Summer is in full swing and that means the following 5 ways to boost your kid’s immunity will ensure they’re healthy all season long. Whether they’re off to daycare, summer camp, or swimming circles around the public pool, nobody has time for a cough, sneeze, or a fever. After all, this time of year is best spent enjoyed.
5 Ways to Boost Your Kid’s Immunity in Summer
You can protect your child’s health naturally, year-round, by following these simple healthy-living tips.
1. Serve Veggies- Many children aren’t thrilled with vegetables. Summertime is the perfect season to introduce him to everything he’s missing out on. Scour the local Farmer’s Markets together on the weekends and explore the different and tasteful bounty. Vegetables contain many immunity-boosting benefits from phytonutrients and carotenoids. If you have to pass on the broccoli, steer him over to the berries. If all else fails, sneak five servings into the blender and whip up a quenching smoothie that will increase his production of white blood cells.
2. Bedtime- Many parents extend bedtime and curfews in the summer. While that’s not a terrible thing, sleep deprivation can make kids more susceptible to illness. Toddlers require 10 full hours of sleep per day. Unless he’s caught up on a few zzzz’s through napping, an early bedtime is still a necessity.
3. Wash Hands- Ensure your kids frequently wash their hands with soap, especially after visiting public places, restrooms, handling pets, and arriving home. Disposable hand wipes and antibacterial gels can be carried while you’re out and about to reduce susceptibility to germs.
4. Breastfeed- Colostrum is rich in goodness. From disease fighting antibioties to boosting brain power, new moms should aim to breastfeed for a full year to provide their newborn with all of these glorious benefits. If you can’t go that long, consider just a few months. Adults and older children might consider bovine colostrum as an immunity-boosting supplement.
5. Stop Smoking- Not only is smoking bad for your health, secondhand smoke has plenty of harmful effects on children. In fact, it’s even more harmful to children than the person who is actually smoking because children take more frequent and deeper breaths. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of bronchitis, ear infections, SIDS, and asthma. If you want to be certain your boosting your kids immunity in summer, steer clear of secondhand smoke while visiting festivals, parties, and social gatherings.
Even if all preventative measures have failed and your child comes down with a bout of a summertime cold, always listen to your pediatrician’s recommendation. Many pediatricians are reluctant to prescribe antibiotics because it can increase a bacteria’s resiliency. Certain strains have thrived as a result and have become even more difficult to treat. Discuss any of your concerns with your pediatriction and work together by following these 5 immunity boosting tips.