Here are my top 6 tips for sick season with kiddos:

1. 🌞 Get outside, no matter what the weather is. In the hospital we give you an incentive spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. This is designed to expand your lungs since you are sitting in a bed most of the day. But the BEST way to expand lungs is to GET UP AND MOVE. Going outside and moving helps open those lungs up, get a small dose of vitamin D (which boosts the immune system), and gets us out of the stale toxic air inside our homes in the winter.

2.💦 Humidifier in their bedroom as close to their bed as possible. This helps moisten the nasal passages when we are surrounded by dry air in the winter time. With the size of kids noses and airways (tiny), the dry air can make it even harder to breath than an adult with adult anatomy. Our nasal passages are supposed to be moist to trap bacteria and viruses and can really dry out in the winter. On top of this, even when the kids aren’t sick, the dry air can make it hard to sleep at night, putting more pressure out their immune system.

3.🧴Kid safe essential oils. I see an extremely noticeable difference when I use essential oils right under my kids’ nose right before bed. I personally use sniffle ease by young living.

4.💊Good quality multivitamin- should include a probiotic and vitamin D. Here is a link to my favorites. Cheap vitamins usually do not have a good bio available form of certain vitamins (meaning your body wont absorb it well), so high quality vitamins are essential.

5.🍭 Stay off sweets. I know this is probably the hardest one. But bacteria love sugar AND it is extremely inflammatory. When you see your kiddo coming down with something it’s important to limit sugar intake so their immune system doesn’t take an additional hit.

6. 🤧Don’t forget kids are supposed to get sick. This may be the most important. Kids are developing immune systems. Keep their immune systems strong with the above advice. And when they do get sick remember we don’t get stronger without exercise. Kids are supposed to get sick at this time in their life to ultimately strengthen and prime their immune system.

What are some of your stay healthy tips? Share them with us!