We're hitting the high season for colds and flu this year, and if your family hasn't already been vaccinated, then it's probably not too late. Influenza usually peaks in January or later, so if your child has had a flu shot in the past, then another one is definitely in order if she hasn't had hers this year yet. If your child has never been vaccinated against the flu, then the doctor may recommend two shots given 28 days apart; the first shot "primes" the immune system, and the second provides the most protection. The vaccine is the best way to keep from getting the flu, and the illness can be more serious in young children. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports an average of 20,000 children under five per year need hospitalization for flu complications. If you choose not to vaccinate your kids - and even if you do - there are a few ways to help prevent illness, flu or not. Handwashing is the number-one way to prevent illness. Children should be taught to use soap and scrub up with warm water for the length of time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice.

Keep kids' nails trimmed so that germs have fewer places to hide. Pay special attention to germ hotspots, anywhere where hands touch, like handles and countertops. Remember to use wipes on these surfaces, but use them only once and toss them so that you don't redistribute germs. Boost kids' immunity to keep them from getting sick. Plenty of exercise and sleep will ward off illness. Even when it's cold, getting outside in the sunshine for just a few minutes goes a long way in raising energy levels while increasing the body's vitamin D levels. When they eat a nutritious diet - think lots of foods with immunity-boosting phytochemicals, like deeply colored fruits and veggies - kids tend to get sick less often. In winter, frozen or canned is just as good as fresh, so keep those leafy greens, berries and tomatoes coming!