"Paging Dr. Mom: Sniffles reported in ward nine. School contagion suspected. Full-blown household outbreak expected." What now? We asked real moms to share their best strategies for making it through cold and flu season (relatively) sneeze-free!

Frequent hand washing is your absolute best defense! My daughter loves foaming soap. The rule in our house is "As soon as you walk in the door, wash up."

I make sure everyone gets enough rest: 12 to 14 hours a night for the kids, and as for the grown-ups, well, as much as we can!

Airborne: I swear by it! All of the parents and teachers at my school do as well. Just be sure to get the orange flavor and not the lemon-lime.

I strongly believe in the flu shot. My kids get one every year.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. And when a cold strikes, comfort food can't be beat: chicken soup, 7Up, saltines, Jell-O, grilled cheese, PB&J, tomato soup… It always did the trick when I was a kid!