If your household has taken a hit from back-to-school-bugs lately, rest assured you’re not alone.

With the turn of the autumn-winter season comes an increasing rate of unwelcome (yet common) childhood illnesses, from cold and flu through to norovirus; scarlet fever; hand, foot and mouth; and even chicken pox.

While a return to the classroom means new germ exposure for the kids, it also spells new challenges for parents – especially those juggling childcare and the working week.

So what can be done to prevent surplus sick days? And how do we spot the symptoms first hand?

Superintendent pharmacist at Boots, Claire Nevinson, shares her top tips to help keep otherwise susceptible children healthy during term time – and beyond.

Stay up to date with vaccinations

“There are vaccinations available to help protect against infectious diseases and viruses. This is the best way to help yourself, your child and others around you from catching and spreading disease, so make sure your child is up to date with their routine childhood vaccinations. The NHS also recommends everyone, including children, should consider a flu vaccination every year.

“The children’s flu vaccine is usually given as a quick and painless nasal spray in each nostril and is the best way to protect against flu which often peaks in winter.”

Stay home when ill

“With a cold, the best way to recover is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of water. If you think your child might be getting ill, and doesn’t feel well enough to do their normal activities, you should try to keep them at home to rest up and recover, avoiding contact with other people.”

Encourage good personal hygiene

“I always recommend encouraging your children to practice good personal hygiene, including regular hand washing with soap and warm water. This helps to remove dirt, viruses and bacteria from hands and helps prevent a virus being transferred to surfaces, other people and objects, which can spread illnesses such as a cold, flu or norovirus infection.”

Get enough sleep rest and manage stress

“There’s no denying that children are always full of energy, which is definitely needed for all of the playing outside, long days at school and trying all kinds of activities. So, it’s important that they get plenty of rest. Babies and toddlers need around 11 to 14 hours sleep, including naps. Between the ages of four and nine, children need around nine to 12 hours sleep, and older children and teenagers need between nine and 10 hours sleep.

“Getting a sufficient amount of sleep allows the body time to repair, which helps strengthen the immune system. However, a lack of sleep may disrupt the immune system, making children more susceptible to infection and illness. My advice? Try to maintain a healthy sleep schedule for your child and allow them at least half an hour to wind down – without staring at a screen if possible!”

Feed them a healthy diet

“We know that children can be fussy eaters, but one of the best things you can do for their health is to fill their plate with colourful fruit and veg. Ensuring they’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, including their five-a-day, can help them optimise their intake of different vitamins and minerals. Try to avoid giving them lots of processed and sugary foods, as well as saturated fats, too – that’s not to say ice cream and cookies are completely off the table, it’s just about balance and moderation.

“The likes of vitamin A, C and D all contribute to the normal function of the immune system. These can either be introduced to your child’s diet through foods and can be found in some of the following foods: vitamin A – eggs, cheese, oily fish, yoghurt and milk; vitamin C – citrus fruits like oranges, peppers, strawberries, broccoli and potatoes; and vitamin D – red meats, oily fish and egg yolks.

“If this means chopping up carrots into tiny pieces, blending veggies into a pasta sauce or even cramming lots of fruits into a pudding just so they’ll eat the rainbow, then so be it!”

Invest in a kid-friendly multivitamin

“In some cases where they may be lacking certain vitamins through their diet, it is possible for children to get them through supplements.

“This can be the case with vitamin D. The body makes this vitamin through the skin’s exposure to sunlight, which means it struggles to produce a sufficient amount between October and March when the sun is not as strong in the UK. The government guidance for adults and children from the age of four years is to consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms (mcg) during the autumn and winter months. For those that have little to no exposure to the sun during the summer months, it’s advised to consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement all year round.

“A vitamin supplement containing vitamins A, C and D is recommended for children up to five years. You may want to consider a supplement beyond that age if you don’t think your child is getting all the nutrients they need from their diet.”