Starting Kindergarten? 7 Tips For A Healthy First Year of School

Some supplements can have a noticeable effect right away. This is often especially true for calming herbs or certain B vitamins  that can have a mild energizing effect (1). But others, like many vitamins and minerals, often need time to build up in the body before they start making a measurable difference. That’s especially true for nutrients involved in immune function, like zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

That’s why it’s usually recommended to start your child’s immune support routine 4-6 weeks before school begins. This gives their body time to absorb and utilize key nutrients, replenish any deficiencies, and build a more resilient foundation before they're suddenly exposed to a classroom full of new germs.

It’s also a great time to start building consistent supplement habits before the rush of early mornings and packed lunchboxes kicks in.

To learn more about making a supplement regime for your family, read this article: How To Create A Daily Supplement Protocol For Your Family

Learning to sit still, focus, and absorb new information for hours at a time is a big ask, especially for young kids who’ve previously spent most of their days playing freely. To support brain health, we recommend ensuring kiddos get enough omega-3. If your child isn’t regularly consuming at least two portions of fatty fish per week, they likely aren't getting enough (2). Supplement options include Oh My Cod! Liver Oil  and NeuroImmune DHA 900™.

To learn more about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids, read this article: The Benefits of Omega Fatty Acids for School-Aged Children

For an extra layer of support, Focus & Attention✝︎ Kids offers gentle herbal ingredients that help promote clarity and calm. It’s perfect for easing the transition into the classroom setting.

Even when kids love school, it can be emotionally exhausting to stay focused, follow directions, navigate social dynamics, and hold it all together in a new environment. Many parents are surprised to see their child come home cranky, tearful, or “out of sorts” after a seemingly great day.

If this sounds familiar—trust your gut, but know that it doesn’t always mean something went wrong or that your child is unhappy at school. In many cases, it’s just the natural emotional release that comes after working hard to stay regulated all day. Once they’re back in their safe space (with you!), all those pent-up feelings have a chance to surface.

One of my favorite ways to support this transition is with a calming, nourishing after-school smoothie that includes Peace & Calm™✝︎ Kids. My tip is to prepare this smoothie ahead of time and bring it to the school pickup line to give to my child immediately upon pickup. A big trigger for many kids is hunger. Sometimes what looks like a meltdown is really just a combination of emotional fatigue and a blood sugar crash.

Kindergarten often comes with earlier mornings, new bedtimes, and a lot more stimulation throughout the day. If your child has a hard time winding down at night, you might notice a big improvement simply by adding Please Sleep!™ Kids to your evening routine. It’s a melatonin-free blend of calming herbs designed specifically for little ones.

This article may help, too: 9 Reasons Your Kids Aren’t Sleeping (And How To Help)

If you plan to vaccinate before school starts, now’s the time to make sure your child has everything they need. Check with your pediatrician to see if your child is due for any required or recommended vaccines, and space them out when possible to allow your child’s immune system time to respond.

There are several ways to support your child’s body naturally during this time. Many parents find it helpful to focus on gentle immune and detox support before and after shots. Products like Essential Immune Support™✝︎ Infants & Kids, Metal Mend™, and VaxClear™ are popular go-tos for families looking to support the body during vaccination season.

To learn more about how to support your child during vaccinations, read this article: 6 Ways To Support Your Child’s Health On Vaccination Day. 

Sending your baby off to kindergarten can stir up a surprising mix of emotions. If you’re feeling a little teary-eyed, know that you’re not alone. I’ve developed my herbal formulation Mother’s Peace & Calm✝︎™ with you in mind to support your emotional balance during seasons of transition.

Need some more ideas on ways to support yourself during this big transition? This article is for you! Herbalism For Adults: My Top 6 Supportive Formulas For Busy Parents

It’s completely normal — expected even — for kids to catch more colds during their first year of school. Their immune systems are learning and adapting right alongside them.

That’s why I always recommend preparing before the sniffles start. When you’re mid-sick day, the last thing you want is to be scrambling for remedies or settling for options you wouldn’t normally choose.

I put together a bundle with everything you need for a well-stocked natural medicine cabinet—so you can feel calm and ready when the first cough, runny nose, or earache makes its debut.

To learn more about normal illness frequency in children, read this article: Does My Child Get Sick Too Often? Understanding Sickness Frequency in Children

Starting kindergarten is a big transition, and the right supplement routine can make a real difference. Begin immune support 4-6 weeks before school starts, add in brain-boosting omegas like DHA or cod liver oil, and support focus with gentle herbal blends if needed. It is helpful to be ready for after-school emotional crashes with Peace & Calm™✝︎ Kids, and don’t forget bedtime support if new routines are making it harder to wind down. For parents, a little extra support from Mother’s Peace & Calm✝︎™ can go a long way too. And finally, don’t forget to stock your medicine cabinet before the first cold hits!

1. Lee MC, Hsu YJ, Shen SY, Ho CS, Huang CC. A functional evaluation of anti-fatigue and exercise performance improvement following vitamin B complex supplementation in healthy humans, a randomized double-blind trial. Int J Med Sci. 2023 Aug 15;20(10):1272-1281. doi: 10.7150/ijms.86738. PMID: 37786445; PMCID: PMC10542023.

2. Montgomery P, Burton JR, Sewell RP, Spreckelsen TF, Richardson AJ. Low blood long chain omega-3 fatty acids in UK children are associated with poor cognitive performance and behavior: a cross-sectional analysis from the DOLAB study. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 24;8(6):e66697. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066697. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2013;8(9). doi:10.1371/annotation/26c6b13f-b83a-4a3f-978a-c09d8ccf1ae2. PMID: 23826114; PMCID: PMC3691187.