Help Keep Your Family Healthy with Tips and Products from Vicks and Braun

Winter may be almost over, but that doesn’t mean cold and flu season has ended just yet. In fact, I often find that March is the worst month in our household for illness, since the slightly warmer weather often tricks us into not dressing as warmly and thus weakening our immune systems.

So far the weather is so cold that the boys and I have been spending most of our time indoors, but I know that there will likely be at least a few colds and flus left to deal with before winter ends!

When my boys do get sick, I depend on having great products on hand to help them feel better, and this year Kaz Canada is offering some must-haves for any parent that wants to help ensure their child’s health this winter.

I received the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer and the Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier to review and I’m sure they’re going to become essentials in no time.

The Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer was something I was especially happy to receive. A fever is one of those things that I always worry about with my boys, since I have trouble knowing when I should just wait the fever out and when I should seek advice from a doctor.

The Braun thermometer featured technology to help ensure that my boys’ readings were as accurate as possible thanks to a pre-warmed tip and a positioning guidance system.

Ear thermometers are such an easy and non-invasive way to check the temperature of both infants and children, so having a reliable one in the house is very helpful to me!

The Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier was a product that I’ve often considered buying, but I just wasn’t sure if it was worth the investment since I wouldn’t be using it very often.

This humidifier was the perfect solution since not only does it help add moisture to the room, it also adds a relaxing ambiance by displaying soothing stars onto the ceiling with an independently controlled projector.

I especially liked this humidifier because it used cool humidifying to ensure that it was safe to have around children and because it filtered impurities out of the water as it worked.

And as an added bonus, the scent pad heater released Vicks vapours into the air to help sooth sore throats and congestion. When my boys are stuffed up and coughing, making them as comfortable as possible is always a top priority so that they can rest and heal.

I’m so excited that I can do that now with a humidifier that is clean, safe and easy to use. And when my boys are feeling good, I can still use it to create a peaceful nighttime environment with the star projector!

A sick child at home is never fun. And far from being just stressful, it is also often costly and sometimes very frightening. In fact, a recent survey conducted by the makers of Honeywell Air Purifiers and Vicks Humidifiers & Thermometers showed that 69% of Canadians surveyed estimated that having a sick child cost over $20 per day and 64% indicated that fevers were frightening to them.

These tips from pediatrician Dr. David Greenburg can help you ensure that your child stays healthy through the final cold days of winter:

• Flu Facts – When homes are kept at the optimal 40-60 percent relative indoor humidity level, flu virus survival in the air can be dramatically decreased – by up to 30%. Homes with radiant heat see a bigger decrease in flu virus survival when using a humidifier compared to homes with forced air heat.
• Time to Recover – They might be running around the house, feeling healthy but it’s important to keep kids home from school, play dates, and after school activities for at least 24 hours after their fever breaks.
• Prevent & Protect – Many people say the best way protect yourself and your family from the flu is with the vaccine. It takes about two weeks for your body to develop protective antibodies, so the sooner you get vaccinated the better.

With a little preparation and some great products, dealing with colds and flus this winter can be much easier. While having the humidifier is nice, it’s actually the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer that I’m most excited to have.

Just being able to know that a fever is still at a safe level is so helpful during an illness and eliminates lots of stress. Find the products at your local Loblaws, Walmart and Target stores across Canada, or check the website to find a retailer near you. You’ll be glad you did the next time your little ones are feeling under the weather!