As I sit here, my head pounding, my nose stuffed up, my throat dry and sore, my legs aching and a cough that's keeping everyone awake at night, I think fondly of the days when I was single and without kids and never, ever got sick. Tales of Koalas and Rhinos and Giraffes are not the only things my Jared and Sara are bringing home from zoo camp -- and it's only going to get worse when they're back in school.

There are, however, things you -- and your little ones -- can do to limit your exposure. First off, wash your hands. More importantly, teach your kids to wash their hands. Having them recite the alphabet or sing a song while they wash can help make sure they do it long enough. They also need to wash often -- before they eat, when they get to school, after touching just about anything. The more they wash, the fewer germs they bring home, share with siblings, or put in their mouths.

Proper nutrition, too, is very important -- your immune system can't function without the supplies it needs and candy and potato chips can't compete with fruits and vegetables. Breakfast, especially, is critical, and should include fruit, protein, and carbohydrates. Dr. Lolita McDavid, medical director of child advocacy and protection at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, says that "there is nothing wrong with having a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and a glass of milk for breakfast; nobody said it has to be cereal."

Lastly, kids need to sleep. Parents do too, of course, but we all know that's not happening. The littler ones, though, need between ten and twelve hours of sleep each night in order to keep immune systems functioning at their best. This means, generally, an eight o'clock bedtime. If you've been letting them stay up late during the summer, start resetting their internal clocks a month before school starts by moving bedtime and wake-up back half an hour each week.

While there's no way to avoid getting sick completely, you can limit the number of times your kids do bring home something unpleasant.