So That Children Don't Get Sick Easily, Increase Their Immunity with These 6 Habits

Come on, make it a habit for children to do these 6 things, which can build their immunity so that children don't get sick easily.

1. Sleep Enough and Quality

Children do need to do activities to develop their imagination and creativity, but they also need rest. Make sure the child's sleep hours are sufficient and of good quality, meaning he can sleep well without the need to wake up often. According to Dr. Lim Kwang Hsien, a pediatrician from Kinder Clinic-Mount Alvernia Medical Center, USA, said that lack of sleep in children can lead to decreased production of cytokine proteins that maintain immunity.

DO: Monitor your child's bedtime. Children aged 3-6 years sleep 10 to 12 hours per day. Older children sleep 9 hours per day.

2. Help Children Manage Stress

Again dr. Lim believes that children who are stressed can interfere with their sleeping and eating patterns. This will have an impact on lowering the ability of the body's immune response. Preschoolers are generally stressed when they enter PAUD (Early Childhood Education) or have problems with friends.

Greater sources of stress for children can also be from friends and school problems. In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are increasingly vulnerable to stress because they are tired of online school and their limited space for movement.

DO: Help your child manage stressful loads by:

Reduce activities outside of school matters, such as tedious tutoring or actually the child is not interested.

Help your child feel comfortable and have the courage to talk to you. Start with your story first.

Let the child be himself.

Teach children how to solve their own problems.

3. Invite Sports

Regular exercise can increase the number of natural killer cells or T-cells. "Children who are active every day also get the same benefits as people who exercise regularly," says Ranjit Chandra, MD., a specialist in pediatric health and immunity at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Unfortunately, if they are already attached to gadgets, children become less active.

DO:

Be a diligent/active parent so that your child imitates you.

Reduce your child's screen time or exposure to sailing technology. Currently, children's screen time is increasing, for school and activities (dancing lessons, music lessons, etc.)

Schedule outdoor activities with your family on a regular basis. During the pandemic, this can indeed be an obstacle, but that does not mean that children cannot leave the house at all. Invite children to play in the yard. If you want to take a walk or ride a bicycle around the park near your house, make sure you obey strict health protocols, such as wearing a mask, keeping your distance, staying away from crowds, and washing your hands regularly (bring a hand sanitizer, OK).

4. Always Maintain Cleanliness

Cleanliness of the body, clothing, food or drink, and the child's environment need to be your concern. The reason is, germs are everywhere, indiscriminately. For younger children who like exploration, of course they have a high risk of being exposed to germs. However, that doesn't mean you 'imprison' your child in their bedroom to reduce exposure to germs.

DO:

Make it a habit for children to bathe 2 times a day and wash their hands with soap before and after eating.

Get used to changing clean clothes at least 2 times a day.

Invite your child to help you while washing clothes, dishes, or the car, to get used to cleanliness.

5. Give Vaccinations

Diseases do not have to be prevented after being infected, some can be prevented by vaccines. “A vaccine is an imitation of an infection that causes the body to develop specific immunity against a disease. After being vaccinated, the child does not get sick because the infection is immediately countered by his immune system,” said Dr. Chu Hui Ping, a specialist in medicine and pediatrics from Raffles Children Centre, Singapore.

DO: Give the required vaccines, namely polio, BCG, and DTP. It would be better if your child was given additional vaccines. Do not forget to adjust it according to the age of the child. For children aged 12 years and over, don't forget to give the COVID-19 vaccination.

6. Eat Immunity-boosting Foods

High intake of vitamins A, C, E, D, Zinc, and Omega-3 can increase white blood cells and disease-fighting T-cells. Get vitamins from the following sources:

• Vitamin A from carrots, melons, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
• Vitamin C from berries, oranges, broccoli.
• Vitamin E from green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
• Vitamin D from fish, milk, and 10 to 2 p.m. sun exposure.
• Zinc from beef, poultry, and beans; while omega 3 from marine fish, yogurt, and whole grains.

DO: Don't forget to pay attention to your child's balanced diet every day.