Beat the Winter Blahs and Keep Kids Healthy with these 5 Tips

This post was sponsored by Align as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Finding ways to keep kids healthy, especially when life gets stressful, can be challenging. As a parent, I look at it as my job to help my kids manage stress and keep their bodies healthy. I know that the habit they develop know will stick with them for a lifetime and I want to make sure that they are establishing good habits.

This time of year is a great time to work on establishing healthy habits. The winter blahs are real. I see it set in for me every year and I know my kids experience it too.

 It’s hard when the weather is a bit dreary out and the excitement of the holidays are over. Once we get through Valentine’s Day I always feel like I’m just waiting for spring.

Don’t worry, though. We have some tips to help you keep your kids (and you) healthy and above the winter blahs.

Take a good probiotic. Your digestive health is linked to so many other things, including just generally feeling icky. Take care of your digestive health with a good probiotic. I regularly (no pun intended — eh, who am I kidding) take a probiotic and notice such a difference in the way I feel when I take it.Try Align Jr. and save $5 on your first purchase with this printable coupon. Now the makers of Align have a new kid-friendly probiotic that is your kids will love. The new Align Jr. is a great-tasting chewable for kids and can help children achieve digestive harmony, no matter what kind of chaos you have going on in your lives at the time*.

Align Jr. is designed for kids ages 6-12 and is perfect to add to your daily routine. Align, the #1 Doctor and Gastroenterologist-recommended probiotic brand‡ so I love that they now have a formulation specially designed for kids. The chewable tablets are perfect for kids and since they taste great, you don’t have to do much convincing to get your kids to take them.

ǂ Among gastroenterologists and doctors who recommended a brand of probiotic in an AlphaImpactRx 2016 Survey.

Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can drastically affect your kids’ mood. This time of year it can be especially hard with all of the activities and school events that are going on. I thought the holidays were busy but we have a sporting event nearly every night. It can be hard to wind down after a busy day. Be sure that you are sticking to a consistent bedtime routine and making sure your kids are getting enough sleep each night. They’ll be more alert during the day and their mood will be much better. On that note, follow their lead and make sure you are getting enough sleep too because we all know that “when mama ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy”.

Do something you love every day. I think as adults, this is a lesson we learn early (even if we don’t always follow it). Kids don’t always get the memo. As parent’s it is our job to make sure our kids learn to cope with stress in a healthy way and getting into the habit of taking time out of your day to do something you love is a great way to do that. Kids are so often over-scheduled and overwhelmed. Teach your kids that it’s okay to take a 30 minute break to go play with a friend or help you bake something in the kitchen. They need some downtime every day too.

Eat colorful foods. Winter may be blah but your diet doesn’t have to be. Find in-season fruits and veggies and fill your kitchen with them. Pre-slice fruits and veggies and store them in smaller containers so your kids can grab a healthy snack when they need to. I keep easy-to-open containers on the lower shelves of my fridge so my younger kids can grab something when they want to. They love the independence and I love that it is helping them to learn healthy snacking habits.

Laugh. When was the last time you laughed with your kids? We get so caught up in the daily tasks we need to get done that we often forget to have fun. Take a few minutes just to have fun. Make a silly face at your kids. Watch a funny video together. Make a cheesy joke. Your kids will love having fun with you and you’ll all feel a bit lighter afterwards.

Align partnered with bloggers, such as me, to get the word out about its great product benefits. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. Align believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Align’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.