How to Not Get Sick From Your Kid

Taking care of a sick child is no easy task. But it’s even worse when you catch their cold and you have to parent while sick. And it doesn’t stop at the common cold. Kids are experts at passing on everything from strep throat and stomach bugs to COVID. 

So how can you avoid catching all the germs that your child brings home from school or day care? While there’s no magic protection, there are some time-tested techniques to help you keep your immune system at its strongest. 

But first, it helps to understand why children get sick and are so good at spreading germs.

Why are children at risk of getting sick?

It might feel like your child is always sick, especially during the winter season. There are several reasons why children are more at risk of getting sick:

• They have an underdeveloped immune system. The immune system isn’t fully developed when a child is very young. So babies and toddlers have a tougher time fighting off infections.

• They haven’t been exposed to as many infections. Since children haven’t been exposed to many germs in the past, their body hasn’t yet built up immunity to those viruses and bacteria. 

• They have not yet learned good hygiene. If you’ve ever watched a child wipe their nose with their hand, you know that younger children don’t always have the best sense of hygiene. Combine that with their touchy-feely nature and it’s easy to see why kids catch germs from their friends so easily.

• They spend a lot of time with other kids. Children who go to day care, preschool, or school are more likely to get sick than those who don’t. Being in school often means having close contact with lots of other young children, which means more chances of catching their illnesses. 

What are the most common ways that kids spread germs?

Kids spread their germs by sharing body fluids (secretions). These include runny noses, tears, poop, and airborne droplets from coughing. 

And because parenting tends to be a high-contact sport, parents are often up close and personal in that mix of germs. Kids are more likely to pass on their germs to you when you: 

• Wipe their noses

• Cuddle

• Share utensils

• Change their diaper

• Pet the same animal 

• Sleep in the same room

Of course, you probably can’t avoid all of these activities when you’re taking care of a sick child. You may even want to cuddle a little more when they’re sick and need comfort. But it’s worth knowing when you’re at highest risk of exposure. That way you can take some steps to lower your chances of catching those germs.  

Read more like this

Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.

Rubella vs. Rubeola (Measles): How to Spot the Differences, With Images

Can Adults Get RSV? Yes, but Not All Adults Are at Risk for Severe Illness

Should You Drink Coffee If You Have COVID?

Can’t Stop Coughing? Here’s When to See Your Doctor

View more

If your child gets sick, it’s not a given that you’ll be next. It’s possible to stay healthy even if your child is sick. 

Here are nine tips to help avoid getting sick from your child.

1. Wash your hands

Hand-washing is a simple and effective way to prevent the spread of germs. But this simple strategy can be easy to forget. 

Wash your hands frequently, especially before meals. And teach your little one how to wash their hands well. They should use soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends teaching your child to sing a song that takes about 20 seconds while they wash and scrub.  

2. Don’t share utensils, cups, or food at mealtime

You might be used to eating from your child’s plate at mealtime. When your child is sick, it’s better to avoid sharing cups, forks, or spoons. 

Saliva is a prime spreader of stomach bugs and respiratory viruses. So you can keep yourself healthier by limiting that exposure.

3. Teach your child how to cough correctly

When your child coughs into the air, germs can spread for several feet. If they cover their mouth with their hands, those germs can spread to everything they touch. 

Teach your child to cough into the bend of the elbow. Here’s how this helps stop the spread of germs:

• The elbow can fully block the mouth and prevent the airborne spread of respiratory droplets.

• Children don’t often touch the inside of their elbow, so it’s less likely to spread germs. 

4. Clean and disinfect the home

Some infections spread because germs can survive for hours (or even weeks) on surfaces. Standard cleaning with soap and water will get rid of many, but not all, germs. 

Sanitizing reduces the level of germs to a level that’s considered safe, while disinfecting kills germs. The CDC recommends disinfecting the home if someone in the house is sick. 

To disinfect, first clean countertops and high-contact surfaces. Then use a bleach solution or a disinfectant registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

5. Use a humidifier

You can use a humidifier to help ease dry nasal congestion or a sore throat. But humidifiers have even more benefits. The influenza virus is more contagious when the air is dry. So using a humidifier can decrease transmission rates of flu, and possibly other viruses. 

There’s some evidence that using a humidifier in schools or hospitals can lower the number of sick days that people take. So consider using a humidifier in your child’s room and your own. 

6. Rinse out your child’s nose

Rinsing out the nose with salt water can help your child get better faster. It can also make them less contagious. 

One study found that using a nasal rinse lowered household transmission rates of the common cold by 35%. If your child is cooperative, you can try using a neti pot, or use a simple nasal spray. 

For even more protection, try doing a daily nasal sinus rinse yourself. Studies show it lowers the chance that you’ll catch a cold.  

7. Give them their flu and COVID shots

Making sure your child gets their flu and COVID shots can help prevent your child from getting sick in the first place. And if they do get sick after their vaccines, they’re more likely to recover sooner without having a severe illness.

8. Consider early treatment

At-home remedies can treat most common illnesses, so you probably don’t need to visit the doctor’s office. But if your child has a condition that needs prescription treatment, it may help them become less contagious faster. 

Here are some situations where early treatment with prescription medication can help:   

• Strep throat: Kids with strep throat need antibiotics. A child usually stops being contagious after 24 hours of antibiotics. 

• Flu: Most children with the flu get better without needing flu medications. But kids are at higher risk of the flu when they’re under 2 years old or have an underlying medical condition. These kids should get antiviral treatment for the flu. This can also help them become less contagious faster. 

If you’re concerned that your child may have strep or the flu, reach out to your pediatrician or primary care provider.

9. Take care of yourself while you’re caretaking

Taking care of your own body can boost your immune system and help you fight off germs. You may not be able to get the best night’s sleep if your sick child is up all night. But here are some things you can do to lower your chances of getting sick from your kid: 

• Sleep well.

• Take steps to lower stress levels.

• Take vitamin supplements like zinc or elderberry.

If I get sick from my kid, can they get sick again from me?

Thankfully, no. If you catch your child’s virus, you can’t pass your germs back and forth and get each other sick again. 

When you fight off an infection, your body develops at least short-term immunity against it. The same antibodies that help your body recover from a virus help make sure that you don’t catch it a week or two later. 

That said, sometimes multiple infections make their way through a home at the same time. This is more common if you have more than one child. If you’ve got the flu and your child has a cold, you could both pass on your infections to the other. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts