Back to School: How to keep your child healthy this school year

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — With children returning to school, one concern is keeping their children healthy and avoiding them getting sick.

When school starts, there is an uptick in children getting sick because of their exposure to germs.

Experts say the leading viral illness that children come in contact with is diarrhea.

Dr. Steven Khotz, a Family Medicine Physician, explained that there are a few ways parents can try to prevent sickness.

“Making sure to wash your hands before you eat,” Dr. Khotz said. “Definitely wash your hands. Try not to put things in your mouth or put your hands in your mouth.”

When kids get back on track with the school schedule, they can easily get stressed trying to meet new teachers’ expectations.

Doctor Kohtz recommended starting with the basics, including a good sleep schedule.

“Model good sleep habits as a parent to implement a media curfew. So specifically, you might choose nine or 10:00 p.m. where the child’s phone is in another room while they sleep.”

Dimming the lights a few minutes before bedtime can also help improve sleep. Eating a healthy breakfast also has many advantages, not only in terms of health but also in general.

“Improved memory attendance rates, mood, even test scores. So just making sure they get a good, healthy breakfast before they get to school.”

A balanced, healthy diet helps keep the immune system high to fight any colds or the flu that can spread.

“So the more fruits and vegetables you eat in your diet, the better off you’re going to be,” Dr. Kohtz said.

An excellent way to measure whether children eat enough vegetables and fruit is to fill at least half their plate with them.

Parents need to know when to avoid taking their children to school to prevent illnesses from spreading.

“A lot of doctor’s offices have nurse triage lines so that if a parent is concerned about whether they’re child would be safe going to school. Please call your trusted primary care provider,” Dr. Kohtz recommended.

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