9 Natural Ways to Boost Your Child's Immune System to Reduce Colds and Flu
NOTE: This article is updated from the original, and includes several ways moms can boost their children’s and family’s immune system to keep them from getting sick OR to get better faster if they do! If you’re interested in taking my FREE Herbalism Mini-Course, please click here!
As a former preschool and public school teacher for over 35+ years, I can remember very well the coughs, runny noses, stuffy noses, fevers, and general misery students endured as whatever trending illness swept through the classroom. Sometimes more than once!
THEN, as we all know well, kids bring the crud home to you and the rest of the family.
Luckily, there are some things you can and should do NOW to start boosting your child's immune system so he is ready for the new school year, whether or not you’re homeschooling or attending a physical school.
As a former elementary school teacher, I know very well how kids get sick---especially at the beginning of the school year when they come into contact with new kids and adults.
The other spike in childhood contagious illness tends to be just as winter hits, then another in early spring. It only takes one student with a bad cold or flu to send it spreading through the entire class! Then....illness comes home to you, too.
There ARE some natural and easy things you can do to help your children (and the rest of the family) stay healthy this cold and flu season! Some are herbal and natural ways, and others are more common sense. All are simple, and if done consistently, you should have a great school season with (hopefully) very little illness for everyone in your family.
Click here and I’ll send your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet! It’s seriously perfect for your home medicine chest and even your kitchen.
Get ready for cold and flu season! Here are 10 ways you can start now to boost your child’s immune system for cold and flu season and other illnesses. Stay well, get better fast, and take care of your loved ones with these home remedy ideas and wellness tips. #homeremedies #wellness #herbalism #coldandflu #getridof #boostimmunesystem #immunesystem #getbetter #stayhealthy #healingharvesthomestead
FTC Disclosure: There are affiliate links scattered throughout this article. If you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ways You Can Prevent Illness in the First Place
Get Lots of Rest
The video game thing: So many kids want to stay up late and just keep playing. I've had a few fifth graders over the years who were allowed to stay up into the wee hours...and their health (and learning) suffered.
Rest is vital to everyone’s health, especially children. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, and as a parent, you can probably tell when your child hasn't had enough rest.
Aim for at least the amount you know is necessary, plus thirty minutes more, minimum. For example, if you know your child is cranky if he doesn't get at least 8 hours of rest, then get him in bed 8 1/2 hours before having to get up to be sure he's getting enough sleep.
Photo credit: Anna Pelzer via Unsplash/Squarespace
Eat Well
OK---I'm going to mini-rant here for a moment.
When I was teaching, I just couldn't believe the kinds of things that kids brought to school in their lunch boxes. I tried not to judge---I really did. After all, I raised four kids myself, and I know how they love treats.
But Puh-lease.......
Here is what one student last year showed me in his lunch box, and his mama thought this was a healthy lunch! He proudly showed me his sugar-added peanut butter and sugar-laden jelly sandwich on white bread, potato chips, a Snickers bar, and a couple of carrot sticks. What could I say? Nothing.
OK: I know this mom was trying because she at least added the carrot sticks. But please do your research, parents! High carb, sugary and chemically processed foods cause weight gain at the least, and illness in the body at most, and usually both.
A better option is to try to get your kids to eat proteins and obviously more vegetables. Fruits are good, too, but keep in mind, they are still full of sugar.
I won't even get started on the "healthy" school lunches the kids receive nowadays as part of their public school adventures.
What you feed your child (and yourself) really matters SO much to good overall health.
Here are some options for healthy proteins to put in your child's lunch:
Try home cooked meats, like left-over chicken breast, roast beef, tuna fish, or even canned chicken. These are easy to make a sandwich with (hopefully on whole grain bread with seeds), or even to use as finger foods, along with a couple slices of cheese. You can make the meat in bulk once or twice a week, and you’ve got enough for lunches!
And please, try to reduce the amount of hidden sugars and chemicals your kids eat. Hot fries, Takees (Did I spell that right? Those were the latest horrors addicting kids the last couple of years I taught school), Fruit Snacks (tons of sugar, folks), Roll-Ups, sugary fake yogurts....I'm sure you get the drift.
Basically anything processed, unnatural (even if it says "natural"), and with more than about two or three ingredients is BAD news.
**If you love giving your child fruit snacks or roll-ups, did you know you can make your own? Without the chemicals, preservatives, and other garbage?
If you've lasted this long, I'm not even going to apologize. I almost did, but I'm just. not. sorry.
I raised my kids back in the 80's and 90's, when all this processed junk was just getting a foot hold, and since then millions more processed foods are being touted as "healthy," even though they contain killer ingredients.
Here's the thing: If your child's body is busy trying to process all those unnatural additives and toxic chemicals, that's a LOT less energy his little body will have to put toward protecting his immune system.
End of mini-rant.
And if you'd like to read an article about 10 Foods You Think are Healthy, But are Really Killing You, just click through.
One last idea for you to help get extra greens and nutrition into your child's food....(SHhhhhh! And they'll never even know)....is to use Nettle Leaf Powder. You can also use Spinach leaf powder, beet green powder, or kale powder. It's SO easy to make and use!
This natural cough syrup is so easy to make. It only requires two ingredients, and it works great!
Get Outside in the Sunshine---Vitamin D and Exercise
Kids need exercise too! Why not spend half an hour or so riding bikes with your child? Or go for a hike in nature? They'll get time with you, AND they'll be getting exercise. I know that not everyone has time to spend after a long day of work going bike riding. But even if you can do this once or twice a week, every little bit helps.
Another option is to sign your child up for a sport! I love seeing kids involved in sports. They learn how to interact with others, learn sportsmanship skills, and become healthier on top of it! Talk about an all around WIN.
The important thing about getting outside is that the sun helps your body create Vitamin D, which is more important to our health than previously realized. Vitamin D helps the immune system create more anti-bodies to help fight off illness.
In fact, a 2010 research study found that kids who got or took 1200 I.U. of Vitamin D were less likely to contract flu, and there is evidence that kids who get enough Vitamin D experience fewer respiratory illnesses.
How easy is that? Just get outside to boost that immune system!
Keep Things Clean
We all know how kids can rub their noses and eyes, spreading germs on everything they touch. Then someone else comes along and touches the same thing, then touches their nose, mouth, or eyes....and a new cold is born. Same goes for adults.
So. One thing I used to do in my classroom is keep those desks clean with a good disinfecting cleaner. After school, I just went quickly around and wiped down the desks. Nobody was the wiser, and my room was always clean.
You can do the same thing at home! Just keep things clean. We all know this.
NOTE: These days, with the concern over the recent pandemic, try to be sure whatever cleaner you use is proven to kill micro-organisms.
Use Fire Cider Daily
Fire Cider is a traditional tonic you can make inexpensively at home and take a bit little daily. It's a super immune system booster! Fire Cider is spicy, so for kids, it's probably a good idea to dilute it in another drink, like broth or water. You can also adjust the recipe a bit, to tone down the spice. You can purchase Fire Cider, but it is super expensive. To make your own? Easy and inexpensive.
Will your child be delighted and drink it right up? Probably not. But who's the boss here? Who has to pay the medical bills when little one gets sick? If it's something you've researched and believe in, then have them drink up!
Here's a recipe for Fire Cider you can try. It takes a few weeks to make, so start now, if you want it ready for the cool months! There is lots of information about this tonic and why it works so well out there on the inter webs in case you want to do some research (which is always a good idea).
NOTE: You can certainly adjust the ingredients for children. I’ve added elderberries to ours in the past and left out the spicy things…makes it easier to get down!
Fire cider—-Delicious and effective!
Thyme Infused Honey
Thyme is one of those amazing culinary herbs (along with Oregano, Rosemary, etc.) that contains plant chemicals that boost the immune system and help keep you from getting sick. One thing I like to do is take raw honey, heat it on low to retain the enzymes—-just enough to liquify it a bit, and add some fresh thyme sprigs to it. Then just let it infuse for a couple of weeks.
You can leave the thyme in the honey indefinitely, or you can strain it out. I just leave mine in. Thyme is not as strong tasting as oregano or rosemary, and it's very pleasant in the honey. This is a wonderful tasting preventive!
To use it, just take a teaspoon a day. You can add it to other foods, or just lick it off the spoon. That's my favorite way. Yum!
**You can also infuse your honey with lemon. It's not as powerful as thyme, but it sure tastes good, has some excellent results, and your child will enjoy taking it.
NOTE: Do not give raw honey to children under 12 months of age.
Yummy lemon infused honey helps support the immune system!
Diffuse Essential Oils
I'll tell you what: This is probably my favorite way to keep from getting sick! Essential oils smell lovely, and they work incredibly well.
You can buy ready made immune-boosting blends from Starwest Botanicals or Rocky Mountain Oils (two of my favorite online sources for essential oils), or you can easily make your own.
I just put this DIY essential oil blend recipe in my newsletter yesterday for my readers, and I'll go ahead and share it here too:
2 drops Lemon essential oil
2 drops Cinnamon essential oil
2 drops Clove essential oil
2 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
1 to 2 drops Rosemary essential oil
Just put the water in your essential oil diffuser, add the essential oils, and start. Run this for about 30 minutes or so several times a day. It smells amazing, and it really works! Your child will love watching the mist rise out of the diffuser.
NOTE: It’s not necessary or recommended to diffuse essential oils all day or all night. Just 30 minutes a couple of times a day in a normal ultrasonic diffuser is fine. For a nebulizing diffuser, you don’t even need to diffuse that long—-around 15 minutes is better.
If Your Child (or You) Does Get Sick---Do These Things for a Speedy Recovery
There are things you can do to support your body as it naturally heals itself from viruses that cause common colds and flus. Doing these things might just significantly shorten the duration of an illness.
Drink Immune Boosting Herbal Tea Throughout the Day
Here's a quick recipe for an immune boosting tea blend with easy to find herbs:
2 parts Peppermint leaves
2 parts Calendula
2 parts Echinacea root
1 part Ginger root
1 part Goldenseal or Oregon Grape Root (These have antibacterial properties, so they work if you are already ill.)
2 parts Red Clover (for the nutritional value)
1 part Elder Flowers (Elder Flowers contain anti-viral compounds)
Just blend the herbs together. To make, use about a tablespoon or two in one to two cups of just boiled water. Allow to steep for at least 30 minutes, and you can let it go for a couple hours if you want a stronger infusion (which I recommend). Keep in mind the longer you infuse the herbs, the more bitter the tea may be.
Drink one to three cups throughout the day to help support your immune system and get better faster! You can sweeten it with a bit of lemon-infused honey for added power!
Where to Buy Your Herbs
If you're not sure where to find great herbs, my favorite place to buy them is Starwest Botanicals. They have a huge selection of high quality herbs and you have choices about what type (organic or wild-crafted) you want, as well as quantity.
They also have bulk culinary herbs that are of MUCH higher quality than those found on grocery shelves. If I don't grow it or forage it myself, I get my herbs from Starwest.
Use Natural Remedies that Help Symptoms and Also Heal and Strengthen the Body
Most OTC medications only help alleviate symptoms, but they don't actually help the body to get better. Natural herbal remedies are easy to make, inexpensive, and they can address both issues: symptoms AND healing your body from the inside.
Here are links to a few easy remedies you might want to try. I think you'll love them and never go back to chemical/sugary OTC's again:
Ways to Clear Up Stuffy Nose & Congestion
One caveat: Even if nobody is sick in your house right now, you can get some of these made ahead of time! That way, you'll have them on hand, and will actually see how great they work! Some of these remedies don't have a super long shelf life, though---use common sense when storing, and you’ll find more information in the links.
Be sure to refrigerate any that have vegetable matter.
Essential Oils to Speed Recovery from Common Colds/Flu
There are many essential oils that will help speed up recovery from colds and flus, and also make you more comfortable. Eucalyptus, thyme, lemon, and orange essential oils you can use either in a blend or alone to help stimulate healthy immune responses.
Here are my favorite essential oils for cold and flu season.
Get your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet! It’s perfect for your kitchen or home apothecary.
Here's a recipe for immune boosting soup that's delicious and really works!
Final Thoughts About How You Can Help Your Child (and You) Stay Well this Cold and Flu Season
You've probably noticed I'm big into prevention and using natural methods to stay well. Honestly, great health comes from taking care of your body from the inside out---doing the things every day that are good for you, like getting rest, eating right, drinking lots of water--you know, those things we always hear to do.
And they all help!
Teaching your kids these natural ways to stay healthy from a young age will benefit not just your child, but you, too! You’ll be setting your child up for adulthood with good, healthy habits.
So, if you need some little immune boosters along the way, why not use them? Get that Vitamin D, use herbs known to support the immune system, and perhaps even try out some wonderful essential oils.
But still. Sometimes illnesses do happen! And that’s not necessarily a bad thing because they help our bodies build antibodies to fight off cold or flu in the future. And when they do happen to strike your child, take a look at these other articles to help out naturally!
Or, check out my eBook: Natural Cold & Flu Care--Prevention, Symptoms, Quick Recovery & Staying Well. It's on sale for a short time! Be ready for this Fall by planning now!
Hugs, Health, & Self-Reliance,
Heidi
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Disclaimer: I am NOT a medical doctor, instead I am a certified aromatherapist and herbalist. In no manner, stated or implied, is any statement made in this article, elsewhere on my website, or in any of my publications meant to cure, treat, diagnose, or prevent any illness or to provide medical advice. Please seek advice from a medical doctor if you are having health concerns. These statements are for informational purposes only, and are simply my personal opinion based on experience and study.
Resources:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/5/1255.long