STAYING HEALTHY
Under current guidelines, COVID-19 precautions have been reduced. Most people don't have to wear masks or keep 6 feet of distance all the time. There are exceptions, of course, for people who have decreased immune systems or serious illnesses which put them at greater risk. But that doesn't mean you should give up all methods to keep yourselves and your children healthy!
Here are some of the best ways to help your child stay healthy:
1) Good hand washing- even if the risk of COVID is lessened, children are constantly exposed to germs- viruses and bacteria- all the time. Whenever kids go back to school, they are surrounded by new germ groups! It's common for children to have more colds and other viruses right after school starts, especially when they start a new school. Remind them to wash their hands at school and wash up as soon as they get home (to avoid bringing school germs into the house!)
2) Vaccinations- Childhood vaccines have made dramatic changes in the frequency of diseases which have been common and deadly in the past. By continuing to vaccinate children on the regular schedule, we can best protect them from those diseases returning. It is not recommended
to follow alternative schedules or space them out over longer times. These have been clearly shown to not be effective and result in your child not having complete protection against many serious infections. If you have questions regarding the vaccines, please talk with your child's doctor for accurate, up-to-date information.
3) Healthy nutrition- Children need nutritious food to grow and develop well. We used to use the Food Pyramid to remember what to eat. Now, there's My Plate. The specific guidelines can be found at https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate. The Five-A-Day Rule means to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This easy-to-remember rule should be used to plan your family's meals and snacks. Each meal should contain one or more servings of fruits or vegetables (remember the size of a serving varies by your child's age). Make sure your child drinks plenty of water.
4) Exercise- Kids can get exercise in many different ways. They can play an organized sport or they can just play outside. Encourage your child to be active by doing activities with them- go for a walk, have a family bike ride, throw a ball around. Many kids enjoy video games. That's not all bad, but you may need to motivate them to go outdoors more. Monitor how much screen time your children have and give them positive feedback for doing other activities
5) Keep kids home if they are sick- If your child has a fever over 101 or vomiting, they may be contagious and should stay home from school. You can usually treat their symptoms at home with Tylenol, clear fluids, and rest, but if they are sick for more than a few days, or seem to be getting worse, they need to see a doctor. Many illness are caused by viruses and don't require antibiotics. In fact, the antibiotics won't help at all, and we try to avoid over-using them to prevent resistance. Your child should stay home from school until they don't have a fever over 101 for at least one day, and any vomiting has stopped. If you have any questions, call your child's doctor.
6) Sleep- Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Most teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep and young children need 9-13 hours. Start healthy sleep habits early. Have a regular routine to get your child ready for bed. Have calming down time with bath, brushing teeth, turning off the TV or other screens, and getting them settled. Spend time reading to your child every day and, then, encourage them to read when they are old enough.
7) As much as possible, keep your child safe! Always buckle them in their car seats from the first trip home from the hospital until they are old enough to start putting on their own seat belts! Make sure your child wears a helmet with bicycling and skateboarding. Keep medications and poisons locked up out of reach. If you have a firearm in your home, be sure to keep it locked away separate from the ammunition. Make sure your child knows not to touch any firearm they might find, and to immediately tell you.