Get the 411 on how to keep your kids (and yourself! healthy as they head back to school by making sure their immune system – and digestive systems- are ready for the influx of germs.

I’m sitting here in front of my keyboard on the first morning of the last week of my oldest son’s summer break. His last week of summer break. He’s on the threshold of taking a monumental first step into the world of kindergarten.

As a work-at-home-mom, I’ve been able to spend most of every single day of my son’s entire life with him. That’s five and a half years with him by my side for the better part of the day. I could turn this into a long weepy, philosophical reflection, but don’t you worry, I’ll save that for my inner brain to stumble over all week long. Instead, I’m trying to push those thoughts aside and compensating by focusing on being practical.

Hey guys – what follows is a sponsored post I’ve created with a brand that I believe in and we already use in our day to day lives, Renew Life® Ultimate Flora Probiotics. I feel good about supporting it and hope you do to. And I’ll do my best to hide my weepiness about my oldest starting REAL school in a few days. Someone hold me…now on to those tips about healthy guts:

We’ve cleaned off old backpacks and lunchboxes and bought new ones just in case. We have new stainless steel over-priced water bottles they’ll probably lose in a week that I couldn’t say no to. I’ve ordered new name labels and triple-checked the school supply list. I’ve even pre-made some mini gluten-free, dairy-free pizzas for the freezer so we can have some fun lunches to grab on the sure-to-be-hectic mornings adjusting to a new schedule.

I can’t obsess about his teacher or classmates or bus schedule because none of that has been released yet (talk about waiting until the last minute). I thought I’d checked everything off my practical to-do list (completely ignoring the emotional tornado wreaking havoc in my mind). Then I saw a post on Facebook about some must have magical hair-detangler spray that fights lice. Lice. One more thing that has to go on my list of preparedness. This is part of our world now.

And of course, lice is probably the least of our problems. Both my boys will be in new schools with new kids, and with that comes… new germs. TWO sets of new germs. (Where am I shipping my innocent boys off to?!?) I could immediately sign myself up for the crazy-worry-loony-bin, but fending off illness? That’s something this practical mom can handle.

School may not have started yet but we’re already doubling-down on our germ-fighting routine, from the inside out. Going back to school, and honestly, just being a kid these days takes guts.

Here’s our plan of attack to keep our guts healthy:

– Get really dirty. Yup, that’s right. Playing outside and in the dirt is an awesome way to build up your immune system. Plus, what boy doesn’t love playing in the dirt? It’s win-win for me.

– Stick to bedtime. I know, #lamestmomever. But if my kids miss their bedtime window, it takes an act of magic to get them to sleep and then they end up getting up even earlier than early. Sleep is a HUGE factor in immune health and we’ll take all the help we can get. (Not to mention getting enough rest helps keep the crankiness at bay, which I’m sure we’ll have plenty of as we adjust to the new all-day routine of kindergarten.)

– Keep the sugar at bay. I know, give me another prize for being a lame mom here. But for the record, I didn’t say NO sugar; just less. It’s easy to say yes to every single treat kids ask for, but it adds up so easily. A granola bar, a juice box, some ketchup and BAM. I think by now we all know what sugar can do to us, especially kids, but sometimes we just need a reminder to keep it in check.

– Focus on healthy guts. Did you know at least 70% of your immune system is in your gut? A healthy gut can help boost your immune health. We focus on probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha, plus the whole family takes a daily probiotic to make sure we’re getting adequate amounts of the good bugs. (I mean; how much sauerkraut can I really get my 5-year-old to eat?) We love Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics – they’re gluten & dairy free, don’t require refrigeration, come in a delayed-release capsule, and contain 30 billion live cultures per capsule & 10 scientifically studied probiotic strains. {Translation: that’s good stuff!} Plus, they even come in chewable tablets and gummies as well!

In addition to playing a huge role in immunity, did you know a healthy gut can improve your memory, sleep and lower stress? Plus, 95% of your body’s happiness-inducing serotonin is produced in your gut. All things we can get on board with as we enter this back-to-school phase of life. Better memory. More energy. Less stress. Happier. Yup, sign us up.

Wish us luck on our adventures in a new-to-us world. Feel free to send your immune-boosting, germ-fighting, kindergarten-survival secrets. And tissues. Send tissues.

Growing up today takes guts. Check out the latest video ad from Renew Life here.

Just a reminder, this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Renew Life® Ultimate Flora Probiotics.