It is better to strengthen the immune system in the summer. If you haven't started yet, don't despair. With the help of simple rules, you will have time to prepare the child's immune system for the season of colds.
Summer flies by quickly. There is just less than a month of carefree vacation left, and your child will sit down at the desk for the first time or again. A period of runny nose, cough and colds will begin due to the first virus that comes across. Can this be avoided? Our answer: you can. Experts advise preparing a child for autumn in advance, because the best time to strengthen immunity is the hot summer months. Even if you only remembered this now, do not be discouraged. It's not too late to start preparing for the cold season.
Rule 1. Walks in the open air
In the summer, a child needs to walk even in the rain / istockphoto.com
Yes, this is corny, but at the same time incredibly effective. It is in the summer that a child's body can get the lion's dose of vitamin D just by walking in the sun. This is an essential element in building strong immunity: it has been proven that vitamin D contributes to the production of antimicrobial substances in the body. Therefore, whenever possible, we expel the child to fresh air as often as possible. The only thing we adhere to is the solar activity regime. On a hot day from 11 to 16 hours in the open sun, the child has nothing to do: sunstroke or
heat injury does not contribute to the good functioning of the immune system in any way.And by the way, in the summer it is possible and necessary for a child to walk in any weather. Even in the rain or on a windy day. Walking barefoot on the grass, all kinds of picnics in nature and swimming in reservoirs strengthen the immune system very well. If you are working, try to take your child to the beach or forest every weekend.
Rule 2. Lightweight clothing throughout the day
Suppress in yourself the desire to pull a jacket on the child at the slightest breeze. As a rule, in summer in our latitudes, the temperature never drops to such an indicator that children need outerwear. With drops of up to 5-7 degrees (for example, 30 in the afternoon and 23 in the evening), the child may well walk in the same T-shirt. The body's adaptive capabilities are adapted to this.
If the difference is greater and the air temperature has dropped to "icy" 20 degrees, change the T-shirt to a light long-sleeved sweater. And remember: even if you get goosebumps from the cold, the child may be hot on the move. Parents who are constantly freezing need to take note of the “minus one” rule. During active movement, a child should have one less piece of clothing than an adult who is sitting on a bench at this time.
Rule 3. Balanced diet
Fruit should be in a child's diet every day / istockphoto.com
Vegetables and fruits in the summer should be the basis of the child's diet. Yes, it is not easy to do it - especially if he is used to "tasty treats". In this case, it is possible to shove a portion of raspberries into the child only with the help of bargaining and cunning manipulations. Agree with your child that you replace all snacks during the day with fruit. Nutritionists do not prohibit replacing even basic meals (for example, lunch or dinner before bedtime) with a fruit or vegetable plate. Believe me, summer abundance will go away very quickly, and in the fall you will not be able to replenish what you can eat right now with any pharmacy vitamins.
Rule 4. Healthy sleep
In summer, it is important for a child to go to bed early and get up early / istockphoto.com
On a summer evening, the temptation is so great to stay on the street a little longer. The heat subsides, and many parents "go on a spree" with their children to victory, returning home at 10-11 pm. This is a big mistake, because at any time of the year you need to adhere to a strict rule: at 10 p.m. the child must lie in bed. It is very important for growth and healthy psycho-emotional development at any age. In addition, before school, you will praise yourself ten times for not straying from the regime.
Rule 5. Rinsing the nose
This is true not only in summer, but at any time of the year. However, you can start right now. Introduce the practice of regular saline nasal toilet. This will enhance local immunity in the nasopharyngeal mucosa, which is known to be the gateway to any respiratory infection.
You can rinse your child's nose with a pharmacy solution, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, buy sea salt and dissolve it in a dosage no more than a teaspoon in a glass of water. For a child, 5 ml of solution will be enough for rinsing, the rest can be used to gargle, and also to rinse the nose of all family members.
According to the rules the procedure for rinsing the nose should be carried out as follows: Tilt the baby's head over the sink with one nostril pointing up. Slowly pour 5 ml of the solution into it using a syringe without a needle. Fluid (along with pathogenic microorganisms) should drain from the opposite nostril.
It should be noted that the procedure is not pleasant. If the child is scandalous and is not allowed to rinse his nose in this way, use a pharmacy spray based on sea water. The effect will be approximately the same, but the screams and rejection will be several times less.
Rule 6. Water quenching
Water hardening with a child should be done regularly / istockphoto.com
This is one of the best ways to strengthen a child's immunity. But you need to approach it correctly and gradually. Start by washing your child's feet after walking in cool water. After a few days, you can add a hand wash over your shoulder. However, do not overdo it with the temperature, it should be comfortable for the child. It can be lowered by a few degrees every 4-5 days. For example, if you started with 22, then after a while reduce it to 20, and then to 18 and 16.
At this stage, you can connect a contrast shower. Again, from a higher temperature. For example, hot water 37-38 degrees, then cool drenching 20-22 degrees. It is optimal if you “go down” to 12-14 degrees before autumn. The following is not necessary, it can become unnecessary stress for the child's body.
Remember that the most important thing in water quenching is regularity. Skipping the procedure for more than a day is not recommended. If for some reason this happened, hardening will have to be resumed from a higher temperature than the one at which you interrupted.
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