Budget-Friendly Back to School Shopping Tips

2022 has been rough on bank accounts, which is why now is the time to prepare for back to school shopping.

Sure, you still have a while before school starts back. But with inflation, it’s wiser to get a head start on back to school shopping.

One 2022 survey found, “Parents are worried about being able to fill backpacks thanks to ongoing supply chain issues, up 9 percentage points between April and May. The survey found that two-thirds of parents are very concerned about how inflation will impact school shopping.”

We are already seeing how inflation is affecting back to school shopping.

For example, inflation is hitting most industries – including school supplies. Sources suggest the price of school materials may rise by 10 to 25%.

Use these back to school shopping tips to protect your wallet.

Shop Your Closet First

Before you buy the first school supply or new outfit, check your closets!

My girls tend to bring home many school supplies that can be reused the next year, such as calculators, rulers, pens, and pencils.

Instead of buying everything brand new, only replace the items that need replacing.

As much as we love a new wardrobe, keep this same idea in mind.

Don’t buy several new pairs of jeans if the jeans your kids already have look good and fit.

Head to Overstock Stores

I love doing my back to school clothes shopping at overstock stores like T.J. Maxx.

I can purchase my girl’s designer goods at great prices, ensuring they look fabulous, and I have money left over for school supplies.

Shop Online and Kid-Free

When it comes to back to school shopping, try to do it alone.

It is much easier to shop for back to school clothing when your kids aren’t with you since they will want everything they don’t actually need (such as accessories) and items that are higher prices. Plus, it’ll take so much longer!

I find it is much easier to shop online for school supplies and clothing – especially if they offer easy returns.

Some stores, like Target, are even partnering with local schools to have items for school supply lists ready for online ordering.

Get School Supplies at the Drugstore

I always forget drug stores sell school supplies.

Drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, offer rewards, and you can use the rewards points you’ve been saving for name brand school supplies.

Use Discounted Gift Cards

Did you know you can purchase discounted gift cards and use them to shop like normal?

This is a great tip for back to school shopping and Christmas shopping.

Sites, such as CardBear, allow you to purchase a gift card for a specific retailer at a lower price.

For example, if you want to purchase a $25 Target gift card, CardBear will take you to a site that is offering the $25 gift card for $20.

Scan While You Shop

Before you purchase anything, do a price comparison.

If you are shopping in a store, use Amazon’s barcode scanner to do a quick price check.

If you are shopping online, use a browser extension, such as Price, to compare prices online for every item you shop for.

Sign Up for Price Drop Alerts

For more expensive purchases, such as school-required electronics, sign up for price drop alerts.

CamelCamelCamel is an easy to use price drop website that will send you a notification when the item you are looking for hits the price range you want.

Buy in Bulk with Friends

You’re not the only parent worried about inflation and back to school shopping.

Ask your friends (or parents of your kid’s classmates) if they are interested in buying supplies in bulk from a wholesaler like Sam’s Club or Amazon.

Then, split the costs using Venmo.

Back to School Mom Worries

After six months, my girls are heading back to school half day. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling worried about it. In addition to the normal back to school jitters, moms have so much more to feel anxious about this school year. No matter what you have chosen, virtual, hybrid, homeschool, five-days-a-week, I know it was not an easy decision. I know you struggled with the decision and lost sleep over it. I know because I did too.

Even after making that decision, I am still not 100% at peace about it. So, I’ve been doing what I can do. Research and read what those smarter than me suggest for this year’s back to school mom worries.

Validate Your Feelings

First things first, validate your feelings. Here’s a start – if you are feeling anxious and unsure about what to expect this school year, this is totally valid. If there was ever a year to feel worried, it is 2020. Your feelings are valid. Plus, you are not the only mom feeling this way. Moms all over the world are feeling worried for many of the same reasons.

Recognize Your Stress

Next, recognize your stress. It is completely understandable to be stressed about the normal back to school gauntlet, but this year’s new normal can elevate your stress levels. If you find yourself acting unlike yourself, try to decipher if your actions are stress related. By recognizing when your stress level has entered unhealthy territory, you can start to ask for help.

Control the Things You Can

Listen, we’ve learned that quite a bit is out of our control this year. And that can exacerbate our mom fears. That’s why it is so important to control the things you can. For example, you may not be able to control what your kid does in the classroom, but you can control what happens in your home. You may not be able to control how often your kid washes her hands when she is at school, but you can make sure she washes her hands when she is with you.

With that being said, if you start to try to control things to an unhealthy degree, get help.

Consider the Worst

This may not work for every mom, but some moms find it actually calms them down to consider the worst things that could happen. By thinking through worst-case scenarios, you can prepare. For instance, what if there is an outbreak that forces the school to go virtual this year? By mentally preparing for the possibility, you can alleviate some stress.

Practice Self-Care

When you start to feel frazzled, take a few minutes to be still, and breathe. Sometimes that is all it takes to calm yourself down. Additionally, it is so important for moms to take time to practice self-care. This will look different for every mom, so you do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel at peace.

Celebrate Small Victories

Lastly, celebrate small victories. This school year will be challenging, but we can do it. For every accomplishment, give yourself a pat on the back. When the kids make it through a week, celebrate by doing something fun When you survive at-home teaching without losing your patience, reward yourself with a treat.  

How to Prepare Kids for New School Rules

In less than two weeks, my girls will be back to school following a hybrid model. It’s nerve-wracking, to say the least. I realized that if I am feeling this anxiety about what this new school year will look like, then I am sure my girls are also worried. Especially when you consider all the new school rules. Here is what I am doing to ease their fears and prepare my kids for new school rules due to COVID.

Wear Masks Now

I wrote a blog recently about how to prepare your kids for wearing masks to school. My main tip was to start wearing masks now. I cannot emphasize this enough. Don’t leave mask enforcement up to the teachers. See my blog Preparing Your Child to Wear a Mask at School for tips.

Demonstrate Social Distancing

Let’s be honest. Social distancing is hard – even for adults. When kids get to see their friends in the classroom after being apart since March, it is going to be extremely hard to practice social distancing. Take time to demonstrate what social distancing with friends looks like, such as not hugging, sharing, or whispering. (it’s pretty sad to actually write those examples though.)

Teach Healthy Habits

Talk to your kids about the importance of healthy habits, like washing their hands and sneezing or coughing into their arms. Go ahead and purchase mini hand sanitizers they can keep in their bookbags and cubbies. We’ve also started having our girls sanitize their hands every time they enter a vehicle after being in a public space and plan to stress this rule when it comes to school.

Talk to Them About What to Expect

You absolutely must talk to your kids about what to expect. If they show up to the school to see plexiglass dividers around desks and no toys lying around, they will be heartbroken. Instead, spend time talking about the differences they should expect and do so in a positive way. A psychologist from Boston Children’s Hospital suggests talking about things like: “What will the classroom look like? What will lunch and recess be like? What extracurricular activities or clubs will your child have or not have? How will they access extra supports, like tutoring or counseling? Walking through the specifics can give your kids something concrete to hold onto.”

Start Screening for Symptoms

Most schools are implementing some sort of screening for students. Whether you will be responsible for taking temperatures or your child’s school, it is a good idea to start screening for symptoms now. If kids are used to doing it at home, then they will be more prepared and unafraid at school.

Explain the Risks

It’s also important to explain the risks of COVID-19 to kids in a language they can understand. They need to know why these new school rules are in place so they will be more inclined to follow them.

Keep Your Opinions to Yourself

Lastly, keep your opinions to yourself. It’s not going to be perfect. And there will be plenty of times when things do not go according to plan. But, keep your frustrations and opinions to yourself and avoiding spewing your feelings to your child. This will only make kids feel more anxious about school.

What other tips do you have for the upcoming school year? Let me know in the comments!

Preparing Your Child to Wear a Mask at School

For many moms, our kids have been at home with us throughout the spring and summer, which means they haven’t had to wear a face mask for an extended period of time. But this will all change once school starts back up since many schools are requiring masks. This is just one of many changes we can anticipate for the upcoming school year. Fortunately, pediatricians, counselors, and teachers have all come up with great tips to make it easier for kids to wear masks at school.

Talk About Why Masks are Important

First, you need to explain why they have to wear a mask. Kids know this is different from the past, so you need to explain why this new rule is in effect in an age-appropriate way. For example, explain that wearing a mask is something we are doing for safety like how we wear seat belts in the car.

Childrens.com explains, “COVID-19 spreads mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing or talking. A cloth face covering acts as a barrier to help prevent the spread of those respiratory droplets […] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 2 years and older wear a cloth face covering, with the exception of anyone who has trouble breathing or is unable to remove their mask without assistance.”

Practice Wearing One Starting Now

Don’t wait until the first day of school to start having your kid wear a mask for a long period of time. Start practicing wearing a mask for long periods of time now. A good trick – have your child wear a mask anytime she uses a screen. Trust me, their love for screen time will quickly trump their hate of wearing a mask.

Play Pretend

Another way to encourage your kids to wear a mask at school is to let them play pretend. Allow your kids to put masks on their stuffed animals and dolls. Pretend to go to school and act out wearing a mask in class. This is also a good opportunity to demonstrate how to put on and take off masks. Your child may also like explaining to her toys why wearing a mask is important.

Have Family Members Model Mask Wearing

The best way to teach your child how to wear a mask is to wear one yourself. Kids will notice if you fail to wear a mask in public and will be ready to question why they have to wear one to school and you don’t. In addition to modeling it yourself, ask some of your other adult family members to model their masks for your kids. For instance, ask grandparents, aunts, and uncles to send photos or videos of them wearing their masks.

Allow Your Child to Choose the Mask

At this point, there are tons of masks options available. Let your kid pick out a mask pattern that she likes, and she will be more likely to wear it. Who knows? Mask fashion may be a real thing for students in schools and kids may want to have a “cool” mask like they want a “cool” backpack.

Get the Right Size and Fit

Last but not least, make sure you get a mask that is the right size and fit. If the mask doesn’t fit, your child will be uncomfortable, and it will make wearing it for long periods even worse. You may want to invest in some mask toggles that allow you to adjust the masks behind kid’s ears to fit them comfortably.

What tips do you suggest?

Healthy Teeth – What to Pack in Kids’ Lunchboxes

If your kids are heading back to school in any capacity this school year, you are likely feeling anxious. One issue that is apparently keeping parents awake at night is school lunches. We already know that our school cafeterias will be shuttered, and many kids will be eating in their classrooms according to the new CDC guidelines. This means cafeteria meals will be delivered to our kids’ classrooms at lunch time. Whether or not you are a fan of school cafeteria food before, this year you may be feeling a little more hesitant.

According to The Grocer, “Our research shows 57.3% of parents of school-aged children are now more inclined to give their kids lunches packed at home to avoid the risk of contamination and have more control over what their children are eating.”

However, many parents don’t know how to pack a good lunch for their kids. And even more, parents don’t know what types of food are good for their teeth. I mean, we all know sugar is bad for their teeth, but we still pack their lunchboxes with pre-packaged foods that are full of sugar. I’m guilty of this one myself.

The Grocer claims, “A 2016 University of Leeds study that found just 1.6% of kids’ packed lunches meet the nutritional standards set for food served in school canteens. It revealed just 17% of children’s packed lunches contained vegetables and 52% featured more than the recommended number of sweet snacks.”

Only 1.6% of kids’ packed lunches meet nutritional standards. Yikes! If you are guilty of just tossing in whatever pre-packaged food makes your mornings easier, here are some foods you should pack in kids’ lunchboxes instead.

Crunchy Veggies

Did you know that crunchy veggies work like toothbrushes for your kids’ teeth? It’s true! Since you have to chew more to eat these veggies, you produce more saliva. This helps you wash away food particles and bacteria on the teeth. So, throw some carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and celery in the lunchbox.

Crisp Fruit

Along these same lines, crisp fruits like apples, also help you produce more saliva. Along with the chewing, their natural water helps to clean the teeth. Plus, sweet fruits like strawberries are a great alternative to sugary snacks and treats. Add some yogurt, which is high in calcium and great for your child’s teeth, to help them embrace fruit as dessert.

Yummy Cheese

Kids love cheese, so this is an easy one for parents. Cheese is high in calcium and phosphorous, so it helps your kids have strong teeth. Plus, parents don’t have to worry about spreading germs since it tends to be pre-packaged.

Water

Finally, go ahead and invest in some reusable water bottles for your kids this school year. Not only will they keep your kid from exposing themselves to germs at the school water fountain, but water is the healthiest thing for their teeth.

What do you pack in your kids’ lunches?

The COVID-19 School Supply List You Really Need

At this point, we all know the 2020-2021 school year will be different. If you have decided to send your school to kids this year, your school supply list is probably a bit longer. This is because classrooms are no longer allowed to have communal supplies, so your kids will need their own pencils, crayons, markers, etc. But, in addition to the basic supplies they need for learning, there are 10 additional supplies every parent should consider purchasing for this COVID-19 school year.

1. Masks

Many schools are required students to wear masks, if not for the full day then at least during class transitions. Now is the time to stock up on kid’s face masks. Even if you have reusable face masks that can be washed, it is wise to have several. We know our kids are going to lose them or mess them up, so you might as well always have an extra mask on hand. Target and Old Navy are selling cheap face masks for kids. Crayola is also selling packs of masks for each day of the school week.

2. Mask Accessories

It is also a good idea to some mask accessories to make mask wearing easier for little ones. For example, many people like mask extenders because it allows them to wear a mask without it resting behind their ear too long. Additionally, you can purchase mask toggles that allow you to shorten the length of the mask cord to fit small faces. Finally, it is wise to purchase some lanyards for kids to wear that they can clip their masks on, so they don’t get lost or dirty at school.

3. Hand Sanitizer

Keep hand sanitizer on hand – in your vehicle, your purse, and your house. And get kid-friendly hand sanitizer holders that they can attach to their book bags. Bath and Body Works has cute ones for kids.

4. Pencil Box

Since kids are not allowed to share school supplies, get them a cool pencil box just for their personal supplies.

5. Household Cleaning Products

Stock up on disinfectant wipes and Lysol spray. You are going to use it more this year than ever before. Don’t forget – when the coronavirus first made it to the U.S., these products sold out. Get them while they are readily available.

6. Reusable Water Bottle

Kids should not be sharing drinks and drinking from the school water fountain isn’t a good idea either. Instead, invest in a quality reusable water bottle with a design your kid loves. It is probably better to get more than one - because kids.

7. Forehead Thermometer

Many schools are requiring parents to take their kids' temperatures each morning before school. This is where a forehead thermometer will come in handy. Keep it by wherever you keep your car keys.

8. Device Sterilizer

Remember when your kid was a baby and you had a fancy sterilizer for bottles? Well, you need a new one. There are several different device sanitizers available for sanitizing cell phones, keys, and other things your kid may bring home from school.

9. A Computer

Yes, you signed up for your kid to go to school. But for many parents, this also includes some virtual school days. Even those planning to go to school five days a week will face the possibility of returning to virtual learning if there are COVID-19 cases in their school. That’s why this is the year to go ahead and invest in a computer.

10. Noise-Canceling Headphones

Along those same lines, get some good headphones for your kid to do their virtual schooling without distractions in the home. While you’re at it, pick yourself up a pair, too. Every mom who survived quarantine deserves a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones.

10 Teacher Appreciation Gifts During Quarantine

If you think suddenly substitute teaching your kids at home is hard, imagine how hard it has been on their teachers! Many teachers are not only having to continue creating lesson plans and providing learning resources, but they also have to teach parents how to follow the curriculum and use technology. Plus, many teachers also have to be their own kid’s substitute teacher at home!

Even though teachers are not in the classroom with your kids are teaching like they wish they were, let’s not forget to celebrate them during Teacher Appreciation Week. Hint – Teacher Appreciation Week is THIS week. With the COVID-19 quarantine orders, it makes purchasing teacher gifts a little different. To help you find a way to show your gratitude, here are ten teacher appreciation gifts you can still give during the quarantine.

1. A Homemade Card

Nothing beats a homemade card. Bonus – If you make your kids make the card, this will take up some of those extra hours you have during the day. Just be sure the card shows your child’s teacher how much he/she is appreciated and missed. If you don’t have the teacher’s home address, you can send the card to the school and address it to the teacher. Along those same lines, a simple email “thank you” from you will be appreciated, especially during such a crazy school year.

2. Gift Cards

You know what teachers really want? Gift cards. No more personalized apples. Think about it - If they got an apple or teacher mug from every child, they would have hundreds upon hundreds. Instead, get them gift cards to use at stores they love. Bonus – Choose gift cards that allow them to shop online since going to stores isn’t easy right now.

3. Restaurant Delivery

Treat your child’s teacher to lunch or dinner by having a meal delivered via Uber Eats or GrubHub. Or, give your child’s teacher a gift card to use at their favorite local restaurant.

4. Donate to Their Classrooms

Make their day by donating to their classroom. Many teachers keep ongoing Amazon Wish Lists for their classrooms or share project needs on DonorsChoose.

5. Flowers

A lovely way to show appreciation is with a bouquet of flowers. If florists are opened where you live and floral delivery is available, this is a great choice.

6. Donuts on the Doorstep

If you know their address, show your appreciation by leaving them some donuts on the doorstep. This is a sweet way to say thank you and practice social distancing.

7. A Video Message

If you don’t know by now, teachers love your kids. They miss seeing them and are heartbroken they don’t get to instruct them face to face. So, the next best thing is “seeing” them online. Have your child record a video message telling them how much they appreciate them and email the video to your child’s teacher.

8. Say It in Chalk

Bust out the sidewalk chalk and tell the world how much you love your child’s teacher. You can do this on your own driveway, your child’s driveway, or even the sidewalk in front of the school.

9. Give Them a Parade

If you can coordinate with other class parents, plan a surprise teacher appreciation parade. In separate vehicles, ride past the teacher’s house in decorated cars with kids waving and yelling, “thank you” from the windows.

10. Quarantine-Themed Gifts

And, last but not least, consider a quarantine-themed teacher gift from an Etsy seller.

10 Back to School Clothes Shopping Tips

We are currently enjoying the last few days of summer vacation – I hope you are, too! As summer draws to a close, it means it is time to go back to school shopping. After having kids in school for a few years now, I have learned some key things to do to make back to school clothes shopping more successful. I hope these tips help you just as much as they helped me!

Review the School Dress Code

Before you do any back to school clothes shopping, you absolutely must review the school dress code – especially if your school does not have uniforms. This is so important. There is nothing worse than shopping for all the clothes just to find out they do not comply with the dress code.

Check Sizes in Advance

Another mistake you want to avoid is buying the wrong size clothes. Or buying new clothes when your kids really don’t need them. If your child is still wearing the same size, look over the clothes to see if they are still in good condition before you spend a bunch of money on clothes your child will outgrow sooner rather than later.

Clear the Closets

Next, go through your child’s closet and clear any clothes he or she has outgrown or clothes that are not in good condition. This is a great way to see what you really need to buy versus what you don’t. For example, your child may have plenty of jeans but not enough socks (since they somehow always disappear).

Donate the Excess

After you have cleared the closet, donate the items that no longer fit your child. If you are looking to make some money from your child’s outgrown clothing, then head to your favorite consignment shop. Or, donate the clothing to an organization with a mission you support.

Give Yourself Time

We are getting really close to the back to school shopping deadline. Give yourself plenty of time to shop so you avoid rushing. If you wait until the last minute, you will wind up spending more than you want and purchasing things you don’t need.

Do It Online or Go Kid-Free

When it comes to back to school clothes shopping, try to do it alone. It is much easier to shop for back to school clothing when your kids aren’t with you since they will want everything they don’t actually need (such as accessories) and having them with you will take so much longer. Better yet, take your list of sizes and clothing needs and shop online at your favorite retailer!

Set a Budget

Next, be sure to set a budget before you start to shop. We all spend quite a bit on back to school shopping, so budget accordingly. Having a budget will help you decide which items you should pass on and which ones are worth it.

Take Advantage of Sales, Discounts, and Coupons

You can find some excellent back to school shopping deals. Stock up on the coupons by signing up for emails from your favorite stores. You will get emails alerts about sales and coupons you can use when shopping.

Shop Overstock Stores

I love doing my back to school clothes shopping at overstock stores like T.J. Maxx. I can purchase my girls designer goods at great prices, ensuring they look fabulous and I have money left over for school supplies.

Off-Season Merchandise is Your Friend

Finally, go ahead and stock up on off-season merchandise. Guesstimate your child’s size next summer and purchase a few key pieces (such as swimsuits) while they are on clearance. If you shop wisely, you will either have clothes in the right clothes for next year or clothes you can consign and make your money back on.

Plan Ahead to Stay Ahead This School Year

In New York, we still have a few weeks before school is back in session. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t already anticipating it. If you are like so many parents I know, the school year is busy and hectic, and you feel like you can’t stay on top of it all. I’ve been there!

What if I told you that by making a few simple changes to your school year routine, this school year could be so much easier? It’s true! In today’s blog, I’m sharing some tips that any mom can do that will make this year better than the last. The key – plan ahead to stay ahead.

Use a Family Calendar

First, parents should take advantage of all the technology we have at our fingertips that are designed to make our lives easier, such as calendar and scheduling apps! Whether you use Google calendar or an app like Cozi, it is super easy to schedule all of your kid’s doctor’s appointments, after school activities, and important events.

Create a School Morning Routine

If your mornings are out of control, then it is time to put some structure back into your mornings. Have a clear list of “morning must-do’s” for your kids, such as “brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast,” and stick to it! Print it out and frame it, or use a morning routine app.

Choose Clothing in Advance

You can really speed up your mornings if you have your kid’s (and your) clothing picked out in advance. I’ve seen some parents who use closet hangers to separate clothing by the day of the week. Find what works for you, but make sure the clothes are out before the school week begins.

Start Meal Planning

I know the words “meal planning” freak some people out. Don’t overthink it! Meal planning can be as simple as “Monday: Pork tenderloin and veggies, Tuesday: Spaghetti, etc.” The point is to have a basic idea of what your plans are for dinner, so you don’t have to rush around at the last-minute scrambling for something to cook.

Let the Kids Help Pack Their Lunches

Instead of doing everything by yourself, teach your kids to be a little more self-sufficient by letting them help pack their lunches. It’s easier than you imagine. Take the bottom shelf of your refrigerator and the bottom shelf of your pantry and designate these spaces for school lunch items.

Sign Things as Soon as They Appear

This is very simple, but it can be life-changing. Instead of seeing a paper you need to sign for your kids and putting it aside, stop what you are doing and sign it and put it back in the bookbag right away. Trust me – you just saved yourself a ton of future headache.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Throwing Stuff Away

Kids, especially preschool and elementary ages, bring home so much stuff. Endless amounts of art projects and coloring pages and worksheets. You cannot possibly hold on to everything – nor will your kids actually want all their work from kindergarten when they are grown.

So, let go of the guilt and toss everything except the really special things. Or, take pictures of all their artwork and upload the pics to one photobook at the end of the school year. One photobook is so much better than a bazillion pieces of construction paper.

Sign Kids Up for After School Activities

Don’t wait until the last minute to sign your kids up for after school activities. If you do, the spots at the best place may already be filled. Instead, spend the last few weeks of summer doing your homework and get your kids signed up in advance.

Staying Healthy and Happy with Zarbee’s Naturals Honey Cough Soothers + Immune Support*

This post is sponsored by Zarbee's Naturals. The content and opinions expressed here are that of Inrachelshoes.

As the school year begins, I like to have everything we need to stay healthy on hand. But, with young kids, I have to make important decisions about what products we use to feel our best. I want to give my girls the very best – especially when it comes to things that go into their little bodies.

That’s the main reason why I love Zarbee’s Naturals. Zarbee’s Naturals handpicks its carefully-sourced, wholesome ingredients, ensuring only the best for my family. Knowing it was founded by a pediatrician, Zarbee’s Naturals offers products for the whole family to enjoy, that you can trust without all the extra additives or artificial flavors.

Taking Care of Mom First

As all moms know, you have to take care of yourself in order to take care of your little ones, so I am always looking for something I can use to take care of myself. Zarbee’s Naturals 96% Honey Cough Soothers stand out because they can be used as needed since they are made with simple, wholesome ingredients to soothe coughs associated with hoarseness, dry throat, and irritants*.  Even better, these Honey Cough Soothers also help support your immune system with key ingredients like Vitamin C, Zinc and Echinacea. Since I had some of the Zarbee’s Naturals 96% Honey Cough Soothers + Immune Support* on hand, I tried one and was delighted by the taste and the way it helped soothe my throat.

Taking Care of My Kids

It is so frustrating for a mom when your kids are not feeling their best, and they are not willing to take anything that will help them. But, with these in my purse, I was hopeful I would be able to get one past my daughter’s locked lips. Fortunately, the product is designed with kids in mind and is delicious mixed berry flavor. My daughter didn’t fight me when it came to trying one of the purple soothers.

This is especially great news for parents of picky kids. It is a relief to have a kid-safe product when they have dry throats or an irritating tickle. I fully intend to keep them in my purse for quick access year-round. 

Why I Am Recommending This Product

As a working mom, it is critical that I stay healthy. I have to stay on top of things at my job and at home. And, when I take care of myself, my daughters notice. I want to teach them to take care of themselves as well. That’s why I love how Zarbee’s Naturals has designed wholesome products for both parents and children. When my daughters see me use a Cough Soother when I sound hoarse, they’ll hopefully be more willing to ask for one when they need it.

Keep Zarbee’s Natural 96% Honey Cough Soothers on hand to help keep your family healthy and happy all school year long. I encourage my followers to add Zarbee’s Naturals to their bag this year.