Tips for Staying Healthy As The Kids Head Back to School This Fall

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or work full time, back to school can be a challenge for every type of family. So when someone in your family gets sick, it makes it hard to stick to a routine that works. Following is my collection of tips for staying healthy (and organized!) as the kids head back to school this fall. So you, and your kids, can stay on top of your game.

Last week I mentioned that my son is starting his senior year of college. So back to school is extra exciting for me this year. Even more exciting is that Cody (my son) is going to the first person on my side of the family to ever go to grad school. However, if your son or daughter isn’t quite there yet, I still wanted to share some great back to school ideas for you as well.

I remember when my son was in elementary school. Every single viral infection or stomach bug that made rounds at school, made its way back into our home. And it never failed, the sound of him puking would wake me up from a dead sleep every single time.

Even after Cody graduated high school there were still back to school germs to contend with. My coworkers at the time had school aged kids. And from time to time they would find their way into the office – especially during summer or sick days. I like to think they contributed to the mighty immune system I seem have now.

Of course, if you’re working full time and you have kids in school, you can’t really afford to get sick. So I’ve pulled together a few tips for staying healthy as the kids head back to school this fall. After all, you have enough to worry about when school starts. With all the after school activities, packing lunches, and helping with homework, the last thing you need to worry about is the next virus squirming its way into your home.

Tips for Staying Healthy this Fall

This amazing hand sanitizer is Queen.

Because back to school means lots of germs, hand sanitizer is a great way to keep dirty hands germ free. I know as well as you do that kids hate to wash their hands. Which is one of the reasons I love the Grove Collaborative hydrating hand sanitizer spray.

This hand sanitizing spray makes disinfecting hands seem like less work. It also won’t dry out your kids hands with excess use like drugstore brand gel hand sanitizers. This awesome spray has coconut oil (for those of you who are a fan!) for extra hydration. And it’s scented with natural essential oils, not a synthetic fragrance. (Keep reading to learn how you can get Grove’s hand sanitizing spray free!)

Simply toss a bottle of hand sanitizing spray into your kids’ backpacks so they can clean up before lunch or snack time. And be sure to keep one in the car, too. It’s a great way to disinfect their hands after school or after sports practice. If time is of the essence, you can worry about one less thing by setting up disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer to autoship monthly from Grove Collaborative. That way you never run out and you save a trip to the store.

Encourage hand washing with this simple idea.

Of course, sometimes, kids HAVE to wash their hands. With younger kids especially, this can be a struggle. The solution? Let them pick their favorite scent to keep by the sink! Kids especially love Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap in lavender and lemon. And, they can make their soap even more special by decorating the bottle with their favorite stickers.

Don’t forget the teachers!

Teachers spend a lot of money out-of-pocket on classroom supplies. So donations of disinfecting wipes and tissues are always appreciated. You can help give back to your child’s teacher for all their hard work by gifting a few containers of Seventh Generation disinfecting multi-surface wipes. They’ll also appreciate receiving several boxes of Grove’s new paperless Seedling tissues for your kid’s classroom. These products are great at preventing kids from passing around the same germs over and over.

If you haven’t heard of Seedling by Grove, it’s a fantastic new brand of tree-free products that includes tissues, paper towels, toilet paper and napkins. Unlike other green brands of toilet paper and paper towels, Seeding products aren’t rough or scratchy. Rather than using recycled paper, Seedling products are made from a renewable proprietary blend of bamboo and sugarcane that creates a soft, luxurious product.

Feed your kids healthy snacks.

One of the first questions kids ask when they get home from school is, “Hey mom, what’s for snack?” While you may be tempted to treat them to sugary snacks or potato chips, try giving them healthier options instead. Healthy snacks aren’t just a better food choice. Natural foods like veggies and fruits contain extra vitamins and minerals that also help to boost those budding immune systems.

So instead of buying those cookie or cracker snack packs when you’re at the grocery store, opt for grab-and-go snacks like cut up fruit, hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, and veggies & hummus instead. Grove’s reusable storage bags are a great way to store individual snack-sized portions. Not only are they durable and easy to clean, they also won’t leak in your refrigerator.

Natural ways to fight back to school colds or flu.

Let’s face it. Even if you do take all of the preventative measures to prevent an illness, your kids are still bound to catch a cold at some point. However, with the overuse of antibiotics (especially in cases of viral illnesses in which they have no effect on) sometimes it’s better to try a natural remedy first. Natural remedies not only help to relieve cold symptoms, they can also aid in strengthening your child’s immune system. From soothing medicinal teas to immune boosting syrups, you can find my favorite ways to naturally fight off colds here.

Manage stress better as a mom with natural supplements.

It’s not just the kids dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress as they head back to school. We moms can get overwhelmed too. It can be a real challenge fighting with your kids to get them out of bed in the morning. (I was a holy terror in the mornings growing up.) Or trying to figure out how to drop off and pick multiple kids up from sports or dance practice – when they all have to be there at the same time!

Unfortunately, not only is stress mentally exhausting, it can take a toll on your physical health as well. This in turn makes you more vulnerable to getting sick. So I help my body better manage stress with herbal supplements like ashwagandha root. I also take a daily probiotic which helps to improve my overall health. Probiotics also naturally help to boost immunity. Therefore, by adding probiotics to your daily routine, your body is better able to fight off nasty germs you may come into contact with throughout the school year.

Grove sells my favorite brand of probiotics from Lovebug at 10% off. While I take Lovebug’s Here’s the Skinny daily probiotic, they also offer an immunity probiotic for little ones and a daily immunity probiotic for adults.

Another great way to reduce stress is by staying organized. So you’ll find some great tips to help you stay organized for back to school and keep up with household chores below!

Homemaking & Organizing Tips for Back to School

Clean your kid-friendly spaces with non-toxic all-in-one products.

When things get hectic, multi-tasking cleaning supplies are a must. I love Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface spray because I can walk around the entire house and clean everything. It’s perfect for cleaning countertops, floors, toys, and even sticky lunchboxes with just one bottle.

If you’ve never tried Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products before, back to school is the perfect time to give these cleaning products a test run! First time Grove customers will receive a free Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning kit with an order of just $20 or more. This amazing cleaning kit contains one each of Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap, dish soap and multi-surface spray PLUS a Grove hand sanitizing spray and my favorite Grove walnut scrubber sponges.

If you’re ready to get ALL of the shopping for your household down in one fell swoop, you’ll also get a free Grove cleaning caddy IN ADDITION TO your free Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning kit when you spend just $39. Sign up here.

Create a homework station.

Getting kids to sit down and focus on homework is hard enough without having to rummage through the junk drawer for a pencil sharpener. To streamline homework time, create a “homework station” by filling a caddy with supplies like pencils, sharpeners, tape, glue, crayons, colored pencils, and a stapler.

Keep kids busy while you make dinner.

One of the biggest challenges as a mom is keeping the kids busy while you cook dinner. So how do you this without plopping them in front of a screen? Lately, I’ve discovered that kids LOVE dry erase markers and whiteboards. So have your kids write a pretend shopping list, draw, or practice spelling words or math facts while you’re in the kitchen. When they’re done, they can clean the boards with Grove all-purpose concentrate and a microfiber!

Choose the right tools for cleaning your dirty dinner dishes.

Kids or not, if your house is like mine, dishes seem to multiply when you’re not looking. Fortunately, Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap and Grove walnut scrubber sponges make quick work of greasy pans, crockpots, and lunch containers.

Save money on healthy & eco-friendly everyday products for your home.

School supplies can take a big chunk out of your budget. Grove Collaborative is a great way to save on back-to-school household and personal care products like tissues, hand sanitizer, and vitamins. I find that items are less expensive than our local grocery store, and you can often score free products with a minimum purchase. Plus, once you’ve submitted your first order, you’ll be signed up for the free 60 day VIP trial. For 60 days, you’ll save even more with free shipping, free gifts, price matching, exclusive sales and personal service. Join Grove now and start saving.

Discover more back to school tips and ideas.

For more great tips for staying healthy and organized for back to school, be sure to follow my Back to School Pinterest board It’s filled with fun back to school supplies and office candy for the young and young at heart! Plus back to school DIY’s, teacher gifts ideas and printables.

Do you have great tips for staying healthy or keeping organized for back to school? I’d love to hear how you manage kids, housework and your day job without going nutty. So be sure to share your experiences and what’s worked for you in the comments! After all, coordinating with other moms and sharing ideas is another great way to not only save your sanity, but keep your household running smoothly as well.

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