Cold and flu season can be a stressful time for parents. These immune boosters for kids will help you be proactive this fall and winter and are sure to improve their immune system and overall wellness.
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With summer ending, this means back to routines, more indoor play, and learning which unfortunately equates to more germs. It’s the worst when our kids are sick, am I right? Not only do we feel bad for them, but we’re trying to stay healthy ourselves.
The possibility that our kids will catch at least one cold this fall and winter is pretty likely. It’s important to me to do what I can to keep my son healthy and feeling good, especially with flu season, and other viruses going around.
Below I share The Absolute Best Immune Boosters For Kids. These are wellness strategies that have helped my little one stay healthy. I know they will keep your kid’s immune system boosted as much as possible.
BEST IMMUNE BOOSTERS FOR KIDS:
1. Prioritize Sleep + Bedtime Routine
Sleep is an essential part of our health but it’s especially important for growing kids. Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved behavior, learning, and overall mental and physical health. Sleep helps our bodies produce good immune-boosting cells that protect us. That’s why, when we do get sick, we get extra tired. It’s our body’s way of telling us to rest to heal and bump back up our immune system. And kids who are sleep deprived are more susceptible to germs.
When I have a few days in a row of not getting enough sleep, I’m definitely not feeling my best. That impacts everything in my day and it’s the same for our kiddos. Sleep has a direct effect on happiness, mood, alertness, attention span, and cognitive performance. Having a consistent and healthy bedtime routine for our kids and ourselves sets everyone up for a good night’s sleep followed by a great day.
I’ve been giving my son a bubble bath each night since he was a baby. It’s an important part of our bedtime routine for several reasons, one being that it signals him to start winding down. We love using Honest Calm Bubble Bath in Lavender. Lavender is well known for its calming properties and also helps with anxiety. When you combine a bedtime routine with lavender, it signifies to kids it’s time to relax. Routines have been shown to help kids regulate their emotions because they know what to expect.
2. Fresh Air + Exercise
Encourage your kids to get outside and play or go for a family walk or bike ride. Fresh air does amazing things for our minds and bodies! It helps kids get their energy out, sharpens their minds, and makes them happier. Plus exercise can reduce colds!
Fresh air strengthens our immune system by increasing our oxygen. This helps our white blood cells function properly by fighting and killing bacteria and germs. Venturing outside daily will also help your kiddo produce vitamin D which is essential for supporting their immune system.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays many important roles in our health. It can help keep your immune system healthy and may protect against respiratory infections. During the fall and winter, my family takes Vitamin D because we don’t get enough of it from the sun.
Along with Vitamin D, we take zinc and elderberry supplements when one of us is feeling like we might be getting sick. We naturally have zinc in the cells throughout our body. Boosting our intake every now and then can help our immune system fight off bacteria and viruses. Zinc keeps our immune systems strong and children need zinc to grow and develop properly.
For my son, I like the Olly Kids Immunity because it has both zinc and elderberry. Like most berries, elderberry could help prevent and lessen cold and flu symptoms and is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins
4. Healthy Meals and Snacks
We all know a healthy diet is one of the keys to good health. But it really does make a difference in how we feel and how our children feel and behave. A balanced diet along with enough sleep is when I know my son (myself included) feels his best. He listens more, cooperates, and is all-around happier and easy-going.
A terrible diet will produce inflammation in our body and in turn, stress our immune system out. That’s why I offer my son plenty of fruits and veggies and I try to limit the added sugar. Foods like berries, bananas, oranges, avocados, broccoli, and green smoothies are all packed with antioxidants that will strengthen their immune system naturally. Our immunity can be improved with a well-balanced diet.
I also try my best to not label foods as “good” or “bad” and I frequently offer not-so-healthy options. I offer these foods with healthy foods so I don’t make the “treats”, i.e. chocolate, cookies, chips, etc., a big deal. I have found when I offer treats with meals, sometimes my son will choose the healthier foods first and not even finish the “treat” food because it’s just another food to him and something he gets often.
5. Water
Drinking enough is one of the best natural immune boosters for kids! I’m crazy about drinking water and having my water bottle with me at all times. I just feel better when I’m hydrated and I have made this a healthy habit for my son too. I always make sure his water bottle is filled up and that he drinks it throughout the day.
Not only is it good for the body, but a hydrated kid has improved digestion, mood, attention, and memory. Plus it’s economical and inexpensive. I really like the simple modern brand for my son.
6. Talk About Feelings
We all want our children to be happy but life and situations can be stressful at times. It’s important to do what we can to reduce stress in our children and ourselves. I have made it a habit to talk to my son about his feelings. I encourage him to feel whatever he needs to without dismissing or trying to “fix” it. I remind him to deep breathe and now he reminds me to do the same when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Another thing that helps is I connect with him at least once throughout the day where I have zero distractions. This quality time is beneficial for both of us. I remind myself, that I can’t get this time back with him. We also spend time as a family and eat dinner together every night. We ask each other, what went well today. It’s a great way to focus on the positive too. Helping our kids decrease stress is one of the best immune boosters we can do for them.
This post was all about 6 immune boosters for kids and should help keep them as healthy as possible.
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