Back to School: 7 Strategies to Keep Kids Healthy!

Aug 25, 2021 1:24:42 PM / by Voyage Healthcare Team posted in Family Medicine, Health Tips

Back to school often brings a range of emotions for everyone - excitement, anticipation along with a sprinkle of apprehension, especially this year. This school year brings its own unique set of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is still prevalent in many of our communities. 

 

We always want to keep our kids safe this year, especially in school. If you’re wondering about best practices to keep your kids healthy, we have a few suggestions for you:

Cute lovely school children at classroom having education activities

  1. Make sure your child is up-to-date on all vaccines that are available to them. The COVID-19 vaccine is encouraged for all family members 12 years of age or older. The best way to keep our children who are under age 12 healthy and free of COVID-19 is to make sure everyone in the household who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine has been completely vaccinated.
  2. Check with your kid’s school and understand their COVID-19 policy. Make sure you know the process if there is an exposure in your child’s school or classroom. And, if there is a mask policy in place, make sure you are providing new masks regularly for your children or washing your child’s mask daily. The CDC has information about proper mask selection, fitting, and washing.
  3. If your child is not feeling well, running a fever, has the sniffles, a cough, or a sore throat, keep them home! Make sure to review typical COVID-19 symptoms Our Acute Illness Clinic in Osseo, is prepared to help you with testing if you need it! 
  4. We have all been reminded of the importance of thorough hand washing over the past year. Keep your children in this groove! Remind them to always wash their hands after contact with others or in communal situations. Pack hand sanitizer in their backpack or provide them with hand sanitizer to keep in their desk or locker. Even better, contribute a few extras to your children’s teachers to keep in the classroom. 
  5. As we get closer to the beginning of the school year, start making bed times a bit earlier week by week. It is important that children get adequate amount of sleep to keep their immune system functioning properly, Children aged 5-13 should receive 9-11 hours of sleep per night while children aged 14-17 should get approximately 8-10 hours of sleep per night. 
  6. Make sure children are set for success by providing them with a healthy breakfast and nutrient packed snacks! It is important for children’s growth and brain development to have a diet filled with critical vitamins and minerals. If you’re looking for great back-to-school breakfasts check-out these healthy recipes, or check out this link for easy and healthy snack options
  7. Avoid large crowds if possible. If exposure to many people is reduced, the potential exposure to viruses is also limited. Embrace family time! Continue to encourage family or small group activities to minimize exposure to viruses. 

Remember that Voyage Healthcare is available to help you at every stage of your healthcare journey. 

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Voyage Healthcare Team

Written by Voyage Healthcare Team

Voyage Healthcare is an independently owned, multi-specialty healthcare clinic — guided by the doctors who care for families in the northwest metro area of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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