Area schools will begin classes within the next week – to
the delight of some parents and the dread of others. It's a good idea to take a
couple of steps to set students up for a safe, healthy year. Here are five
back-to-school health tips to consider.
- Get
vaccinated
- Get
rested
Transition to
regular bedtimes for students the week prior to school’s start date. This will
help make those first mornings of the school year less stressful and help
students begin the year rested. Most
children and adolescents need more than eight hours of sleep each night. Teens’
body clocks often do change and they may want to sleep on a different schedule.
Find a compromise that gets them enough sleep and gets them to school on time. To
get younger kids ready to wake up for school, adjust their bedtimes a little
earlier each night for a week or two before school starts. Sticking to a
routine is important too – avoid adjusting bedtimes on weekends.
- Get
nourished
A healthy diet can
have a huge impact on how well your child does during the school day. Start
with a breakfast with protein, whole grains, fruits and dairy. The Institute of Medicine recommends that 10 to
30 percent of the calories a child over age 3 takes in should come from
protein. On average, this equates to 19 grams of protein daily for boys and
girls aged 4 to 9 and 34 grams of protein per day for kids aged 9 to 13. As
they reach adolescence, boys need more protein than girls. Between the ages 14
to 18, boys should get about 52 grams of protein daily, while girls need
approximately 46 grams of protein per day. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods
- Get sparkling
Well, kids don’t and won’t
sparkle but you do want to teach them good hand washing and hygiene habits.
Require that they wash their hands before every meal, after using the toilet, after
sneezing, and anytime that their hands are dirty. Simple enough. Teach your
children to cover their cough with a tissue or elbow, and, wash their hands
afterwards. Check out http://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/protect/cdc_cough.pdf for more information.. Many classrooms in the school
have hand sanitizer available to students. The goal is to minimize the spread
of germs in the schools. Everyone can help.
- Get comfortable
Starting school may
be stressful for your child and well as yourself. Watch for stress related
health issues – not sleeping well, stomach aches, headaches, and withdrawn
behavior. Help your child manage stress by talking about anything bothering
them, and take care not to overload anyone's schedule, including your own.
Schoolwork and after-school activities are important, but it's also essential
to take time to relax, play and spend time as a family. Build a quiet time into
the day to talk with your child and comfort them about stressors in their
school day.
Remember that the
healthy habits you create and enforce with your children during their school
years will affect their habits as adults in the working world. You play such an
important role in their success now and in the future.
Grinnell Regional Medical Center and RE/MAX Realty Partners
have joined ideas to launch GRMC’s Blue Jean Ball a little early this year.
RE/MAX Realty Partners has donated the ride of a lifetime: an adventure for two
through the clouds in a hot air balloon.
