My Back To School Vitamins & Remedies For Healthy Kids
We all know that back to school means exposure to lots of germs and, inevitably, sick kids! It helps so much in the summer soaking up all that extra vitamin D so when the kids are back in school all day, it’s important to boost their immune systems so they can fight off all the germs. Here are my top tips for keeping my kids healthy when going back to school.
Get enough restful sleep - People are shocked to hear that we put all our kids to bed before 7:30pm including the 8 year old! My kids are exhausted by the end of the day and so are Mom & Dad. This also gives me time to relax and unwind which is a win win!
Magnesium - I use this magnesium spray on the bottom of my kids feet (and mine!) to help everyone get more restful sleep. We also occasionally take epsom salt baths. I will let them each soak in the bath for 10-15 minutes with a bunch of epsom salt to help boost magnesium levels and calm them down before bed. We also do detox baths every once in a while (kids and parents!). My kids ask for it - we just mix a few scoops of epsom salt, a few scoops of baking soda and a tablespoon or so of bentonite clay. I let them relax and play for at least 15-20 minutes. I do not get their hair wet in the detox bath water since it will cause a bit of a film on the hair so, instead, I wash their hair afterwards in fresh water from the faucet.
Diffuser - I got this amazing unicorn diffuser for my daughter’s room and we will diffuse some essential oils before bed while we read books to help her relax and unwind. Lavender can sometimes have the opposite effect and make kids energized so I like chamomile or even a citrus scent.
Elderberry - I give my 8-year old and 3-year old daily elderberry every morning. I also give them additional doses throughout the day when they are fighting an illness to help them get well more quickly. According to Dr Axe (https://draxe.com/nutrition/elderberry/), elderberry provides cold and flu relief, reduces sinus infection symptoms, lowers blood sugar, eases allergies and more! It honestly tastes really good and they have no issue taking it directly in their mouth and they even ask for it! You can easily drop it into some orange juice as well.
Probiotics - Daily probiotics are a must in our house to promote gut health. Your gut is linked to so many important functions in your body and especially your immune system! My 8 year old takes one of these chewables daily. My 3 year old takes one of these probiotic gummies daily. No complaints on either one! The 9 month old takes 7 drops daily of this probiotic which we mix in with baby food. I research this specific strain to help with our eczema struggles and I will say it’s definitely helped. I have also been testing out this Mary Ruth probiotic lately since we can dose it up or down for kids and adults starting at age 1.
Zinc - I did a lot of research on zinc and the potential link to eczema so I have been supplementing my 3-year old for her skin and immune system with this toddler probiotic. I just drop it into her morning orange juice or even chocolate milk. I will also give both kids a little extra if they are ever sick or fighting a cold. Zinc definitely decreases the length of a cold and I even take adult zinc myself when I am sick.
Omegas/Fish Oil - Omegas are so important for so many functions in your body and since my kids are picky and don’t really eat much seafood or other sources of omegas, I do supplement. I also read a lot about the link between eczema and omegas and even the potential link between focus/ADHD in kids and omega levels. My 3-year old takes this chewable gummy omega vitamin. My 8-year old takes this Nordic Naturals omega capsule since she learned to swallow pills - however, before she could swallow them, we simply pierced them and squeezed the contents into her orange juice. They do sell liquid forms of the omegas as well.
Multivitamin Gummy - We take our multivitamin every morning to fill any gaps nutritionally since I have some picky eaters sometimes. My pediatrician always told me to look at what the toddlers/kids eat in an entire week so you don’t stress too much about the days they refuse to eat anything besides yogurt and cereal. While they will eat more fresh fruits and veggies than most kids (we do a lot of smoothies for easy vitamin intake), I still want to ensure they do not experience any nutritional deficiencies while their little bodies are growing. I find this gummy brand to be the easiest for us since we can dose it for a toddler (2 gummies) and a bigger kid (4 gummies). I always look for higher quality and more absorbable forms of the vitamins including folate versus synthetic folic acid or calcium citrate versus calcium carbonate.
Allergies - If the kids have some seasonal allergies and sneezing, they will take a chewable D-Hist Jr tablet. Quercetin can really help alleviate allergies and I even used to use it with my dogs when they were biting their paws after much research. It helped them so much!
Vitamin D - Since we live in the Midwest, basically everyone is deficient in vitamin D during the winter. Low vitamin D levels can contribute to seasonal blues, low immune system function and more. I also did a lot of research about the link between eczema and vitamin D levels. After all, eczema is an overactive immune response. I supplement my 3 year old with these drops and I will also add some additional for my 8 year old if she’s fighting an illness to help her recover faster.
As always, I am not a doctor or a medical professional. You should always consult with your own trusted professionals before beginning new vitamins or supplements with your family. I am simply a holistic Mom of 3 kiddos who has researched and used holistic remedies for more than 12 years!
What are some of your go-to back to school remedies for your kiddos? Let me know in the comments!