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It’s that time of year when it’s normal to be quite literally, sick of winter. Adults get sick of shoveling snow and driving on icy roads; while children get sick with just about anything that comes their way. If you’re a parent with a child in school, you’ve probably learned that winter spells runny noses, sore throats, ear infections and coughs. Being sick all the time makes for miserable children and mommy and daddy don’t have much fun either. Croup that wakes you in middle of the night, stomach bugs that have you doing laundry all day and nonstop wiping of little noses are just some of the reasons why some of us start to reconsider this whole parenting thing.

But don’t get rid of the kids just yet. Here are a few simple tricks to help you strengthen your child’s immune system, keeping you and your family healthier and happier this winter.

Make Sure They Get Enough Rest

I know that in our home all it takes is one or two nights of insufficient sleep for a cold to show up in the morning. And recent research shows that this is not simply my imagination. A study done at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night makes you three times more likely to catch a cold. Sleeping poorly makes you five times more susceptible.

Though this study was done with adults, children are similarly affected by lack of sleep. Taking steps to ensure that your child is getting enough sleep is the first way to ward off frequent infections.

Get Them To Eat Well

Our bodies need good nutrition to function at their best so increasing good foods and limiting damaging foods is another way to strengthen your child’s immune system. A diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans, seeds and nuts and lots of clean water will provide your child with the vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health.

Of course, some children are extremely picky eaters and getting them to eat their fill of veggies can be more than a little challenging. To help these picky eaters get all the nutrients they need, consider reading a book such as The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. This book is full of creative ideas for disguising fruits and veggies in foods your children will actually eat and can be very helpful for those children who wouldn’t normally touch healthier foods.

In addition to increasing the nutrients in your child’s diet, you can greatly improve immune function by cutting out the bad stuff. The chief culprit? Sugar. Sugar has been shown to decrease the ability of white bloods cells to engulf and destroy bacteria, leading to depressed immunity. So save the sweets for special occasions and pull out the healthy snacks instead.

Use Immune-Boosting Herbs

Many people are familiar with the idea of taking Echinacea for a cold. But even before cold symptoms hit, you can use herbal remedies to strengthen your immune function. Many of my clients give their children an immune-boosting herbal syrup all winter long, and they have reported that they see a significant improvement in their children’s health.

Herbs such as Elder, Echinacea, Ginger, Astragalus, Garlic, and Oregano are some examples of remedies used to strengthen immune function. Both children and adults can benefit from these kinds of remedies. Homeopathic remedies can also improve immune function and are safe for use with children. If using herbs with children, always use remedies that have been formulated specifically for children or work with a qualified practitioner instead.

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