* GIVEAWAY * Seventh Generation Back-to-School Kit Giveaway (ends 9/7 at 11:59 PM CDT)

With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacterial found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it’s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children’s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation). 

This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child’s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions: 

Optimize the immune system

• Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.
• Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.
• Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.

Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs

• Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.
• Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation’s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.
• Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.

*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details.

I love using Seventh Generation products because they clean well and are environmentally-friendly.

We are happy to be able to give one (1) lucky My Chicago Mommy reader a Seventh Generation Back-to-School Kit!

Entries to the giveaway will be accepted until Tuesday, September 7th at 11:59 pm CDT. Here's how to enter:

Fill out the form below & hit "Submit" for each entry (ie, submit your entry twice if you do the BONUS action).

Here are the ACTION CODES to use (one entry for each):

* Fill out your name & email address - use code: INFO

* Subscribe to the newsletter (do not need to be a new subscriber) - use code: SUBSCRIBE

* E-mail the giveaway to friends (cc: mychicagomommies@gmail.com & get 1 entry per friend up to 5 entries) - use code: EMAIL

* Follow MyChicagoMommy on Twitter - use code: TWITTER & enter your Twitter name after the code

* Tweet it out "Enter @mychicagomommy http://bit.ly/7thbts 7th BTS Giveaway" - use code: TWEET - please leave a comment with the link to your Tweet

* Leave a comment on My Chicago Mommy's Facebook Page saying "I want Seventh Generation!" - use code: FACEBOOK

* BONUS (2 entries): Visit the Seventh Generation website and tell us what your favorite thing is on there. - use code: BONUS + comment on this post with your first name, last initial, & your answer.

Disclosure: Seventh Generation, through My Blog Spark, did not compensate me in any way and all opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. Seventh Generation, through My Blog Spark, provided the information, the prize for the giveaway, as well as a set for us to review..

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