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Five Health and Wellness Rules to Live by this School Year
and Beyond
Special to The Truth
At school, kids are
exposed to an influx of germs that can cause a number of
preventable sicknesses, including cold and flu. The top
germiest school-based culprits include water fountains,
plastic reusable cafeteria trays, keyboards, toilets
and…students’ hands.
To keep your family free
from the sniffles all year long, here are five
easy-to-follow tips to ensure a healthy, happy and
absent-free school year.
1. Teach Kids to Wash Hands the Right Way.
It seems simple enough,
but research shows that only five percent of people wash
their hands properly. The CDC recommends following five
simple steps: wet, lather, scrub (for at least 20 seconds),
rinse and dry. Don’t forget backs of hands, between fingers
and under the nails. Handwashing is the best defense against
germs, but if soap and water aren’t available, hand
sanitizer is a good alternative.
2. Sanitize School Supplies.
Sanitize school supplies,
lunch boxes, bottoms of backpacks, etc., weekly. These items
are exposed to a variety of germs lurking in places like gym
lockers, on desks and in bathrooms. Use disinfecting wipes
on plastic objects, and throw items like lunch boxes and
backpacks in the washing machine. Send kids to school with
disposable wipes so they can clean surfaces like desks,
cafeteria trays and other surfaces throughout the day.
3. Set a Sleep Schedule.
A regular bedtime and an
alert morning go hand-in-hand. The National Sleep Foundation
recommends a calming nighttime routine like reading a book
or taking a bath to signal the brain that it’s bedtime, and
leave technology like tablets, laptops and cell phones out
of the bedroom. If you’re wondering how much sleep your
child needs each night, it’s recommended that toddlers
receive 11 to 14 hours, preschoolers 10 to 13 hours,
school-aged children nine to 11 hours, and teenagers eight
to 10 hours.
4. Keep Healthy Snacks and Meals on Hand.
A healthy, balanced diet
has been proven to keep kids mentally sharp and focused, but
fast-paced schedules during the school year can sometimes
result in quick-fix, and often unhealthy, food choices. Keep
nutritious grab-and-go snacks like trail mix and fruit at
the ready. And don’t skip breakfast. It can mean decreased
cognitive performance in areas like alertness, attention,
memory and problem solving.
5. Nurse Kids Back to Health.
Germs are lurking
everywhere -- school, preschool and daycare, so be prepared
if sickness does strike. Tools like TempTraq come in handy
for unexpected fevers, giving parents peace of mind and
children the rest they need to get better. This wearable,
Bluetooth temperature monitor continuously senses, records
and transmits body temperature for up to 24-hours. It can
even send alerts to your smartphone via its free mobile app
to notify you immediately if your child’s fever reaches an
unsafe level. Visit Target or CVS to stock your medicine
cabinet with this useful must-have, or order online at
TempTraq.com.
From hectic schedules to
germ-ridden classrooms, the stress and environment of school
can take a toll on kids’ health. Keep them healthier with a
few simple strategies and you’ll be headed to a perfect
attendance record.
Courtesy StatePoint
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