Back To School Health Tips
Listen to Suman Adhikari, MD on our podcast Memorial Health Radio in the new episode titled Dr. Adhikari will discuss back to school for health tips for children and families as well as tips on helping parents getting their kids to get more sleep. He is also a newer physician with our health system, so this will be a great way to introduce him even more..
Transcription
Melanie Cole (Host): After a long summer break, it’s time for the kids to head back to school and focus on classes, sports, and other afterschool activities. As you get adjusted to the first month of school, it’s a good idea to take a couple of precautionary measures to set them up for a safe, and healthy year. Here to discuss the best back-to-school health tips for your little ones, is Dr. Suman Adhikari. He’s a Pediatrician with Memorial Health System. Welcome to the show, Dr. Adhikari. What’re the best ways to get our kids ready to get back into that school schedule? Most of them have started already, but they’re still not quite out of that summer schedule – going to bed late, skipping a meal here and there – what’s your best advice?
Dr. Suman Adhikari (Guest): We all want what is best for our children, so we all are looking for what to do, and I think the most important thing is safety. Safety is the most important thing that we need in our kids. First of all, safety traveling to and from school, that is one of the most important things. When we are traveling, there are different means of transportation that are usually used. First is the school bus, so whenever our kids are using the school bus, we make sure that the locations that they get on and get off is safe and has a safe access. Always remind our kids to wait for the bus to stop and make sure they are standing at a location where they can easily see the driver. The sense of that is the driver will be able to see the kids, and that would prevent a lot of accidents and other things that might happen. We do not want that.
The other thing is always to remind them to look both ways when they are crossing the street and never move around when they are on the bus, and use a lap or shoulder belt. That is one of the important things. The other thing is that in the school bus what we can think of is if some of the kids have some chronic conditions, some allergies or anything, it would be a good idea to discuss with the school nurse or another health professional at the school to have an emergency plan for the kids if possible, whenever we get a chance to talk to the parents and the healthcare provider at that school.
Melanie: So firstly, if the parents go on those first few days to the bus to see how it’s all set up, and that’s a good idea to give them that overview to see what it looks like. Now, what about meals and nutrition? Starting off the school day with breakfast – a lot of kids get up late and race out the door without eating. What do you tell parents is so important about that?
Dr. Adhikari: I guess we all have been fearing that – for everyone, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I guess we heard that from our parents and then we have been telling that to our kids, and even studies have shown that children who eat a nutritious breakfast, they function better during the day. They do better in school, they have better concentration, better energy, and even academic achievement and everything is really good. I think it’s really important for us and families to realize that we need to find the time so that our children can eat. A lot of schools I believe would provide some form of breakfast at school, but if that’s not the case make sure that your child eats before the child leaves for school – and nutritious breakfast.
Melanie: One of the most important things, I feel, is kids and sleep. And today, even some schools are talking about starting later so that the kids get a little more of that morning sleep, but what about getting your kids to bed early, Doctor. It’s really – in the summer, these kids can stay up on their electronic devices for hours and hours. What do we do to get them back into the school schedule and try to get them back to bed earlier?
Dr. Adhikari: I guess that is the problem with all of us right now, not getting enough sleep. It is important that our kids get enough sleep for the child to be successful in school, okay? The thing that we can think is set a consistent bedtime routine for your child and stick it with every night. I sometimes know during the weekends we try to do it here and there, but if possible, try to stick to the same schedule every night.
The other thing is – what we can do is do some pre-bedtime calming routine example a bath or a shower, reading with them, tucking them in bed, and saying, “Goodnight,” every night. It’s just to remind the child that it is a time to sleep. All of the electronic devices, make sure that your child’s electronic devices are turned off well before bedtime. Electronics and everything, it causes all of those neurons that would be hyperactive, and it becomes really difficult for the child to fall asleep. Try to do that at least a few hours in advance.
Other things that we can try is – especially when you have younger children, try to make the environment as quiet and as calm as possible. Usually younger infants and kids they require about 10 to 12 hours of sleep, and for adolescents, 13 to 18, usually about 8 hours of sleep a night to have a better performance. Try to do that whenever possible, and then stick with the routine and bedtime every night.
Melanie: Dr. Adhikari, what would you like to tell parents about vaccinations and the importance of making sure that their children are vaccinated before they start school?
Dr. Adhikari: Proper vaccinations, it is really important that every child gets all the vaccinations they need during that age. Especially four to five, before they start kindergarten is one important time, and the other is when they are eleven-years-old, they will get all of their tetanus boosters and the meningitis vaccination. And this is the time of the flu vaccine, so we have the flu vaccine that is coming in, and it is really important that we get our kids vaccinated for the flu vaccine. That would prevent influenza, and it would save a lot of missed school days due to the sickness and illness.
Melanie: So besides vaccines, and nutrition, and making sure that they take healthy foods to school and eat a good breakfast and get a good nights’ sleep, then there’s stress. Some of our kids especially the teenagers, they have a lot of homework, they’re involved in afterschool activities – maybe sports or theater – then they feel pressured because their time is so limited to get their homework done – and it’s one of the reasons they stay awake late at night. What do you want parents to know about the stress that teens go through with all of the things going on today? How can parents help those teens with that stress?
Dr. Adhikari: Yes, I agree with you. There is a lot of stress for the – especially the teenager and adolescents with all of the school activities and adding to that, the study and the homework. One of the things we can try is to make the environment that is conducive. That’s a consistent workspace, either in the bedroom or another part of the home that is quiet, without distractions and it promotes studying right. And try to find out ample of time for homework and other activities. Try to limit TV and other electronic distractions during homework time. A lot of adolescents these days, they will have to do homework using the computer and laptop. If they are using that, make sure the parents supervise the computer and internet use. A lot of times we might think that child might be doing something, but they might be busy using social networking and other things, so as a parent, it would be important to supervise the use of time and the resources by the child.
Melanie: You bring up a very good point, Doctor, in that nowadays, screen time – which used to be just television – is really something else altogether, and they have to use their computers and screen time for homework so much. Monitoring that screen time, keeping an eye on them, is that – are the kids going to object to that? How do you work your way in and say “So, I just wanted to see what you’re doing online.” Well, if they’re doing their homework, they’re going to roll their eyes at you. What do you tell parents about the best ways to keep that monitor going and watch what your kids are doing without seeming like you’re a helicopter parent?
Dr. Adhikari: [LAUGHING] I guess you will have to find out a way. A lot of online systems provide apps or other things that would monitor the users of any website or any internet by the device. Another thing is, yes, you will have to walk up there and look at the screen and see what they’re doing. I know it’s annoying, but sometimes you will have to do that as a parent. One of my professors used to say that if your child is completely happy with you, you’re doing it completely wrong. Once in a while, they will be mad at you, and yes, you are the parent, and you have to do the right thing.
Melanie: Wrap it up for us, Dr. Adhikari, with your best advice about children, and school, and safety, and dealing with the school should the child have allergies, and nutrition. I mean, there’s so much that goes into getting your children ready to get back into that school of thought. Give us your best advice.
Dr. Adhikari: My best advice? Every child would do best when they have a specific routine. A specific routine for everything – a specific routine for eating, a specific routine for doing homework, a specific routine for sleep, and a specific routine going to school and coming back from school. I know it’s really difficult to maintain that, but studies have shown that all of the kids that have a specific routine tend to do much better academically, psychologically, physically. We need to stick to a specific routine for everything.
Melanie: Dr. Adhikari, what brought you to Memorial Health System? What had you been doing before, and what do you like about working there?
Dr. Adhikari: I was up in the Bronx in New York City before I came here. When I came here, I would say, it just felt like home. When I was coming in, the whole process and everything was so welcoming, and then it just felt like home. The people were amazing, amazing – it’s not even enough if I say amazing. The people are actually wonderful. Everything – the hospitality, the mentality, and everything is really good, so I just fell in love with the place.
Melanie: Thank you so much, Doctor, for being with us today. You’re listening to Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System. For more information, please visit MHSystem.org, that’s MHSystem.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
