5 easy ways that you can help boost your child’s immune system

Our absolute top priority in life is keeping our kids safe.

And a big part of that is keeping them free from illness. Of course, we can't keep them in a bubble for their entire lives but we can do the next best thing - make sure that their immune system is working to its full potential and can keep them healthy when they're out and about. There are a lot of things that can affect your immune system and we've made a list of the top five to stay on top of to keep your kids' bodies fighting those germs.

1. Diet

Diet is so important when it comes to your child's health. A good diet ensures they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients that they need. Too much sugar might give them a quick energy spike but it will leave them feeling sluggish soon after. Fruits, veggies, and whole foods will give your kids the long-lasting energy they need to keep their immune system going strong, as well as making them feel livelier and more awake.

2. Sleep

During the night, our body does the vast majority of its recovery and recuperation. Sleep is also the time that our brain sorts through the information we learnt that day. With kids learning so many new things every day it is even more vital that they get enough hours of sleep. If possible, try to get your kids to sleep without a nightlight. Sleeping in the dark allows the sleep hormone, melatonin, to do its job properly, which means your kids will get a great quality snooze and will wake up feeling rested and refreshed. It's also so, so important that kids are not watching TV or looking at screens at least an hour before their bedtime.

3. Stress reduction

Kids may be the joy of our lives and have a constant happy-go-lucky attitude but they get worried and stressed just like adults do. Studies have shown that high levels of stress weaken a body's immune system. Of course bad things are going to happen in life and at times life will be stressful - there's no avoiding that - but make sure there's a relaxing, stress-free zone for your kids to escape to. Reduce TV time and get them outside and exercising. Try to find something they love doing that really sparks their creativity - having something they like to do that takes their full attention will do wonders for both their stress levels and their self-esteem.

4. Protection against germs

This technically isn't an immune system booster, but it's just as crucial for keeping your child healthy. While it's good to let your kids explore outside and get dirty to help boost their immune system, sometimes you need to give their body a little help with the fight. Especially during flu season, or after going to the toilet, it's important to make sure your kids are washing their hands properly. A lot of kids' hands are sensitive to normal soap, so get some fun-looking kid soap and some colourful towels and make it a fun little task.

5. Supplements

While a good diet will do most of the job of getting your kids the vitamins and nutrients that they need, it's good for them to take a daily supplement just to make sure that they're getting ample nutrition during these crucial growing years. Junior Revive and Teen Revive supplements by Revive Active have five fruit and veg extracts, 18 essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as prebiotics and probiotics which help protect your kid's immune system. They also support brain, bones, and heart health and both contain Wellmune by the Kerry Group which helps reduce inflammation and protects the immune system. Their sachet is unflavoured so you don't have to worry about picky eaters making a fuss. With all of these precautions and a supplement to hand, you will have no problems making sure your kid's immune system is up and running to its full potential. We may not be able to protect them 100% of the time ourselves, but we can make sure we're doing everything to help them to protect themselves.