Nobody likes being sick. It is a miserable experience that no one enjoys, but it happens to the best of us, especially this time of year.

We’d been pretty lucky this year, and I thought we were going to escape all the bugs that were going around. Unfortunately, we weren’t so lucky and it hit us over spring break. Fabulous timing. 

Every single member of my family of eight spent their holiday vacation hanging out in a condo praying that we’d be healthy enough to enjoy our vacation before it ended.

When your kid is sick and not getting better, every parent gets to the point where they wonder if a doctor needs to step in and prescribe something, like antibiotics, to help get your child healthy.

I’m in denial that I have a teenager. It snuck up on me. I know they say it will do that but it’s still surprising when it happens. I felt like I had the baby and toddler years totally figured out, but the teen years are new territory for me. Even something simple like determining which vaccines my son needs now is a bit overwhelming. Most parents believe that vaccines are important but the actual vaccination rates for teens are well below what they should be.

Most of us would like to make healthier parenting choices with our kids but knowing where to start can sometimes be a challenge. With our busy lives, it’s generally easier to stick with what you know, but there are some amazing options out there to help you and your family make some healthy changes. We’ve partnered with iHerb.com to share some of our favorite healthy parenting essentials for you and some great tips for making small changes.

Our journey towards healthier parenting began when one of my sons started having some health problems. He was dealing with respiratory issues and major skin problems that left his hands and legs chapped and bleeding. It took over a year to find the source of his problems. He was sensitive to the chemicals in the products we were using in our home.

Swimming is one of the highlights of summer, but sometimes it can come with some negative side effects. Swimmer’s ear can be painful and if your kids are prone to it, summer trips to the swimming pool are a bit rough.

I have two kids who are prone to swimmer’s ear . . . they are also my most water-loving kids of the bunch, which is an unfortunate combination. Since they won’t stay away from the water, we have to get a bit creative and come up with solutions that can help prevent or treat swimmer’s ear.

We’ve discovered some great ways to do that. If you have a child who deals with swimmer’s ear, I hope these tips will make your summer a bit more enjoyable.

Finding ways to keep kids healthy, especially when life gets stressful, can be challenging. As a parent, I look at it as my job to help my kids manage stress and keep their bodies healthy. I know that the habit they develop know will stick with them for a lifetime and I want to make sure that they are establishing good habits.

This time of year is a great time to work on establishing healthy habits. The winter blahs are real. I see it set in for me every year and I know my kids experience it too.

It’s hard when the weather is a bit dreary out and the excitement of the holidays are over. Once we get through Valentine’s Day I always feel like I’m just waiting for spring.

Don’t worry, though. We have some tips to help you keep your kids (and you) healthy and above the winter blahs.