspirin

  • Acetaminophen

  • Ibuprofen

  • Decongestants

  • Antihistamines

  • Cough syrup

  • Tums

All of these are important to keep on hand so that you're prepared to tackle a whole range of problems, no matter when they occur. However, it should be noted that if a problem doesn't get better in a couple of days, you should always speak to your doctor to see if a prescription is needed.

4. Masks

Depending on where you live, some schools may require students to wear masks during classes. You can stock up on reusable masks so that your kids have a clean one for every school day. These masks can also be used in the home if someone gets sick, and they can wear them when they leave their rooms, or if someone needs to check on them. This can further help to keep the illness from spreading around your home and putting everyone under the weather.

5. Buy a Sanitizing Laundry Detergent

To help ensure that clothes, sheets, and towels get as clean as possible -- especially if someone's been sick -- you should keep a disinfecting laundry detergent on hand. These laundry detergents can help kill additional bacteria and keep illness from spreading. There are many different sanitizing detergents available in stores, and some are designed to be added alongside your usual detergent. This means you won't have to give up your preferred brand, but can still benefit from the added cleaning power of the disinfectant.

Staying Healthy All School-Year Long

Although it can be difficult -- if not seemingly impossible -- to keep your kids healthy the whole school year, with some preparation you can help increase their chances of staying healthy. However, it's always good to keep a stock of medicine and necessities just in case they do fall ill. Keep these five tips in mind, and you can help make your home as ready as possible for the coming school year.