Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (HRHS) wants you to have a game plan this school year. Here are 5 tips to help you and your child be prepared for the start of school.
1. Form a routine sleep schedule
The days of sleeping in are over. Sleep routines are important for people of all ages to feel well rested throughout their day. Early waking’s may be rough at first, but your child’s natural body clock will align with the new sleep schedule. It is recommended that children aged 6-13 get 9-11 hours of sleep and children 14-17 get 8-10 hours of sleep.
Making sure your children have all the vaccinations needed before the start of school is important to not only their health, but also your communities’ health. Do your part in researching which vaccines are required by your school district and which vaccines you feel will best protect your child. Consult with your family physician about your child’s vaccination plans.
3. Sports Physicals
If your child plans to play sports, they will be required to turn in a sports physical by the deadline provided by the school. During a physical, the physician will review your child’s medical history, conduct a physical examination, offer useful information about sports injuries, and provide the forms needed for your child to participate in school sports.
4. Healthy Breakfast
Having a daily healthy breakfast that doesn’t consist of the typical bowl of sugar and milk can do wonders for your families’ health. Eating a healthy breakfast leads to better concentration, energy, and can decrease the chance of type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that skipping breakfast leads to weight gain, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. By eating a healthy breakfast your blood sugar levels increase because your body absorbs the food you eat and converts it into energy. Blood sugar is used for energy and is at its lowest point before the first meal of the day.
5. School Supplies
Shopping for school supplies can cause many headaches. Here are a few tips to help prevent this.
- Take inventory. Before spending a dollar on this year’s school supplies, see what you already have. Consider dedicating a place to store unused school supplies to make this step easier in the future.
- Buy essentials in bulk. You will always need pencils, erasers, notebooks, etc. So why not buy these supplies in bulk to save money and time in the future? This can be especially useful if you have many kids in school. Look for online deals that offer bulk order discounts.
- Figure out when quality counts. It can be beneficial to spend a little bit more money on supplies that will last your child the whole school year. Cheap pens have a greater chance of breaking and leaking onto clothes, while zippers and seams on cheap book bags often break before Christmas break.
This time of the year can be stressful. Hopefully by following these tips you will save time, money, and sanity. And remember to enjoy the last few weeks of summer!