Keeping Kids Healthy with Culturelle®

I will never forget the time that five of us got Rotavirus, a super fun disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, often with vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. In babies and young children, it can lead to dehydration.

It was in early 2006 when we were living on Long Island for Hubby's residency. Joey and Slim had just turned two and Knox was about 5 months old. I kid you not, it was like the Apocalypse had come to our tiny rental. All three of the boys were projectile vomiting and pooping like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't keep up with all the carnage.

Luckily for me, we didn't have carpeting, so I rolled up the area rug, moved all of the toys out of the living room, put sheets on all the furniture and cruddy play clothes on the boys, got bowls and lots of diapers, and just waited it out.

Poor sick little babes.

Of course, once they were done, Hubby and I got it, too - luckily, in succession so we weren't both down for the count with no one to take care of the boys.

It was so awful. I will never forget that week in our lives.

Thank goodness, the rotavirus vaccine for infants was introduced later in 2006. My fourth and fifth sons have never had rotavirus.

In addition to hand washing and hand sanitizer, I am now vigilant about my family's use of probiotics. According to experts at WebMD, probiotics can cut infectious diarrhea by half a day to about two days. In the last two years, my boys have not gotten sick as often as they used to before we began religiously taking probiotics; and if they did, their illnesses lasted only about a day.

That's why, when I was introduced to Culturelle® Probiotics, I was excited! Yet another product to help keep my family healthy.

Just looking at the information on the package, I knew this was going to be the right product for us: naturally sourced color, sugar, dairy and gluten free, helps reduce occasional digestive upset by supporting kids' natural defense systems. Sounded good to me.

And the Bursting Berry Flavor chewables, recommended for kids 3 and older, made my kids do this:

Culturelle® Kids Probiotics is the #1 most pediatrician recommended probiotic brand because it contains 100% Lactobacillus GG, the most clinically studied probiotic strain, proven to work safely and naturally to restore digestive balance.

Culturelle® Kids also comes in single serve packets for younger kids. They are flavorless, and dairy and gluten free. I sprinkled some in my younger son's milk, and he happily gulped it down, unaware.

At roughly $26 per box for a 30 day supply and available at all major retailers, I would definitely buy Culturelle® Kids products again. I'm always looking for any way I can to avoid major illnesses!

Culturelle® Kids Probiotics is a natural solution for better digestive and immune health. Not only does it support a child’s digestion, helping to reduce occasional digestive upset, but it also helps to boost digestion and overall digestive health.

Considering that 70% of your immune system is in your digestive tract, a healthy and balanced digestive system plays a vital role in strengthening a child’s overall health and well-being.

To learn more, check out the Culturelle® website now.

And if you are interested in receiving $2.00 off your next Culturelle purchase, click here. (Offer expires April 30, 2013.)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Culturelle® Kids Probiotics.

Fa La La La La, La Cough, Cough, Puke

December stresses me out. So much to get done, so much to do.

Addressing holiday cards, baking, shopping, wrapping, cleaning the house for guests, buying gifts for teachers.

Parties, school Christmas pageants, holiday shows, light displays. 

Sometimes I wish all other responsibilities during the month of December would fade away.

Forget the Elf on the Shelf - I need a Laundry Elf, a Taxi Elf, a Shopping and Wrapping Elf, a Christmas Card Addressing Elf. Oh, and of course, a Housekeeping Elf.

I want to be able to enjoy this time. I love Christmas - really I do. The magic and wonder, the music and lights. All good if they could exist in a vacuum.

The faster Christmas comes, the more I'm dreading its conclusion.

The months of January, February, and March rarely bring much to be excited about in Nebraska. The ice and snow, the wind and bitter cold.

And I know, I just know, it is the start of the cold and flu season. Three months of tummy aches, puking, green snotty noses, being stuck in the house with sick and crabby kids, stripping bed linens in the middle of cold nights to change someone's puked on sheets, constantly being out of ibuprofen and orange juice.

Here, it's already started. Someone in my house has been sick since before Thanksgiving. If you have a big family, you know how it goes. They can't all be sick at the same time. That would be too convenient, too easy. Too "mommy-wins-the-sickness-lottery"!

Nope. They just get sick one after the other after the other. Like a twenty-car pile-up on the Long Island Expressway, it just keeps happening and happening.

First, my 7-year-old had croup. He's been getting that since he was a baby. It took him down for almost a week this time. Every time I thought he was getting better, he would cough and cough until he puked. He was home from school for 4 days.

Next, my eight-year-old had a cold. Not bad, but bad enough to make him tired all the time, weepy, irrational, combative at school. Lots of time spent talking him out of sad and weepy thoughts about his deceased twin brother. And one meeting at school to discuss his behavior.

Now, my five-year-old and 17-month-old are sick with horrible coughs, colds and fevers. The five-year-old has missed school for two days now, and the 17-month-old isn't taking naps. He just wants to be held.

My precious two hours of alone time every day? Pfft! Gone. I have gotten nothing done since before Thanksgiving, people.

But you know what?

It's okay. I know it's not their fault that they're sick. I'm trying not to let it add stress to an already stressful time.

Besides the 4 a.m. bed linen changes, I'm enjoying cuddling with them. Sometimes when they are sick, it's the only time they will slow down long enough to be held.

And the other gift their illnesses have brought?

Time. Time with each one. Time to sit on the couch and watch movies or play a game or read a story. Just time to stay home for a change. I feel like all semester every morning I have had to run to this class or lesson or this appointment or that meeting, volunteer here or do this.

Time for the commitments to fade away for a while.

There's something nice about just clearing the schedule and staying firmly planted at home.

Even if it is with a bunch of sickies.

Now if only those damn elves would hurry up and get here. I wonder what's keeping them?



 How's everyone at your house?