Taking care of a sick child is far from fun. It completely breaks your heart to see your little one so under the weather, and that, coupled with days off work and sleepless nights, can leave you feeling emotional and completely miserable. Unfortunately, that’s just part and parcel of being a parent, right? Well, not necessarily. Of course, short of locking them away in an airtight haven, there’s no real way to keep your children completely safe from sickness, which means there are going to be times when they get ill, but there are still things you can do to make this less likely. With that in mind, here are four secrets to keep your children healthy and sickness-free.

Setting your child a schedule gives them a sense of security, as it ensures that they know what they need to be doing most of the day. This helps to combat stress, which, if left unmanaged, could lead to some pretty serious health issues. Providing a schedule also means that your kids will get a good night’s sleep every single day. This is absolutely crucial, as lack of sleep, like stress, can lead to illness. In fact, sleep deprivation almost doubles the risk of your child getting a cold or flu. Because of this, it’s important that you plan a rough schedule and try to stick to it.

Make Sure They Exercise

I’m sure you already know that exercise is important for physical health, but most people don’t realize that it’s vital for your mental well being too. Exercise is a great stress buster as it helps to keep your mind off whatever is worrying you and also triggers the release of endorphins, which provide the body with positive feelings. Because of this, you need to ensure that your children are getting at least thirty minutes of exercise every single day. This exercise could be any physical activity they enjoy, including dancing, swimming, football, or even just running around in the yard.

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Buy Them A Puppy

Many studies have shown that children that grow up in households with pets are less likely to get sick than those that don’t, as their immune systems are much stronger. Because of this, you may want to consider getting your little one a puppy. Just remember that your dog’s health is important too; With veterinary medicine advancements, like gabapentin for dogs, there’s no reason why your dog can’t be as happy and healthy as your kids. As long as you look after them properly and take them for regular checkups, they should keep your family smiling for years.

Give Them Healthy Foods

Encouraging your children to eat more fruits and vegetables can be quite the challenge, but it’s incredibly important if you want to boost their immune systems and keep them safe from any nasty bugs. Just try not to force healthy foods on your children, as this will only make them more against eating them. Instead, introduce new foods slowly and try not to make a scene when they decide to eat something new or choose not to. Either way, it could damage their progress and make them not want to try again. You can still give them treats, but ensure they’re in moderation.

Keeping your kids healthy is a job and a half, but, hopefully, with these tips, you’ll find it a little easier.