This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Vimergy, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board.
"The beginning of a new school year has major pros, like the resuming of childcare and more opportunities for social interaction for our kids. However, the biggest setback of kids going back has to be the constant viruses they pass back and forth. School has been in session for two months and there’s already been a few revolving illnesses in my son’s class. Regardless if you’re a working mom or stay-at-home mom, sick days inconvenience us all. But is there a better way to avoid getting sick when your kid is around germs all day?
We first enrolled our son in a toddler class last spring after years of at-home childcare, and, I kid you not, he was sick for an entire month. It was one cold after another, and naturally, the rest of us got sick too. It gradually got better as we all started taking more vitamins and his body adjusted to being around more children. But it was a rough few months for our whole family that I was not eager to replicate once he moved to the preschool class after the summer.
Before this school year even started I was determined to reduce our sick days, so we started a health regimen that has proven successful so far. We’ve kept up with the basics like keeping up with our vaccines, getting regular check-ups, and maintaining good hygiene. But here are five other changes I’ve made that have helped me stay healthy as a mom.
Source: Ally Pagar-Wolf
Picking better vitamins for the kids
No matter how healthy I try to be, if my kids are down then I go down too. Reducing my sick days requires my kids to have less sick days. We’ve been giving our son vitamins since he became a toddler, but he needed something more comprehensive once he started school. One of our editors recommended two vitamins from Vimergy Kids, Zinc and B12, which provide kids with seven different benefits to their overall health.
Zinc is a powerhouse nutrient that aids in normal function of the immune system and is important for normal cognitive function. It’s even been proven to help with fewer missed school days, so we knew that was a must for our child’s daily health regimen. Meanwhile, Vimergy Kids’ B12 helps healthy nervous system function, metabolic efficiency, and energy production. It’s a must for active kids that are non-stop all day.
Both vitamins have organic formulas with no added colors of flavors, refined sugars, or citric acid. They come in a water soluble solution that can be mixed into any liquid and an easy dropper tool with pre-marked dosage instructions depending on their age group. Together, these two vitamins are the simplest way to add necessary nutrients into my kids’ diets with zero complaints or yuck faces from them (a huge mom win).
Vimergy Kids
Vimergy Kids’ Zinc formula has multiple head-to-toe growth and development benefits including immune function, brain support, and bone health.
Vimergy Kids
Vimergy Kids' B12 supports the energy production kids need to thrive. Both of their formulas have been triple third party tested to provide the goodness kids need, not nasties they don’t.
Adding nutrients to meals I already love
We talk a lot about kids being picky eaters, but I must confess… I’m a picky eating adult. I’ve lived off of carbs and sweets since childhood and the only thing that’s changed since becoming an adult is the addition of caffeine. Call me immature, but veggies and fruit give me the ick. Clearly, a diet without proper nutrients isn’t conducive to my health, but it’s not like I can get a tastebud transplant.
Thankfully, I’ve recently discovered a TikTok trend that feels like it was made for me. “Eat what you want, add what you need”—Liza Saunders coined this phrase and started a series based on honoring her food cravings but adding the nutritional value that her body needs. Her diet is based on weight loss, but I use her concept and alter it for boosting my immune system. For example: adding leafy greens into pasta sauce, ginger and high-vitamin C fruits into smoothies, or carrots into baked oats.
Being active in a way that feels achievable
I have never been a “fit girly.” Instead of taking P.E. in high school, I opted to be the varsity soccer team’s water girl. That’s how much I’ve always disliked physical activity. But working from home at a desk every single day doesn’t leave much opportunity for body movement. Plus, being indoors all day, every day has not been positive for my physical or mental health.
However, I have to be realistic knowing I won’t actually use a gym membership or keep up with a workout program. I decided to start small with 30-minute walks around my neighborhood once the kids go to bed. It’s a great refresher after a long day taking care of very loud little people. I also habit stack by listening to an audiobook so I have something to look forward to on my walks.
Source: Kampus Production | Pexels
Better hygiene with shared items
This one feels impossible when you have kids that are constantly demanding to drink from your drink or have a bite of your food. But the fact is that the more germs we share as a family, the more likely it is for everyone to get sick. There’s also nothing grosser than seeing a snotty nose centimeters away from your water bottle.
So I started setting more firm boundaries about sharing my drinks with the kids, especially when they’re showing any symptoms of illness. They also have mini versions of mom’s water bottle so they’re less likely to throw a fit when I say no. We’ve also started using disinfectant dish soap since regular dish soap doesn’t actually get rid of all bacteria. We let the kids wash their cups and dishes so they develop that habit early.
Scrolling less, sleeping more
A full day of working, house chores, and caretaking leaves parents feeling maxed out by bedtime. We get such little time to unwind that it’s hard to choose how we want to spend the little “me time” we do have. I know I’m not the only one staying up late scrolling through social media desperately trying to get that dopamine fill. But it ends up negatively impacting my sleep patterns, and our bodies need proper rest in order to fight off infections.
However, I think it’s okay to want to wind down by enjoying a mindless hobby like watching funny TikToks or Reels. It’s just important to find a good balance. So now I set a timer for scrolling or TV, then move onto reading or chatting with my husband, and then lights off at the same time every night. I wake up way less fatigued than I used to, and I know that’s making a huge difference in my overall health.
This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Vimergy, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.