Community Corner
Guest Column: Health Tips for a new School Year
Waukesha pediatrician shares ways to get your child ready to return to school.
The race is on! School is just around the corner. This hit home for our family when the school supply lists hit the mailbox and the kids wanted to be able to pick out the coolest notebooks and supplies. Are you and your child ready? Now is the time to start thinking about what needs to be done to get your child off on the right foot. The first day of school often sets the stage for the first half of the year. Here are a few tips to get children ready.
Start your school time routine now. If you have teenagers, they have quickly adjusted their sleep schedules to reflect Count Dracula. Now is the time to start adjusting their sleep routine to a daytime schedule. Remember that the body is sensitive to big changes. Sleep schedules should be adjusted by 15 to 20 minutes at a time. What does this mean for you and your child? If your child is going to bed at midnight and waking up at 9am, you have to get them in bed at 11:45 p.m. and wake up at 8:45 a.m. the first night, then asleep by 11:30 p.m. and awake by 8:30 a.m. the following night (adjust and repeat), until you get them to their school night-time schedule. This can take quite a bit of time.
Good sleep hygiene or habits are very important for children. As I tell all my patients, you are building life-long habits today, make them good ones. There are two periods in our lives when we need the most sleep. One is infancy/toddlerhood and the other is teenage years. Both age groups need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night. How to accomplish this? Take the TV out of your child’s room. Get your children active during the day. Go play in the sun, sunlight helps our internal time clocks be set properly. Institute quiet time in your home an hour before bed with reading, bathing, or music. Finally, start a bedtime routine. You may have had one with your younger children but it works for the older ones as well.
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Many children are nervous or anxious about the first day of school. If this is a new school you can probably understand why. But even children who are returning to the same school often have the jitters. Consider doing a ‘drive by’ or visit before school starts. Take the children out of the car and remind them what it was like last year. Show them the bathroom and their classroom (if you know where it is). If your child is new to the school, you may even want to stop at the principal’s office or guidance counselor. Fear of the unknown is usually the worst part for children and a visit can help reduce these fears. Finally, if your child seems overly fearful or anxious, you should probably talk with your child’s pediatrician.
I would be lax if I did not talk about the importance of health care prior to school starting. If your child needs a physical get it done early!! Do not let your child’s lack of a physical exam keep them out of gym or joining a sport’s team. Having this done early means you do not have to take your child out of school to get it completed. Yearly physicals give us the chance to review vaccinations and ensure your child is protected from some nasty diseases. It also gives your child time to address any concerns they may have about their health.
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Back to school is a busy, stressful but exciting time of the year. Children are looking forward to ‘hanging out’ with their friends everyday and parents are smiling with joy at the thought of some daytime peace. If you have not started planning, now is the time.
Dr. Heather Sielaff is a pediatrician in Waukesha. Her office number is 262-896-4455.
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