August 1, 2024

Parents can prepare their children to thrive in school this year by focusing on physical health, nutrition and emotional preparedness. 

Dr. Derick Wenning, vice president of medical affairs at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, is a specialist in pediatric emergency care. He offers essential tips and strategies to help your child start the school year off on the right foot.

Practice injury prevention. 

One of the most important things parents can do is prevent accidental injuries. The three most common are car crashes, drownings and firearm injuries. 

Make sure your children are properly restrained in vehicles*. Practice pool and water safety. Get your children swimming lessons. If you have guns in your house, make sure they are safely stored, locked away and are not loaded.

Get vaccinated. 

Parents should check to make sure kids are up to date on routine immunizations before the new school year. These vaccines protect kids and others from dangerous diseases, such as measles, mumps, chickenpox and whooping cough. Find vaccination requirements and locations through the South Carolina Department of Public Health website*.

This includes a flu shot. Flu season typically starts in September. The flu shot is safe and recommended for everyone over 6 months old. The flu can be more severe in children, which is why getting an annual vaccine is important. The flu shot provides protection for six months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends* getting a flu shot before the end of October.

Eat a balanced diet. 

Just like adults, children need to eat a variety of food for their health. Eating a nutritious diet can be key to good health. Make healthy foods* a priority. Serve them whole grains, low-fat dairy products and good proteins over highly processed foods and sugary beverages. Recent studies show that good nutrition improves physical health and mental health.

Stay active. 

School-age kids are spending more time in front of screens. Keeping them active* and moving is important for their health. Regular exercise helps children build strong muscles and bones, promotes healthy weight, decreases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and can lead to better sleep. 

School-age children should be doing physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day. If you can’t get 60, try to get a minimum of 30 minutes. It helps increase their metabolism and improve their overall weight balance. Find a good family hike with easy trails across the state or pick up pickleball for a family game night.

Limit screen time. 

Screens such as television, tablets and cellphones can be a challenge for parents with school-age children. Limiting screen time is important. Recommendations are based on age. 

Children under the age of 2 should have no screen time, except for FaceTiming grandparents or far-away relatives. That should be the limit of their screen time. Children ages 2 to 5 should be limited to about an hour a day of high-quality educational materials. Children over 6 should be limited to two hours per day. But again, quality over quantity. 

Parents, set a good example by putting your phone down when you tell your child to put his or her device down. 
It's important that we limit screen time for several reasons. One is overall health and improved attention span. Studies show children who have less screen time perform better in school. 

Monitor social media.  

If your child is on social media, consider supervising their use. Research shows links between social media and mental health conditions*. In 2021, health care professionals declared a national emergency in child mental health*.

Communicate with your children who use these apps. There are risks for inappropriate content and cyberbullying on these platforms. 

Clock the z’s.  

Getting enough sleep is incredibly important no matter the age. But it is especially important for children.  Most school-age children need nine to 12 hours of sleep a day, according* to the CDC. 

Maintaining a good routine during the school year will set kids up for success in the classroom. 

*These link to third-party websites. Those organizations are solely responsible for the contents and privacy policies on their sites.