Back to school health checklist: Is your child ready to start the year?

Posted by Laura under Health Care

A new school year is upon us and it brings excitement along with it. I’m guilty of loving new supplies! Nothing makes my heart jump like three new highlighters in annoyingly bright colors. There’s no sarcasm here because I would genuinely look forward to shopping for book and supplies lists.

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Kids need to also check their health before they go to school. So I’m getting into the festivity of checklists and created a health related checklist designed specifically for school-aged children:

• Lice- Children notoriously share lice when they are in daycare, preschool and starting elementary. If only the shared their toys as much with their siblings. Vacation spots are also a breeding ground for lice so be sure to check their heads before starting school. For example, I got lice in Disneyland! I visited the mouse and he sent bugs my way. No fair if you ask me.
• Allergies- Many kids have some sort of allergy like pollen or bee stings. Be sure to let the teacher and school know what they should look out for and how to proceed. Small children who are accustomed to staying home everyday are usually exposed to the same things. Once they start daycare or preschool, they learn to deal with watery eyes and constant sniffles. Be on the lookout for signs of allergies so your child’s school day can be a little easier.
• Vision issues- Most parents don’t learn a child needs glasses until they enter school. Teachers may observe the child is squinting in order to see. Others might claim it’s too hard to read and refuse to learn altogether. If your child complains of recurrent headaches, he might have a vision problem that needs correcting.
• Immunization- Parents choose whether or not to vaccinate their kids but if you do be sure to keep your child’s vaccines up to date. Ask your doctor to provide you with a copy of his records so you can keep it at home.
• Healthy lunches- Children need healthy, balanced meals to help them curb obesity and lead overall healthier lives. Ask your children to help you choose their lunches because involving them encourages healthier patterns for the future. Healthy lunches usually include at least one serving of the big three: fruits, vegetables and proteins.
• Healthy behaviors- These include habits like washing their hands before meals and after recess and covering their mouths and noses after coughing or sneezing. Parents do this anyway but it’s incredibly important when kids start venturing out to schools.

This list can be used for any child but keep in mind that all kids are different. Parents with children with specific needs should always inform the school before starting the year. My sister, for example, took an anti-seizure medication for the first seven years of her life. It would leave her groggy for the first hour of class. Teachers knew that by letting her sleep an extra 20 minutes in school she would eventually wake up and get on with her day.
Great info from the @dialdoctors blog page, love to follow them on Twitter

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