A New York State Dad’s Five Rules For Winter

Winter is officially here in New York State and one dad has a few suggestions to help fight off being sick.

The cold and flu season are starting to take over New York State. With flu numbers on the rise, from Niagara Falls to Albany, it is time to really remember what your mom and dad taught you about staying healthy through the winter.

As a father of four kids, under seven years old, I am constantly reminding them of a few things to help stay healthy. These are things that will help them to fight off most of the colds and flu that are going around at school. Honestly, these are tactics that we all should remember. And, post COVID pandemic, it seems that we are all more "germ aware" and maybe a few of us are germ phobic.

The Forecast Calls For Germs

I have noticed that our kids are coming home with more sniffles and coughs lately and that may be a result of the weather change that we’ve been experiencing in New York State. Since November 1, we have seen lake effect storms move-in, followed by warm and sunny days, then followed by flooding in some areas, and back to snow. It seems that the weather is a huge factor when it comes to our mood and health. I try to get our kids outdoors everyday to get as much fresh air as possible. However, the cold and wet days keep us inside! The dust, and dry air, from the furnace seems to irritate their sinuses as well.

Dadvice For Staying Healthy

I would never boast that I know it all when it comes to being a father, and certainly am no doctor. However, just like most dads, I have experienced many things, and made many mistakes, and those mistakes have taught me these things that I feel are necessary to share.

There are few things that make a parent feel more helpless than when your kid is sick. It throws everything off. There is always the big decision of whether or not to send them to school, and who will stay home with the child? You want to get your kid better as quickly as possible, but it never fails that a kid will get sick when things are crazy at work, or, you have an important meeting to be a part of.

The Flu Numbers Are Climbing

During the week ending December 9th, the area with the highest number of cases was Erie County with 425.

According to the New York State Department of Health, cases have risen by over 25-percent in the last week and hospitalizations have surged by 30-percent.

The counties with the highest amount of cases in the Western New York region are Erie, Niagara, and Chautauqua.

Portions of New York City have seen more than 600 cases over the last week and those numbers will likely rise. Last year, the largest amount of flu cases were reported right around Christmas or December 24-25.