You can look at back to school time one of two ways. On one hand, this is a great time of the year. Your kids are moving upward on the educational ladder and heading off to new experiences, filling you with pride and joy.

With all the changes you and your kids are experiencing, unfortunately, stressors are sure to follow. Adjusting to new schedules and new schools are the most common stressors, followed close behind by exposure to viruses and assorted cold and flu bugs from classmates.

That’s why these back to school health tips for kids are so essential to protect your kids.

Taking a multi-species probiotic once a day can treat many of these emotional and bug-related problems very simply and safely, without the need for a drug, especially an antibiotic that can seemingly worsen health problems as often as they treat them successfully.

In fact, studies have shown as many of 50 percent of the kids treated with antibiotics for something as simple as an ear infection will develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).

However, a recent assessment of 16 studies by the Cochrane Database System Review  (including kids as young as two weeks old and as old as 17 years) found those who had been given a probiotic along with antibiotics lessened incidents of AAD by 50 percent.

Even better, kids who were given probiotics with higher colony counts of beneficial bacteria lowered their odds of suffering from antibiotic-related diarrhea by an amazing 63 percent.

Other tips parents can take to ensure the health of their children—no matter how old they are—is protected in addition to taking a probiotic:

• Train them to wash their hands as often as possible.

• Help kids better handle the events that boost their stress levels to harmful levels by setting good examples for them.

• Get your kids off to a good start by ensuring they eat nutritious meals, starting with a good breakfast.

• Make sure your kids are getting the exercise their bodies need every day.

• Pack those backpacks children use to carry lunches and books lightly, while ensuring they’re equipped with wide, padded straps.

• Keep your kids, no matter how old they are, on a consistent sleep schedule of at least 9 hours every day if not longer.

• Are your kids up-to-date with all their immunizations before heading back to school? Protect them and their classmates by keeping your kids current on all their shots.

• When was the last time your child had an eye exam? Protect their vision and improve their grades by making an appointment.

EndoMune hopes your back-to-school week goes well!