Back To School Health Tips
As a parent, we have all had the days when our child was too sick to go to school. And as we re-arranged our schedule to accommodate staying home with them, we probably thought about where they could have caught the bug. Most likely, we will place the blame on the school.
But at the same time, how often do we send our children to school with a little cough or runny nose? It’s a double-edged sword. Here are some basic guidelines to follow when deciding whether to keep your child home or not.
Back To School Health Tips For Parents
Back to school health is important. Assess how they are feeling. If they are tired and lethargic or running a fever – they need to stay home. Fevers are a good sign that your child is contagious and can make other children sick. Be courteous to the other children and their families and keep your child home. Your kid will thank you and so will the other moms.
If your child is feeling okay but has some common symptoms such as a runny nose, give them a cold medicine to help with the symptoms and teach them some basic hygiene tips.
When they blow their nose, have them throw away the tissue and wash their hands. Or place a small bottle of hand sanitizer in their backpack and have them rub some on. If they are sneezing, teach them to use their upper arm to block the sneeze. This will help keep the germs from spreading and keep them off their hands.
Proper hygiene can help prevent your child from getting a cold or sick bug from someone else at school. Have them always wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. We can’t prevent all the germs from getting to our children but we can do our part.
Back To School Healthy Eating
Proper eating at home can make a difference in your child’s behavior during the school day. If they have good nutrition at home it will give them the energy they need to get through the day and give their brain what it needs to think.
Children that don’t eat breakfast or don’t eat well can be too tired during the school day. It is difficult to learn when you can’t stay awake. Morning time can be a big rush out the door, but it is important to take the time for breakfast.
Stocking up on fast breakfast choices is easier than you think. You can usually cook a hot breakfast on the weekends and Monday mornings. Make extra pancake batter for waffles or pancakes and freeze the cooked item. Layout each pancake or waffle flat on a cookie sheet until they are frozen and then toss them in a freezer baggie.
They keep their shape because they are frozen and the kids can pop them in the toaster for breakfast. There are other ideas you can come up with to make breakfast easier.
Back To School Nutrition Is Important
It’s easy to provide a nutritious breakfast in the midst of the morning scuttle. Kids usually fix cereal before you get up in the morning. If this happens in your home, supplement the cereal with some orange juice or other fruit drink. Add toast with jam or try some slices of fresh fruit with their cereal.
There are many products on the market that make breakfast fast and simple. Breakfast bars can provide many nutrients that are needed for healthy bodies. Adding milk or juice can give an extra boost. Make sure whatever you fix for breakfast will fill your child up until lunch and will give them the energy they need.
How To Get Back To Eating Healthy
A national study shows that more and more children are dealing with obesity. The number of children with poor nutrition is astounding. Macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, and French fries were among the top food choices for children. So how do we get them to eat better?
The first step is to make sure they eat what is cooked. If you are serving a food dish they don’t like, they can have the choice of eating it or not having dinner. This can be really difficult at first and can start a big fight.
When introducing new foods that you think your kids won’t like, also serve something good that you know they will eat. This can help eliminate the problem of them “starving to death”.
Once your children know that they must try new foods, it allows you to begin experimenting. Try to find a recipe book for your family that has 30 or 40 weeks of recipes. The first time you use the book, get each family member to rate the dinner item.
You then place a star by the recipe for each family member that liked the food. Now when you go through the book, if an item has fewer than 3 or 4 stars, You skip that meal.
Healthy Foods To Eat At School
Find recipes that provide good nutrition; legumes, vegetables, fruits. We all remember the food pyramid from our days of school. If your kids are eating school lunch, they are getting one good nutritious meal.
You can follow their food guidelines when planning your own meals. Keep the monthly calendar with the meals the school has planned, and follow them for dinner (in a different month).
Introduce foods that you know your children didn’t like before, and have them try one bite. Kids’ taste buds change over time, and something they hated before they might really like now.
Resources
Vaccines for Preteens and Teens
Back To School
Eating Healthy
School Lunches
Child Nutrition
Back To School Health Products
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