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Tips for preventing your kid from getting sick at school

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As kids begin heading back to school or leaving for the first time, the excitement and joy can quickly turn ugly with bad sickness. Schools and classrooms are a common breeding ground for germs that cause colds and stomach bugs. Getting ill not only makes your children feel miserable, but it also causes them to miss valuable learning time at school. Fortunately, there are things you can do to encourage your child to make important decisions throughout the day to keep them from getting sick.

Encourage your kids to wash their hands frequently

One of the easiest ways to prevent illness is washing hands frequently. This is true not only for kids, but also for adults. This is actually a major way to significantly reduce illnesses, since studies over the past few decades have all indicated that thoroughly washing your hands often cuts infection rates considerably. Let your kids know the importance of washing their hands and demonstrate how they should wash their hands. Be sure to use warm water and soap to rub for about 20 seconds (or about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice).

Teach your children to keep things away from their face

This is along the same vein as encouraging your kids to wash their hands. While you can’t always prevent them from touching things that might have germs or interacting with other children, you can teach them to not put things on their face or in their mouth. Touching your eye or chewing on your pencil after another student borrowed is a quick way to get sick because the face is the easiest place to transmit viruses. Let them know they should never touch their face before washing their hands.

Keep them supplied so they don’t have to borrow materials from other students

You can’t (and shouldn’t) prohibit your kids from interacting with other students, but you can help them decrease their physical contact by keeping them prepared for school. If they have the school supplies they’re supposed to, like paper, pencils and a pencil sharpener, you’ll stop them from borrowing items from other kids who might have infections.

Pack their lunch with ice packs

A recent study found that a lot of stomach bugs come from parents who don’t pack lunch properly. The meat of a sandwich could quickly grow bacteria if it’s left sitting in a backpack all day at room temperature. Instead, if there are any items that might require cooling, use an insulated lunch bag with two ice packs.

Help them eat a healthy diet and get a lot of sleep

The best prevention against illness is a strong immune system, which is why a healthy diet and sleep are extremely important. During sleep, your body releases immune-enhancing substances perfect for protecting against illness while certain foods aid in the fight against sickness. Give your kids concrete bed times and nutritious meals to build their immune system and keep them learning at school.

Timothy Martinez Jr. is a freelance writer and contributes to a number of blogs, including the official blog of Picnic World.

Tips for Making Your Child’s Back-To-School Seamless

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If you’re a parent, you’ve undoubtedly been in this situation countless times. You’re trying to get your kid back in the swing of school, but it’s extremely difficult. They can’t wake up, they’re mentally unprepared and they’re downright miserable. The start of school is usually a stressful time for everyone. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you follow these tips prior to the start of school, the transition back into a regular routine will be seamless for your kids.

Normalize sleeping habits weeks in advance

While some kids take advantage of their little responsibility by staying up really late and waking up in the afternoon, this is the worst habit for getting back in the school routine. A few weeks in advance, you should get your child to begin gradually getting up earlier and earlier. This will also urge them to sleep earlier without causing a drastic change in the body’s regular functions. By the time the first day of school rolls along, your child will be back in a regular sleeping routine.

Keep your child energized with activities

It’s fine to let your child rest after months of intense school work, but the whole summer shouldn’t be wasted eating potato chips and watching cartoons. This is an unhealthy pattern that’ll make your child more languid as summer progresses. Then, by the time school starts, he or she will be sluggish, out of shape and generally unhappy. Prevent this by keeping them active and energized through sports and other activities. Something as simple as registering them for a summer sports camp or going on daily bike rides will stave off lethargy and keep them ready for school.

Prepare healthy meals before and during school

Getting a nice healthy meal every day should be a priority, but it’s especially important to eat healthy before and at the very start of the school year. Eating meals high in protein, fiber and other nutrients will keep your children feeling energized and ready to go. Breakfast is vital, and if you’re not confident the school serves good meals, feel free to pack lunch.

Get your kid mentally prepared

Even though there’s a prominent physical aspect of going back to school, the right mentality needs to be fostered for them to be truly prepared. You can go about this in a number of ways. For example, a sample science project similar to one they might encounter throughout the year will get them excited. You can also give them a reading assignment you know they’ll enjoy. The brain is like a muscle that needs to exercise to get back into shape.

Make sure they have school supplies, immunizations and confidence

Nothing will make them feel more prepared and willing to get back to school than having everything neatly in order. For example, they should have all their necessary school supplies, immunizations and, of course, confidence. While you can’t buy confidence, it’s important for a child to feel good going back to school because it makes them less susceptible to bullying and panic attacks.

Timothy Martinez Jr. is a freelance writer and contributes to a number of blogs, including the official blog of Backyard Chirper.

Keeping Kids Active During the Summer

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For kids, the arrival of summer has always meant the beginning of several weeks of lounging on the couch, watching TV, going to the movies and eating junk food. While all that sounds like the perfect vacation to your kids, letting them idle about all summer will not only make it difficult for them to get back into their school routine, but it will also make them unhealthier. If you’re looking for ideas, here are some great ways to keep your kids active, fit and entertained during the summer.

Sign them up for a summer sport

If you’re worried that your kids won’t get enough exercise, a summer sports camp is the perfect way to get them on their feet. Sports like soccer and baseball often have summer camps where kids will make friends and stay active. A sports camp will improve a kid’s social skills and athletic ability. That’s a double plus!

Take them camping

Nothing is more refreshing and engaging than heading into the great outdoors. Regular camping trips will teach kids to be more independent and better attuned to the sights of nature. On camping trips, you can take your kids on a nature walk to identify birds, an intense hike to a natural landmark like a waterfall or a leisurely swim in the nearby lake. Any of these things will get your kids moving around and involved in educational fun.

Assign chores

While this one might seem less fun than the previous suggestions, getting children involved in household chores will teach them about responsibility while keeping them busy. Even though some parents prefer not to pay their kids for household chores, giving them an incentive to do the work will make things go smoothly. Depending on how old they are, the tougher tasks should have clear expectations and rewards.

Make a schedule of fun family activities

Sometimes keeping kids active is as simple as making a schedule for a “fun activity” each day. This could involve something like a bike ride, pickup basketball match, game of tag or walk around the block. Kids find it much more rewarding and much easier to engage in activities with their family instead of doing things alone. Family activities will also help keep your family bonding during a time when relatives might get on each others nerves.

Get them toys!

It might seem counter intuitive to buy your kids toys if you want them to stay sociable and active, but toys are great devices for getting kids exercising without even realizing. For example, toys like footballs, Frisbees, hula hoops, water slides and jump ropes encourage liveliness. Also, a video game like the Nintendo Wii functions by getting people to mimic sports movements and is particularly fun for kids of all ages. Giving them options other than watching television is the first step to making your kids healthier and more active.

Timothy Martinez Jr. is a freelance writer and contributes to a number of blogs, including the official blog of Camping Gear Outlet.

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