Parents – ensure your little ones head back to school healthy!
The start of a new school year can be exciting! However, preparing for your kids to return to school means more than just school supplies shopping and registering for class. You want to ensure this school year is your child’s best year yet. For this to happen, it is important to plan for a healthy school year.
The school classroom is the perfect breeding area for germs to spread rapidly. Viral infections tend to be more common when a large group of kids gather. Recent research found that during the 2024-2025 school year, 67% of students who missed school cited illness as the reason for their absence, disrupting learning and contributing to ongoing attendance challenges.
It is important to prepare in advance to ensure the health of your child this school year.
The Back-to-School Health Checklist
Here are some steps you can take at the beginning of the school year to help your children stay healthy and prepared for a successful year ahead.
1. Yearly Checkup
If you cannot remember the last time your child visited the doctor, now is a great time to schedule an appointment. (Consider this your reminder to schedule your annual checkup, too!) Children should see their pediatrician at least once a year to monitor their overall health, discuss any concerns, and ensure they are up to date on recommended immunizations.
Staying current with annual checkups helps protect your child from illness, identifies potential health concerns early, and reduces the risk of missing valuable classroom time.
2. School Physicals are Not Just for Sports
Physicals differ from annual checkups. They help ensure that a child is in good health to perform in the classroom, in extracurricular activities and on the athletic field. Things like hearing, vision, and more are tested to determine if the child is ready to participate in certain activities.
At Green Bay ER & Hospital, we provide parents with accurate and rapid school physicals they can trust! Contact our team to learn more.
3. Proper Handwashing Begins at Home
Handwashing is the best defense against the spread of everyday germs. The proper hand washing technique starts from practice at home. It is recommended to teach your child to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, before and after eating, after a cough or sneeze, and after touching multiple surfaces.
Guide to Proper Handwashing for Kids
4. Have a Plan for Sick Day
While you may take many precautions, sometimes, getting sick is not always preventable. It is important to have a plan to keep your child home when they are sick. It is recommended to keep them out of school if they present any of the following:
- High fever with chills and shaking
- A persistent cough
- Frequent vomiting and diarrhea
- An unexplained rash
- Unable to complete everyday activities due to not feeling well
Staying home helps protects your child and others they may come in contact with at school.
5. Craft a Healthy Meal Plan
Your children’s ability to concentrate and retain the energy needed for academic success is directly reflected in the meals your child eats. Like most health habits, it begins at home. Eating a healthy breakfast is pertinent to a child’s productive school day. Parents should follow The Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendations on what children and adolescents should and should not be eating daily.
24/7 Pediatric Care
For those late-night and early-morning sudden illnesses and injuries, Green Bay ER & Hospital has you covered. Our team of expert-level pediatric physicians are skilled in providing infants and children accurate, comfortable, and rapid emergency room care that gets them feeling better and back in the classroom to excel!
Disclaimer: As a service to our readers, Green Bay ER & Hospital and Nutex Health state no content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.