Top 5 Back-to-School Health Tips for Parents

To ensure a successful and healthy school year for kids, it's important for both parents and children to be aware of some essential back-to-school health tips. A child who is in good physical health is better prepared to go back to school. Therefore, it's crucial to take note of some healthy tips that can help prepare children for the upcoming academic year.

To foster their children's overall growth, parents should strive to make their daily routines healthier. A healthy lifestyle is a crucial first step for students to achieve success as it keeps them mentally and physically fit. Thus, it is the responsibility of parents to create a positive environment for their children and instill in them the importance of taking care of their minds and bodies as they return to school.

Teach Your Child Hygiene Habits

Hand hygiene is one of the most powerful ways to prevent the spread of germs. As children may not fully understand the importance of staying hygienic, it falls on parents to encourage this healthy habit. Ensure your children wash their hands after various activities, such as playing with friends in the garden or touching unclean objects. Additionally, there are many activities that children perform in school that can lead to the emergence of germs. As such, it's essential to teach your child to regularly wash their hands while at school to reduce the risk of infection. Here's a list of activities to remind your child to wash their hands:

After using the bathroom
Before and after eating
After playing with pets
After blowing their nose or coughing
After being outside or playing in the dirt
After sneezing or wiping their face
After using shared objects, such as pencils or toys.

Make Your Child Versatile

In today's world, versatility is highly valued among students. Parents should encourage their children to participate in a variety of school activities to acquire additional skills that can benefit their future success.

If you want to boost your child's cognitive abilities, there are many fun and educational activities that you can encourage them to engage in. Here are a few suggestions based on your child's age:

For children who are 2 or 3 years old, encourage them to sing numbers, the alphabet, and popular songs like "Happy Birthday." These types of activities can help improve their cognitive development and language skills.
For children who are 5 years old or older, it's important to introduce them to new and innovative activities to keep their minds active and engaged. Some suggestions include:

Painting
Dancing
Singing
Comedy

Schools often organize various competitions, so it's a good idea to prepare your child for these events by helping them develop their skills in these areas. Participating in competitions can boost a child's confidence and improve their performance in the classroom. Encouraging your child to engage in these activities can be a great way to help them succeed in school and beyond.

Prepare Healthy Meals

As parents prepare their children for back-to-school season, one important factor to consider is providing them with nutritious meals. A healthy diet can positively impact a student's mental and physical well-being, making it essential for academic success. Students need to study hard to achieve good grades, so their diets should be healthy to keep them in good shape. Neglecting this aspect can lead to serious health complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels.

To avoid such risks, it is crucial to provide children with a balanced and nutritious diet. However, many children tend to prefer unhealthy options such as chocolates, which can make it difficult for parents to ensure that their children are eating well. Here are a few tips to help parents encourage healthy eating habits in their children:

Offer a variety of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.
Make mealtimes enjoyable by involving children in meal planning and preparation.
Encourage children to try new foods and to develop a taste for healthy options.

By following these tips, parents can help their children develop healthy eating habits that will support their academic success and overall well-being.

Children Need Proper Sleep

Ensuring that children get sufficient sleep is crucial for their growth, as a study has shown. It has been proven that students who receive enough sleep not only perform better academically, but also exhibit improved behavior towards others. Conversely, inadequate sleep has a negative impact on children, hindering their ability to learn and leading to poor academic performance.

It is important to note that children require more sleep than adults, and it is recommended to establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up routine for them. This routine not only facilitates high-quality sleep, but also instills discipline in them. Specifically, children aged between 6 and 12 should aim for at least 9-10 hours of sleep, while those aged 13-18 require 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

Determine a Timetable For Your Child

To ensure their children can balance studying and other essential activities, parents should establish a timetable for them. Moreover, parents should structure the routine so that it enables both studying and other activities. Encouraging children to practice studying also helps establish a consistent habit that will benefit them when they go back to school.

To prevent any issues in school, parents should perform several tasks the day before, including packing their child's school bag and managing their school dress and lunch box.

After a long day at school, children require rest and engaging activities. Hence, parents should create a routine that allows for both studying and enjoyable activities, promoting a healthy balance between work and play.

Here's the list of tasks that parents should perform a day before school: