It starts with a sniffle -- next thing you know, the whole household is sneezing, coughing, passing tissues and slurping chicken soup: The common cold, or worse, seasonal flu, is upon you.

By the time you're a parent, you've probably had your fair share of colds and bouts of the flu. According to the CDC, each year up to 20% of the population gets the flu, and the Mayo Clinic cites the common cold as the number one culprit of stay-home-sick-from-school days in children. But although there's not much you can do medically for a cold or even the flu, aside from the vaccine or antiviral treatment in some cases, there are alternative treatments (yes, chicken soup is one!) and prevention techniques you can use to help keep your family cold- and flu-free.

Note: This guide addresses seasonal influenza. You can also read our health guide on the H1N1 Flu, or Swine Flu.