Wellness Routines and Immune Health in Kids
Happy Child Health Day! And cheers to getting through the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. In our New York school district, my kids are in school half the time and remote learning for the other half. After home-schooling for all of last spring, it feels like a luxury to have them in school for any amount of time, so I’m grateful to all the educators who worked hard over the summer to make this hybrid model happen.
The health and safety of our kids is always a top priority, but it can be challenging at the start of any school year (this one in particular!) to find a groove and make time for healthy habits. During a period when much feels out of our control, I find it helpful to focus on the lifestyle behaviors that we CAN control, and that work best to support our immune systems. These include:
Practicing good sleep hygiene. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children between the ages of 3 and 12 who sleep between 9 and 13 hours per night on a regular basis experience better attention, behavior, memory, emotional regulation, mental and physical health, and learning.
Getting active and staying active. The AAP recommends that kids ages 6 and up need an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise every day for better sleep, focus, overall health, bone and muscle strength, self-esteem, stress levels, and flexibility.
Staying well-hydrated. Teaching kids to enjoy water early on helps make hydration a part of their wellness routine from the get-go. Adding a bit of flavor using slices of orange, lemon or lime, finding colorful, reusable water bottles, and role modeling all can help.
Teaching kids how to properly and frequently wash their hands, sneeze into a tissue or the crook of their arm and avoid touching their faces.
Engaging in healthy ways to manage stress as a family. Last spring, my girls and I used a guided meditation app to meditate for about 10 minutes together every morning before home-schooling started. We weren’t great at it, but it brought some peace and calm to our scattered mornings and centered us for the day ahead. Anything we can do to help kids identify a mindfulness practice early on that appeals to them is a gift.
(And as a dietitian, my personal favorite!) Promoting general health and achieving daily nutrient recommendations by eating a nutrient-dense, varied and balanced diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.
The truth is, some kids are still learning to like certain foods and may not yet be ready to eat a wide variety that meets all of their nutrient needs - if you’re familiar with my work, you probably already know how passionate I am about helping parents navigate picky eating behaviors in kids! While I recommend and believe strongly in a food-first approach, certain foods can be a tough sell for some kids during some stages of development and for a variety of reasons, requiring multiple exposures over time before they are accepted. The right supplements can help fill in gaps during periods of time when kids may not be getting the nutrients they need to thrive and grow.
As always, talk to your pediatrician or registered dietitian first before starting your child on any new supplement. There is no one food or supplement that has been shown to “boost immunity,” but a solid wellness routine can help us support our general health and immune systems and feel our best.