As we head into the third year since the pandemic started, health and wellness are still very much on the forefront of everyone’s mind. This is especially true as we send our kids back to school after the holiday break. If you are looking for ways to keep your family healthy, here are some tips to keep everyone well cared for as we head into the New Year.
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Have a Plan for Emergencies
When it comes to raising kids, any parent knows that toddlers and children can be magnets for danger. When our kids are young and curious about the world, accidents are bound to happen. This is why it is a good idea to have a contingency plan for any emergencies, should they arise. Make sure you know where your closest urgent care Philadelphia is and have a plan on how to get there efficiently should something happen to one of your kids.
Set a Routine
Kids thrive off of routine, and so do many adults. Your whole family can improve their health by putting a few routines in place. While you probably have a bedtime for your kids to help ensure they are getting enough sleep each night, do you and your partner make getting enough sleep a priority too? If the adults in your household aren’t getting enough sleep at night, try and make this a priority in the new year. Sleep is one of the most basic necessities for your health and well-being. Lack of sleep can actually weaken your immune system and leave you susceptible to illness. Make sure you are working a full eight hours of sleep into your routine.
Another thing to work into your family’s new routine is vitamins. Even the most well-balanced diets can still have nutritional gaps. This is why multivitamins are important. You can find multivitamins that are specifically formulated for men, women, and children so the whole family can include a multivitamin in their routine. If you suspect that anyone in your household has any specific deficiencies, talk to your doctor before supplementing in any particular areas.
You also want to make sure that physical activity is a part of everyone’s routine. If your kids play school sports or do any activities that require movement, then they are already getting a good amount of daily exercise. Make sure the adults in your house are getting in enough physical activity as well. This is especially important for anyone who works at an office job. Daily exercise has a variety of benefits for your physical and mental well-being, so make sure to include this in your family’s routine.
Lastly you want to make sure that you are also caring for the mental health of each of your family members. While everything discussed previously will contribute to improving mental health, it is also important to create a safe space within your home for everyone to share their feelings and emotions each day. Including these types of check-ins in your family’s routine is an important step in preventing or alleviating mental health issues.
Help Your Kids Stay Germ-Free
As your kids head back to school after the holiday break, make some time to reinforce behaviors that help to prevent the spread of germs. Having a kid come home from school with the sniffles can cause your whole family to become ill in an instant. While many kids know all about germ spreading prevention from the pandemic, now that we are nearly three years in, they may need a refresher. Here are some things you can go over with your kids to prevent them from bringing illness into your home.
- Go back over hand washing procedures with your kids. They should know when to wash their hands, how long to wash their hands for, that they need to lather the front and back of their hands with soap, and how to properly rinse and dry their hands.
- Make sure your kids know which items that they should not be sharing with their peers. While many kids are encouraged to share their items, certain things need to be kept to themselves to keep germs from spreading. Things like reusable water bottles, anything touching their food or snacks, and items like ChapStick should never be shared with others.
- If your kids don’t already have a reusable water bottle, you should purchase one to prevent them from using water fountains. Kids have a tendency to put their mouths near or directly on the spout, so give your kids an alternative.
Staying Healthy in 2023
Follow these tips and tricks and your family is sure to stay in good health throughout the New Year. After all, health and wellness are much more fun when you can achieve it together as a family.
