Parents are always worrying about their children and trying to keep them safe and healthy. While trying to protect your child from the common cold may have seemed like an impossible task, we now have to worry about the coronavirus as well. While we may not be able to protect our kiddos against every virus and cold they come in contact with (especially young kiddos who still stick everything in their mouths), there are things parents can do to help boost their kids’ immune system.
At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we take every precaution to keep our school a safe and healthy place for your children to be! While we have always made this a part of our mission, we have added new COVID safety measures to ensure that we continue to provide a safe and healthy environment. We wanted to give parents some tips as well! In this blog, we are going to talk about some of the things you can do to help boost your child’s immune system. Read on to learn more and be sure to check out our programs today!
Focus On Sleep
Sleep is important for a number of different reasons. Not only can sleep help your child with their mood and alertness, but it can also boost their immune system. Sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to illness because it reduces natural killer cells, which are the immune system’s defense against microbes and cancer cells. For this reason, it is important that you make sure your child is sleeping enough. Creating a bedtime schedule can help ensure that your kiddo is getting enough quality sleep and gives their immune system a fighting chance. If your child won’t go down for naps, try putting them to bed earlier so that they can get the proper amount of sleep every night.
Stay Active
Exercise is a great way for your family to stay in shape and healthy. While being active is important for a number of different reasons, especially for children, it can help to give their immune system a boost as well! Exercise increases the number of natural killer cells in children and adults, so being active as a family can help everyone stay as healthy as possible! Go for bike rides, walk around the neighborhood, play in the yard, shoot some hoops, and do any other activity that gets your family moving! This is also a great way to spend more time outside, which provides a number of benefits on its own!
Protect Against Germs
Protecting against germs is an obvious way to keep your children and family healthy and, while this doesn’t technically boost the immune system, it does help to reduce germs and stress on the immune system. Make sure that your kiddos are washing their hands regularly with soap. Ensuring that they are washing their hands before and after meals, after they are done playing outside, after they blow their nose or use the bathroom, and after arriving home from daycare can help to reduce their exposure to germs. It is also beneficial to keep wet wipes handy when you are out and about. These can help to quickly clean and wipe away germs.
Serve The Right Food
Food also plays a huge role in our overall health and immune system. Feeding your children the right foods can help keep them healthy and allow them to get the proper nutrients. Here is a list of some of the best immune-boosting foods and the benefits they offer.
Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and veggies are one type of food that every parent is always trying to get their child to eat more. While this may be a challenge to get your kiddo to eat their fruits and veggies, these foods are very beneficial. Many fruits and veggies contain carotenoids, which are phytonutrients that help boost the immune system. Phytonutrients may be able to increase the body’s production of infection-fighting white blood cells and interferon, which is an antibody that coats cell surfaces and helps block out viruses. Fruits and veggies also contain high levels of vitamin C, which can help protect your little one against colds and flu.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a tasty food that many kids love and can provide many benefits. Yogurt contains probiotics, which are living organisms that live in your gut and can improve the way your body uses the food you eat. Probiotics can also help your body fight off viruses and can lower the risk of colds, ear infections, and strep throat. However, when it comes to children, they may only want the yogurt that is packed full of sugar, which obviously won’t have the same benefits. Instead, try to get a flavored yogurt that is on the healthier side, and have your kiddos add some berries and granola to make it a fun and tasty treat for them!
Nuts
Nuts are another healthy snack that can help boost the immune system. Nuts contain proteins, minerals, and vitamins. They are rich in antioxidants, including omega fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin E. Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are great options for your kiddos and are easy to have on hand whenever your child gets hungry. Almonds contain vitamin E and manganese, which creates a strong immune-boosting duo that can help enhance natural killer cells. Walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids, which can help your body fight off illness. If your child doesn’t love munching on nuts, you can chop them up and add them to different snacks, such as yogurt, cereal, or make a trail mix!
Eggs
Eggs are a superfood and can provide a rich source of protein. Egg yolks contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can help strengthen the immune system and protect your kiddos from viruses. Eggs also contain vitamin D, and are one of the only foods that naturally contain this vitamin. Vitamin D is great at protecting against illness.
These foods are only a few of the many beneficial foods that can help keep your kiddo healthy and strengthen their immune system. Try to find fun ways to make these foods something your children want to eat, we know how picky children can be when it comes to eating.
By following these tips, you can keep your child as healthy as possible. We know that children who attend child care are exposed to more germs, but we do everything we can to provide a safe and clean space for your kiddos to learn and grow. Growing Kids Learning Center has adopted extra COVID safety precautions to ensure that our facilities are clean and sanitized. You can learn more about our COVID safety measures here! Be sure to also check out our programs and contact us today to get your questions answered!
