A new school year is upon us! Whether your child is attending class in person or choosing to take all his or her classes online, there are several things you can do to support your kiddo’s health during this uncertain time. In this blog, we will be discussing immune boosting tips to help keep your child healthy, stress and anxiety reducing tips to help calm your child’s nerves about heading back to school, and tips to improve attention and concentration.
There are several easy to incorporate lifestyle changes that can be added to your family’s daily routine to help boost your immune system. What exactly does the immune system do? Simply put, the immune system works by removing bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and other pathogens from our body. This system also protects us against harmful environmental substances. As the fall and winter months approach, it is important we take the appropriate steps to boost the function of our family’s immune system to help stay healthy and/or have the ability to heal more quickly if we do become sick.
Staying well hydrated on a daily basis is a great place to start. Water has many functions in the body including electrolyte balance, transportation of nutrients and oxygen, and removing bacteria and waste products from our body. This is a great time to have a conversation with your child about the importance of drinking enough water and reducing the intake of surgery beverages.
Simple dietary changes can have huge impacts on your immune system function. Many of us have food allergies and/or sensitivities that can affect our overall health when consumed. Eating food you are allergic to results in an immune response as your body creates antibodies to battle the “harmful food”. A digestive response occurs when you consume food you are sensitive to. (1) When we eat these foods, they can cause inflammation, digestive upset, headaches, irritability, and rashes. Five common food offenders include gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and corn. Removing foods you are sensitivity to can give your body time to heal and allow your immune system to function properly. Try focusing on eating whole foods and reduce the amount of processed foods your family consumes. The food we eat should fuel our body and help us feel good. Reducing your child’s sugar intake and increasing healthy fats and proteins can improve his or her overall health.
A few of my favorite immune boosting products for children are:
Kid-D Liquid Drops by Orthomolecular
Vitamin D plays a vital role in bone health via maintaining the serum calcium and phosphorous balance. While vitamin D may be obtained by soaking up sunshine, many of us do not spend enough time outdoors to get enough vitamin D. Supplementation with vitamin D will help ensure your child has optimal levels. Vitamin D supports healthy bone development, increase muscle strength in growing children, and provides a boost to your child’s immune system. (2)
Photo Credit: Orthomolecular
Imu-Max by Orthomolecular
The key ingredients in Imu-Max are propolis and echinacea. Propolis is a product of honeybees. Bees use propolis to seal their hives as a defense mechanism, and propolis is known as the immune system of the hive. Echinacea provides support for the immune system and aids in maintaining a normal inflammatory balance. (3)
Photo Credit: Orthomolecular
SuperNutes by Orthomolecular
Educating your child on the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet and staying hydrated can have a lasting impact on their overall health. Adding a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral supplement, like SuperNutes, can ensure your child is getting all of the nutritional support he or she needs. The macronutrients found in SuperNutes aids in strengthening the immune system and converts food into the energy they will need to make it through the school day. (4)
Photo Credit: Orthomolecular
Germ Destroyer by Plant Therapy
Germ Destroyer is a Kid Safe blend of oils that includes spruce, marjoram sweet, lavender, Rosalina, and lemon. This is a great blend to help protect your child against seasonal threats to help your family stay healthy and recover more quickly when sickness does occur. (5) To use, diffuse 2-3 drops when your child is feeling under the weather. Dilute 1-2 drops in your favorite carrier oil or lotion and massage into the bottoms of your child’s feet or along their chest.
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
Immune Boom by Plant Therapy
Immune Boom is a Kid Safe blend of oils that includes lemon, palmarosa, dill weed, petitgrain, copaiba oleoresin, frankincense carteri. Immune Boom is a great oil to use on a daily basis as a way to support a healthy immune system. This is also a great blend to have on hand to use when your child gets a cold to encourage clear airways. (6) To use, diffuse 2-3 drops daily to support a healthy immune system. Dilute 1-2 drops in a carrier oil or lotion and massage along the bottoms of your child’s feet or along their chest.
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
Let’s change gears and talk about how to reduce stress and anxiety about returning to school. This blog was written during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this pandemic, there are so many unknowns about what school will look like this year. Many children are returning to the classroom, while others are attending class online. Stress and anxiety about returning to school may be higher than usual. There are things that can be done to support your child as they head back to school. A few of my favorite stress relieving tips include:
Yoga
Yoga is a great stress reliever at any age. Search YouTube for yoga for kids and have your child do the yoga practice a couple days per week.
Talk to your children
Talk to your child about the stress and anxiety they may be feeling. This may be the first time your child has experienced stress or anxiety over school. We all feel stress and anxiety. Have them talk to you about what they are feeling and help them walk through those feelings of stress and anxiety to help calm their nerves.
Stress relieving activity
Many of us have one or two activities that serve as a stress reliever for us. Mine is cleaning and soaking in a hot bubble bath. Find out what that activity is for your child and have it available for them to do daily or at least several times per week. Maybe it is coloring, reading, running around outside. Whatever it is, allow them to have that outlet even for just a few moments. Allow them to release the stress and tension of the day and start over with a refreshed mind.
No Worries by Plant Therapy
No Worries is a Kid Safe blend that includes ho wood, orange, sweet orange, coriander, amyris, pink grapefruit, bourbon geranium, and helichrysum. No worries is great at calming the mind, soothing nerves, uplifting the spirit, and promoting relaxation. To use, diffuse 2-3 drops when your child is experiencing stress and/or anxiety. Apply 1-2 drops in your favorite carrier oil or lotion and massage along your child’s body. (7)
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
Calming the Child by Plant Therapy
Calming the Child is a Kid Safe blend that includes mandarin, tangerine, lavender, and chamomile roman. Calming the Child promotes a tranquil environment and aids in slowing revved-up minds. To use, diffuse 2-3 drops when your child needs to quiet their mind. Add 1-2 drops to a carrier oil or lotion and massage along your child’s back and neck. (8)
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
Whether your child is attending class in person or completing schoolwork online, it can be hard for them to sit at a desk and focus for hours on end. There are a few tips that can be done to help them hold their focus and concentrate on their schoolwork.
Start your child off right every morning with a nutrient dense breakfast. Skip the sugary cereal, waffles, sugar filled juices, and chocolate milk. When you feed your child this type of breakfast, you are guaranteeing they are not going to be able to sit in a chair for their teacher or at a desk at home and focus. According to the American Heart Association, children ages 2-18 should have less than 25 grams of added sugar per day for a healthy heart. (9) Let’s take a look at a typical breakfast of cereal and a glass of chocolate milk. One serving of Kellogg’s Fruit Loops contains 12g of sugar. One serving of Nesquik chocolate milk mix has 13g of sugar. This totals 25g of added sugar just in the cereal and chocolate milk mix alone! That is not counting the sugar from the milk. With this type of breakfast, your child has already had over the total amount of daily added sugar that is recommended. When given this much sugar all at once, it is extremely hard for a child to sit still and concentrate. Instead of a sugary breakfast, start with a protein filled breakfast. This will provide the fuel they will need to make it through the day.
Photo Credit: American Heart Association
If your child struggles to sit at a desk and remain focused, try having something handy they can play with to get their energy out. Fidget spinners, a small tub of play doh, or a small puzzle they can work to solve can all be great options to allow them to get their energy out. Allow your child to have short breaks from class every hour by playing with these toy options or taking a short walk.
Hocus Focus by Plant Therapy
Hocus Focus is a Kid Safe blend that includes lime, bergamot, roman chamomile, atlas cedarwood, petitgrain, and vetiver. This is a great blend to help support focus, fight fidgeting, energize, and promote alertness. To use, diffuse 2-3 drops while your child is studying. Dilute 1-2 drops in a carrier oil or lotion and massage along the back of your child’s neck and chest. (10)
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
Study Time by Plant Therapy
Study Time is a Kid Safe blend that includes petitgrain, bergamot, cedarwood atlas, pink grapefruit, lavender, and vetiver. Study time is a great blend to help with focus and staying on task. The oils in this blend aid in calming the mind and balancing the mood. To use, diffuse 2-3 drops while your child is studying. Dilute 1-2 drops in a carrier oil or lotion and massage along the back of your child’s neck and chest. (11)
Photo Credit: Plant Therapy
No matter what school looks like this year, there are several easy to incorporate changes you can do to help prepare your child to have the best school year yet. By using these simple lifestyle changes and products are you support their immune system, help reduce their stress and anxiety, and improve their concentration. Let’s work together to get your child back to school ready!
References:
1.) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10009-food-problems-is-it-an-allergy-or-intolerance
5.) https://www.planttherapy.com/germ-destroyer-kidsafe-essential-oil
7.) https://www.planttherapy.com/no-worries-kidsafe-essential-oil-blend
11.) https://www.planttherapy.com/study-time-kidsafe-essential-oil-blend
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