Being a parent to a child who’s in school can bring up a lot of questions about health. After all, putting a bunch of kids together in the same building practically guarantees that germs will be passed around. If you want to make a positive impact on the health of all the kids at school, here are some strategies you may want to consider.
Train Your Child to Keep Their Hands Clean
Washing and using hand sanitizer are great, but they won’t do much good if your child is coughing or sneezing into their hands or constantly touching their face. Teach your child to cough and sneeze into their elbow, sleeve or a handkerchief. Train them to only touch their face with clean hands, as germs are easily passed into the nose, mouth, and eyes with careless handling. You can also teach your child to open push-doors with their shoulder or elbow to avoid germy handles altogether. While these ideas may seem overly cautious, these simple strategies can save you and your child months of never-ending sniffles and lingering coughs.
Get Involved with the School
Parents have every right to get involved with what is going on at their child’s school. From parent teacher conferences to PTO meetings, parents can make their voices heard by serving as an advocate for their child’s education. Parents can also get involved with the school board and any political activity happening in their local community. As a parent, you can share your opinions on just about any issues whether it be taxes, school fees, holidays, or school lunches.
Have Alternative Childcare Available
If your child is sick, do not send them to school until they have recovered. If it isn’t possible for you or your partner to take a day off from work, always have primary and secondary alternative childcare in place. For example, you may want to join a parents group in the area to find a stay-at-home parent who wouldn’t mind watching your sick child during the week in exchange for you watching her child on a weekend. If you have older relatives, such as a grandparent or great-aunt nearby, ask if they would be willing to be backup childcare. This will avoid the spread of germs in school and will allow your child to recuperate faster.
Encourage Appropriate Activity
Some children do not do well in gym class simply because it can be loud, chaotic and disorienting. If your child is struggling with participating appropriately, talk to their physical education teacher to develop a strategy that works. If you have a child who’s involved in sports, speak to the athletic director if you have any concerns.
Raising healthy children is a tall order. By keeping these tips in mind, you can make a positive impact on the general health in your child’s school.
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Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her 3-year-old husky Snowball. Lizzie suggests you visit here for more info if you are thinking about getting involved with school athletics.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.