How to Keep Your Child Healthy in School
Here at NiteOwl Pediatrics in Chattanooga, we make it our mission to make sure that children of all ages remain happy and healthy. With the school year just beginning, children around the area are once again going to file into classrooms and, unfortunately, be exposed to a host of germs. In today’s blog post, we wanted to go over some tips that we have to help you make sure that your child stays as healthy as possible during the school year. With a little work, you and your child can greatly reduce the chances of sickness.
How Can I Keep My Child Healthy This School Year?
Heading back to school can be a stressful time for both parents and students. The beginning of the school year marks the end of a more relaxed summer schedule, and the beginning of a much busier winter season. Below, we have listed a few tips for kids and parents to help guard against illness during the school year.
- Wash Those Hands - Even though it is common knowledge that hand washing is one of the most important steps that a person can take in order to safeguard against disease, we cannot reiterate enough how important this tip is. People, especially children, touch hundreds of objects in a day. Because of this, millions of bacteria and other germs are transferred to the hands and, if the hands are not washed regularly throughout the day, can become a breeding ground for disease. Make sure to tell your child to wash their hands after every restroom visit. Getting them in the habit of doing this will go a long way in helping them stay healthy this school year.
- Get Enough Sleep - One of the biggest factors to maintaining a healthy immune system is getting enough sleep. When our bodies are not well-rested, they have a harder time protecting themselves from the germs that we come into contact with on a daily basis. Making sure that your child has enough sleep during the school year will go a long way in ensuring that their immune systems are able to fight off any germs or bacteria that they may come into contact with. Plus, a well-rested child is able to focus more during the school day, meaning that they are more likely to retain information.
- Provide Good Nutrition - Making sure that your child has access to nutritious food is very important in making sure that they are able to maintain their health. Eating junk food, such as sweets, soda, highly processed foods, and other “filler” food does not provide the body with the fuel that it needs to fight diseases. Simply providing them with a nutritious breakfast can go a long way in making sure that their body has the resources it needs to stay healthy.
- Exercise - Even though most elementary school-aged children get some form of exercise at school during the day, it is still important to make sure that your child stays active. Sedentary lifestyles have been proven to be bad in terms of overall health and even just a 30-minute block of playing outside when they get home from school can help make sure that your child is better protected against illness. If your child is in a grade where recess no longer occurs, it is even more important to make sure that they get in a few hours of exercise a week. Exercise helps to boost the immune system, increase stamina, promote cardiovascular health, and instill healthy habits.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog entry on some of the tips that we suggest you use to make sure that your child stays as healthy as they can this school year. While we hope that your child doesn’t get sick. If they do, please get in touch with us at NiteOwl Pediatrics to have them seen by one of our medical professionals. We have been providing after-hours pediatric care in the Chattanooga area for years and we are certain that we can help your child feel better. Although we are a walk-in pediatric clinic for after-hours care, if you would like to save your spot in line, prior to your arrival, you may go ahead and sign-in using our online scheduling portal.
If you have any questions about our practice, please give us a call at 423.648.6483 or send us a message through the contact form on our website.