Your guide to a healthy back-to-school season

A new school year brings lots of excitement and just as much anxiety. Questions abound — from whether your kids get enough rest and eat healthy to how they’ll manage new school year anxieties and fall sports activities without injuries. Implementing just a few key back-to-school health tips can encourage your child to put their best foot forward as the school year starts. Below, find some ideas for the upcoming school year.

Getting enough sleep

As an adult, you might be excited to dive under the covers after a long day, but students of all ages — from preschoolers to high schoolers and beyond — may not feel the same. For school-age children, sleep improves concentration, attention, focus and emotional regulation in the classroom. Try these tips to help your kiddo fall asleep faster and rest better.

Write out your afternoon schedule. Most children have only about four hours each day between arriving home from school and bedtime. Create a schedule for extra-curricular activities, homework, dinner, playtime or physical activity and bathing so your child’s bedtime doesn’t sneak up on you. 

Cut the screens. Screen time before bed prolongs “sleep latency,” or the time it takes to fall asleep. Stash away electronic devices at least 90 minutes before your child’s bedtime, so they fall asleep faster and rest better.

Rule out medical conditions that can impair sleep. Call your pediatrician, who can help you rule out medical causes of sleeplessness, if you’re concerned about your child’s sleep.  

Packing a healthy school lunch

Now’s a good time to assess what you’ll be sending in your child’s school lunch. Many items marketed for lunch boxes are convenient, but also high in fat and sugar or contain artificial colors and flavors. Examples include apple sauce with added sugar and color, most brands of fruit snacks and most snack chips.

If you find you’re filling your child’s lunch box with prepackaged and processed foods, consider swapping them with healthy lunch options including:

• Baby carrots and dip

• Clementines

• Turkey-and-cheese rollups on whole-wheat tortillas

• Apple sauce (with no added sugar and color)   

• Sippable soup in a thermos

If your child purchases a school lunch, talk to them each morning about healthy food choices. Is today a chocolate milk day? If so, encourage them to choose a healthy snack for after school, such as fruit.

Leaving parents behind, navigating a new and unfamiliar place and having to make friends — these are all changes that can leave kids feeling a little unnerved as they're headed back to school. A certain amount of fear and anxiety is normal and helps keep children safe. The key is knowing when fear and anxiety are impairing your child and affecting their life, and when to talk to your child's teacher or pediatrician. 

Here are a few ways to help your child cope.

Ask your child how they feel. Discuss their thoughts about returning to school and what concerns they may have. Help them feel comfortable about the new school year by practicing new routines. Be available at the beginning of the school year to talk about any difficulties, so small problems don’t escalate.

Teach your child relaxation techniques. Practice deep breathing. Prompt them to envision a happy place. Or ask your child to give their worries away to a stuffed animal or a doll.

Chill yourself. Children take emotional cues from parents. Modeling a calm attitude during back-to-school season will help your child approach it with a sense of confidence.

Preparing for the upcoming school year extends beyond the walls of the classroom. Here are some things to consider when getting child athletes ready for their best season yet.

Get a pre-participation sports physical. Most school systems require your child to get a sports physical before they can participate. Inform your doctor when your child starts a new school sport. Your pediatrician may take more time to gather information (such as family health history) and give recommendations to prevent specific injuries seen in that sport. 

Ensure your child has properly fitting equipment. Fitted sports equipment is every bit as important as having school supplies. All required equipment should be in good condition and fit properly so it can do its job in preventing injury. Don't overlook a mouth guard to prevent dental trauma.

Remind your child to hydrate. Water is the best way to rehydrate (sports drinks should be used only if activity lasts more than an hour). In general, a brief break for rehydration every 15–20 minutes will meet your child’s hydration needs during competition. 

Avoid overuse and burnout. Encourage kids to try different sports or participate in a different school activity. This will allow them to develop new skills and avoid overusing the same joints and muscles to help them prevent injury.

If an injury occurs, don’t keep playing. One of two things usually occurs: The child worsens their existing injury, or because they are favoring their injury, they injure a different part of their body. Remember that stretching before and after exercise increases the flexibility of joints and muscles. This added flexibility helps prevent common injuries like muscle strains or sprains.

Consider cutting activities. If you feel your child is too overwhelmed with extracurricular activities, re-evaluate what is the right amount for your child. 

Check out the St. Louis Children’s Young Athlete Center. Classes in injury prevention and educational programs — including strength training, throwing and running exercises — can help improve the overall health of young athletes. Teams of 15 or more can sign up here.

Need help finding a pediatrician? Use our search tool to find a provider that’s right for your family.