It’s such a big milestone when your little one starts kindergarten or primary school. Seeing him in his uniform brings a tear to your eye and a proud beat to your heart as you give him your blessings for this journey of learning he is about to embark on.
However, as your child starts mingling with other kids in his new school, he is also exposed to a multitude of germs. Combined with the fact that your little one’s immune system is still developing, you may notice that he falls ill quite regularly.
While health professionals say this is quite normal, you may struggle with inadequate leave credits to look after your sick child and expensive paediatrician bills. Repeatedly missing school is of course quite disruptive to your child’s education.
It is stressful to not be able to completely stop your little one from getting sick once he starts kindergarten or Primary One. But you can give him the best fighting chance of warding off illness as much as possible with these three tips.
Good hand hygiene can ward off a host of illnesses in your child after he starts school
1. Teach your kids good hygiene
One of the most common ways kids get colds is by rubbing their mouth, nose or eyes with their unwashed hands that have been exposed to a cold virus. Because of this, it’s so important to teach your little one correct hand hygiene, as well as classroom hygiene in general.
Your child should wash his hands with soap and water for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song. He should scrub between his fingers, his palms, around his nails and the back of his hands. Ideally, the paper towel that he uses to dry his hands should be used to turn off the tap.
Advice your little one to wash and dry his hands like this after using the toilet and before eating. Remind him that he should cough/ sneeze into the crook of his elbow, rather than into his palms. But if he forgets, then he should wash or sanitise his hands as soon as possible.
Your child should also not be sharing his lunch, snacks or water with other children in the class. Teach your child this simple rule: if you put the item in your mouth, keep it to yourself.
A good night’s sleep can help your little one stay healthy and also benefits his learning in many ways.
2. Make sure your little one gets adequate sleep
Did you know that if your child doesn’t get enough sleep, this can actually negatively impact his learning, health and wellbeing?
The Health Promotion Board of Singapore (HPB) says that while your little one is sleeping, his brain is hard at work facilitating memory, learning and problem-solving skills.
Sleep also assists in healing and repairing your child’s heart and blood vessels and supports his healthy growth and development by boosting muscle mass and repairing cells and tissue.
Experts say that pre-schoolers between the ages of three to five years should get about ten to 12 hours of sleep a day. Primary-schoolers (six to 12 years old) should average nine to ten hours of sleep daily.
On the next page, find out how you can boost your child’s immunity and gut health with probiotics, as well as information on how you can win over $100 worth of Blackmores health products for you and your child!
Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder can boost your child’s immune system and help maintain a healthy gut.
3. Give your children immunity and digestive support through probiotics
Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestine.
The increase in beneficial bacteria may result in competition with pathogenic bacteria for nutrients. This struggle for survival promotes the maintenance of a good intestinal environment.
Probiotics are an effective way of boosting your child’s immune system, enhancing his overall wellbeing, and reducing the likelihood of illness, especially once he starts pre-school or primary school.
So where can you find the best probiotics in Singapore for your child?
A trusted name in health
Blackmores is Australia’s number one brand in dietary supplements and a trusted choice among Singaporeans when it comes to the health and wellbeing of the whole family. It offers a wide range of options for both mums and their little ones, starting from the pre-conception stage and continuing through pregnancy and child development.
Blackmores now bring you Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder — probiotics that are especially formulated for your child.
With Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder, mummy gets peace of mind knowing that her little one’s immune system is strong and his gut health is at optimal levels.
Here are some facts about Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder and how it is beneficial to your little one’s health:
- Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder contains the strains Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14™) and Bifidobacterium lactis (HNO19™). Both of these maintain the balance of good bacteria in your child’s intestinal gut and digestive tract — the latter especially helps with preventing diarrhea in kids. They are also acid stable and bile resistant.
- This great-tasting, daily probiotic contains the prebiotic (think of prebiotics as “food” for probiotics) inulin, which encourages a healthy intestinal environment for probiotic intestinal flora to flourish.
- This product is suitable for kids who are lactose intolerant. It also has no added preservatives and artificial colourings.
Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder is suitable for little ones aged two years and above, and costs $26 for 20 sachets. You just need to mix the contents of one sachet in juice or water (but not hot drinks).
Parents, with a daily dose of Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder and by following the other tips mentioned in this article, you can give your child the best chance at staying healthy through his pre-school and school years.
You get peace of mind knowing that your little one’s immune system is strong and well prepared to fight off bugs and viruses. Your child’s wellbeing is at an optimum and he gets uninterrupted time at school — a win-win situation for sure!
You can find Blackmores Kids Probiotic Powder at Blackmores’ flagship store, Parkway Parade (B1-111), and at leading pharmacies and departmental stores around Singapore.
Visit the Blackmores Facebook page for more information, or follow them on Instagram.
For free health advisory service, call 6225-3933 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or email to healthadvisory@blackmores.com.sg.
Exciting news!
Here’s some exciting news for you. You could be one of five lucky winners of an awesome prize from Blackmores worth over $100!
You just need need to submit a picture (via the form below) of your happy, strong and healthy kid and stand to win a set of the latest Blackmores Kids Vitamins!
Winners will be selected based on 50% votes and 50% judges’ decision.
Just fill in your details in the form below to take part in the contest.
How do you keep your child healthy? Do share your tips with us by leaving a comment below.