How I Keep My Family Healthy In the Summer #heathykids

As a mom of three kids ages 6 and under, I am constantly tending to one of them.  To add to my craziness two of my kids have health issues.  My 6 year old has a heart condition and my 5 year old has asthma and a nut/egg allergy.  Also, my youngest recently fell off the bed onto the nightstand and has a huge gash that I have to keep protected.  While I am trying not to be too overbearing or neurotic about health, as a mom thats my job.  I am the one who knows my kids best and they rely on me for basically everything!

So how do I keep my kids healthy and safe in the summertime?

• Sunscreen.  I keep sunscreen in my diaper bag and constantly apply.  If you don’t carry around a diaper bag then keep some in your purse or even your car, or just remember to apply when you leave the house if you won’t be out too long.

• First aid kit in my car.  I am not talking about a huge kit, just a small one I made up in a ziploc bag.  It has bandages, first aid creme, gauze, medical tape for big cuts.

• Water.  It may sound so simple, and it is, but it is so important to stay hydrated.  I never realized before what the causes were when I’d get crabby, irritable and light-headed and now realize it was because I was de-hydrated.

• Know your kids’ limits.  Know when they need water or food, need air conditioning to cool off, or just need to rest.  A day in the sun can be a lot for a child (heck even an adult) and they don’t always know their limitations until its too late.  So for example when we go a zoo or theme park, we spend time resting seeing a show or just enjoying some air conditioning before heading back out.

Whether you are at home or out, know that you you are doing your best and you can’t control everything.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of iVillage
. The opinions and text are all mine.