How to keep your kids lively this winter

We just had our first snow day of the season, a clear sign from mother nature that winter is here.  With winter inevitably seems to come coughs, only heightened with a first grader and preschooler in the house. With three kids, it  will be unavoidable, but we still do our best to of course be prepared for when they happen.  I am NO doctor, just a mom of three, but here are my best tips as we enter into the winter season:

With the weather forcing us to close the windows more frequent deep cleans seem to be a must. I focus a lot on scrubbing town surfaces like the table and counters, washing door handles, floors, bathrooms, and frequent sheet changes. Also a good idea to take inventory of your cleaning supplies, making sure they are still good and effective.

Fluids, fluids and more fluids are always important, but even more essential during these Winter days. Getting my kiddos to drink enough water can sometimes be challenging, but I've found that when they have a water bottle they love, they're much more apt to carry it with them and drink often.

Our house tends to be extremely dry, especially on cold winter days. It's especially aggravating when the kiddos have a cough.  I tend to run a humidifier in their rooms throughout much of the winter, most definitely when they are not feeling their best.  I've been able to find them cute kid friendly models that are also easy for me to clean.

Hopefully you were lucky enough to have a healthy summer, but either way it's a good idea to take stock of your remedy cabinet.  Use this opportunity to clean out expired products or products you don't use anymore, and make sure you have the necessities on hand in the appropriate dosages. In our house we stay stocked with fever reducers, vitamins, probiotics, natural vapor rubs, and Little Remedies® Honey Cough Syrup to name a few.  Last winter we found this particular cough syrup to be a natural and helpful option for our boys. We've had great luck with Little Remedies® products, we've found their products to be safe and reliable solutions for our little ones.  The first product we ever used was the Little Remedies® Gas Relief Drops very helpful for our little guy’s gas.

With a full schedule of school, hockey, and the holidays on the horizon, I know my little guys need to be fueled with healthy foods.  Every kid is different, my middle guy loves his fruits and veggies, and with my oldest it's a battle. For us, daily smoothies are a great option for getting for packing in nutrients, and the kids like to help make them which is a plus.  I also trying to sneak in extra veggies in meal favorites like pasta sauces, eggs, meatloafs, and quesadillas etc.

It always seems my kiddos aren’t feeling their best when they are overtired; sleep is key.  The darker days definitely help with early bedtimes, but I also find it helpful during the school year to start our routine early.  I try to have dinner ready around 5:30 pm, leaving time to bathe and read before turning in by 7-7:30.  Obviously that's ideal and life happens, but we can still try.

Despite all our best efforts, with three kiddos in the house we will get a cough from time to time. I always find it helpful to have a basket already prepared of the basics we'll need/want.  Things like fever reducer, Honey Cough Syrup, a water bottle, tissues, hot/cold pack, was cloth, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer thermometer, a new movie and a few sit down activities.

Don’t miss these products at Walmart - Little Remedies® Honey Cough Syrup 4oz. are on Rollback for $5.97.​

What are your best tips for beating sickness this season?  Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear about them! Thanks as always for stopping by.