School's been in session for a couple of months now. Chances are you're already starting to remember the downside of sending your kids off day-after-day. Classrooms that are breeding grounds for just about every kind of bug you can imagine.
And now we're starting to head into the colder season, which means your kids may be even more susceptible to sniffles, sneezes, tummy aches and other ailments.
Chances are your kids can't afford to miss a bunch of school due to illness, and you certainly don't want them to be miserable with the latest thing that's going around. Fortunately there are some preventative measures you can take to help your kids stay as healthy as possible.
Help them Remember Basic Hygiene
The CDC calls proper hand-washing one of the most important steps a person can take to prevent the spread of disease.
Unfortunately, younger kids don't always remember to wash their hands before they eat, or after they go to the bathroom. Make sure you are drilling good hand-washing etiquette into your kids every chance you get.
You can't make them wash up at school, of course, but if you build healthy habits at home they're more likely to remember than not.
Clean those Germ Havens
Chicago Parent rightly points out that book bags, school supplies, and lunch boxes routinely become places where germs set up shop and grow awful little colonies. Taking the time to regularly clean and disinfect these items will help you kill off these bugs before they finally succeed in making your kids sick.
It would be great if the kids would do it of course, but they're often distracted. You may have to at least check. Since you're probably pretty distracted to, it might be a good idea to set up a weekly reminder on your phone to ensure this task gets done.
Make Sure they Get Plenty of Sleep
Kids need lots of sleep. One reason is their bodies are growing, but another reason is sleep helps them keep their immune systems strong. The more sleep they lose, the more vulnerable they may become.
A regular bedtime, a full bedtime routine, and a moratorium on phones or other electronics in the bedroom after lights-out are steps you can take to help your child get the right amount of sleep.
Boost Their Nutrition With Superfoods
Certain fruits and vegetables help build an immune system which can ward off almost anything. Of course, the list tends to be the kind of stuff kids turn their noses up at.
For example, green leafy vegetables like kale provide a powerful punch of Vitamin C which tends to blow plain old orange juice out of the water.
But who can get their kids to chow down on kale? Many adults barely want to do it.
We can, of course, with EasyKale, a parent's super-secret ingredient. You can slip it into dips, sprinkle it on spaghetti, and slip it into dozens of other kid-friendly foods. Your child will never notice. They get the nutrition they need, and you to pat yourself on the back for finding a solution that works.
It's a win-win for everyone... plus EasyKale is 33% off in the month of October, just in time to help avoid sick-season. Grab some now! :)