With the school year starting back up, kids are going to be more prone to illnesses than they were during the summer months. As all caregivers know, the exposure to germs increases when large groups of children are put together. There are however seven back to school health tips that parents and caregivers can follow to reduce their child's risk of becoming ill or spreading illnesses.
Make sure your child is up to date on all shots Review your child's shot records and make sure that he/she is up to date on all shots before heading back to school. There are several immunizations that are elective that a parent should look into getting for their child.
One of the best ways to protect children from vaccine preventable diseases is to vaccinate them on time.
Hand Washing Before your child goes back to school make sure he/she understands the importance of proper hand washing. Soap and water can do wonders in reducing your child's risk of illness. A child should wash his/her hands properly before and after eating and after using the restroom.
For times when a child can not wash their hands with soap and water, a hand sanitizing gel can be used. Show your child how to use the hand sanitizing gel and tell them to use it when he/she does not have the opportunity to wash his/her hands with soap and water.
Do not use other people combs/brushes While sharing is a great concept, children should be taught not to use his/her friend's combs or brushes. Nor should he/she allow their friends to use theirs. The sharing of combs and brushes can cause the spread of head lice which is more common in children during the school year.
Do not send your child to school with a fever While this back to school health tip does not reduce your child's risk of illness it does protect other kids and adults. Even if your child is feeling “fine,” a fever is an indicator that their immune system is trying to fight something off. A child is at his/her most contagious when running a fever. This puts all children and adults that are around your child at risk.
Sanitize hard surfaces in your home Your child will be exposed to all sorts of germs and viruses while at school. These germs and viruses can hitch a ride back home with your child therefore it is ideal that you sanitize hard surfaces that your child will be coming into contact with. A can of Lysol and/or sanitizing wipes should work to kill germs and virus that your child leaves behind.
Maintain a well balanced diet Children should be getting a well balanced diet every day. By getting a well balanced diet, a person's immune system works at top performance and therefore aids in fighting off germs and viruses that a person is exposed to. Since your child is going to be exposed to so much more now that they are back to school, it is very important to their over all health that they eat a well balanced diet. In addition to aiding in the immune system, a well balanced diet is important for brain health as well. Children have longer attention spans and retain more information when they eat healthy.
Get plenty of sleep Make sure your child is getting an adequate amount of sleep at night to help aid in their over all health as well. Just like a well balanced diet, the body needs plenty of rest to be at peak performance both physically and mentally. People who are sleep deprived are more likely to perform poorly at tasks and more likely to suffer from frequent illnesses.
