Back-to-School Health Tips for Parents and Students to Keep Your Family Healthy

As students and parents prepare for the new school year, it’s time to start thinking about more than just new clothes and school supplies. We recommend adding a few health-related tasks to your to-do list.

Returning to school after a long break, especially after a vacation or other activities, requires preparation to get your body back into the swing of things. With a new school year comes a variety of routine changes that can cause added stress for both students and parents.

Parents are likely familiar with the “back-to-school plague,” in which children get sick every two weeks after returning to school. Spending a long period in a confined space with others daily involves a lot of shared germs. This affects not only the students but also the teachers, staff, and their families.

A new school year brings busy schedules, new routines and plenty of opportunities for germs to spread. These simple tips can help your family start the year with healthy habits in place.

How Do I Keep My Child Healthy When Starting School?

The start of a new school year can be hectic for the whole family. There are new schedules to manage, routines to reestablish and plenty of busy mornings. Fortunately, helping your kids stay healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Focusing on a few simple basics can go a long way.

1. Good Sleep Hygiene: Help your child develop a proper sleep routine, allowing them to get a full night of restful sleep. Turn off all screens a few hours before bedtime and instead rely on soothing activities, like reading or puzzles. Help your child brush their teeth before bed (if necessary) and make sure their room is set up to encourage rest. Keep the room dark and avoid distractions that keep your child up and playing when they should be sleeping.
2. Keep Up with Vaccinations: Make sure your child visits their doctor as recommended and receives all the necessary vaccinations to keep them safe and healthy.
3. Proper Diet and Exercise: Our immune systems require plenty of vitamins and minerals to function. A healthy, well-balanced diet will provide your child with everything they need to fight off the germs they’re exposed to during the school year. It’s also important that your child gets plenty of exercise to maintain their health.
4. Drink Water: Avoid sugary drinks and encourage your child to drink several 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Staying hydrated helps support the immune system and keeps your child happy and healthy.
5. Basic Hygiene: Good hygiene matters at every age, and even older kids may need an occasional reminder. Encourage regular handwashing, good dental hygiene, and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of the elbow.

Even with healthy habits, kids may still get sick when they return to school. Being back in the classroom means more exposure to germs, so an occasional illness is to be expected. If you’re ever concerned about your child’s symptoms, consider starting an online appointment to discuss the issue with a provider at The Urgency Room.

Getting Your Child’s Sleep Schedule Back on Track Before Day One

The change of routines and sleep schedules can be one of the hardest parts of the back-to-school transition. During the week or two leading up to the start of the new school year parents can begin making small changes to ease the transition.

Shifting bedtime and wake times earlier by 15-20 minutes every few days can help kids get back into their school year sleep schedule. Keeping wake times consistent, even on weekends, helps to reset the body’s internal clock. In the morning, reintroduce routines by setting alarms, eating breakfast, and getting dressed as you would on a school day.

As bedtime shifts earlier, begin reducing screen time to make falling asleep easier. The blue light from screens can make falling asleep more difficult. Instead try reading a book with your child, or another quiet activity before bed.

By making small changes gradually instead of all at once, the transitions are much easier on both parents and children. A well rested child is better equipped to fight off the germs that come with a return to the classroom.

Back-to-School Health Tips for Adults

Kids aren’t the only ones struck down by the back-to-school plague. Teachers, staff, and other adults working closely with schools also get sick around this time of year. 

The tips we listed above for children are equally important for adults. Proper sleep, nutrition, hydration, and hygiene are all essential tools to keeping yourself healthy. However, adults face additional challenges and stressors, making it challenging to find the time to do everything necessary.

Staying active can help you stay healthy but that doesn’t mean you need to find extra time for a workout. A short walk, taking the stairs, parking a little farther away, or moving during a break are all simple ways to add more activity to your day.

To encourage healthy habits, keep snacks full of protein and energy, like nuts or trail mix, in your purse, car, or bag. Also, consider keeping hand sanitizer on hand so you can kill germs throughout your day.

How Do You Stay Healthy at School?

Staying healthy at school involves implementing all of these tips and then some! It’s a challenge. You can expect to catch a sniffle here and there, but you can keep yourself safe by staying up-to-date with doctor’s appointments and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

Here are more tips to help you succeed at staying healthy:

• When possible, avoid close contact with people who are sick, and wash your hands after caring for someone who is ill.
• Keep hand sanitizer available for times when soap and water aren’t convenient, and regularly clean frequently touched surfaces.
• Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Remember to periodically clean frequently handled items, such as your phone.
• Carry a water bottle with you and wash it daily.
• Give your kids a balanced diet to help support their immune system.

Students in sports during or after school should follow some additional practices to be sure they stay safe and healthy. It is important to listen to coaches and to warm up and cool down properly before and after practices and games. Furthermore, encourage students to learn to recognize an injury and to speak up if something feels wrong, so they can get help early.

Managing Stress: The Biggest Back-to-School Health Tip

Stress is a normal part of life, but ongoing stress can take a toll on both physical and mental health. For this reason, managing stress is part of staying healthy, too. 

There are many ways to keep your stress levels down, and there is no one right way to go about it. Some people may find breathing and meditation techniques helpful, while others may rely on distractions from stress or strict routines to help manage their days. 

Find a method that works for you, like yoga, trying new hobbies outside of work and school, or practicing meditation to keep your mind and body calm. 

When to Keep Your Child Home From School 

It’s not always easy to know when a sniffle is just a sniffle. Many parents struggle with knowing when to keep their children home from school. As a general rule of thumb, kids should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, before going back to school. This gives their body time to recover and reduces the risk of classmates or teachers catching the bug.

If your child has minimal symptoms like a mild cough or slight congestion but is otherwise acting like themselves and eating normally, they are likely okay to go to school. However, if they have a fever, are vomiting, seem tired or lethargic, or you aren’t sure, it’s best to keep them home to be safe.

When in doubt, online care at The Urgency Room can help you get clear answers and the right treatment, so your child can get back to a healthy routine.

Visit The Urgency Room for Convenient Care

Even with healthy habits, unexpected illnesses and injuries can still happen. When they do, The Urgency Room is here to help. Schedule a same-day visit at one of our four convenient locations and get the care you need to get back to your routine.

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