Back‑to‑school health tips for kids, parents
School starts today for Taos Municipal Schools. Kids spend six to eight hours a day at school and eat about half their calories there, so staying healthy at school is crucial to overall well-being.
There are steps that kids and parents can take at home to help ensure that students are as healthy and ready to learn as possible. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and staying physically active are among the most important things that kids can do. Studies show that health is linked to academic performance, so helping kids stay healthy at home and school gives them the best chance to be successful.
Some local experts gave their top tips for the school year.
Top five back-to-school health tips from Amy Espinoza, medical assistant at Holy Cross Primary Care and Pediatrics:
• Get your back-to-school vaccinations and an annual flu shot.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. She recommends a brainboosting breakfast to include fruit, peanut or almond butter on full-grain breads; low-sugar cereals; oatmeal and items easy to grab on the way out the door like yogurt and trail mix. “A healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you a good start and helps maintain a steady level of energy,” said Espinoza.
• Get enough sleep. Kids ages 6-13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep; high school students 14-18 years old need at least 8-10 hours.
• Manage stress properly. This is especially important for high school students who may be juggling school and grades with sports and friends. Keeping all the demands in balance is important to health.
• Good hand-washing. When kids are all back together at school, it is easy to spread germs. Practice good hand-washing techniques with soap – washing long enough to kill germs. Get your kids a good hand sanitizer and teach them to use it often.
Age-appropriate health tips from Dr. Sylvia Villarreal, M.D. and owner of Taos Clinic for Children and Youth:
Dr. Sylvia Villarreal, or “Dr. V” as she is known to her patients, works with kids and their families as they get ready to go back to school. She says that she encourages the whole family to be active and find fun ways to play and move.
For preschoolers: “Exercise is not work for preschoolers – it is play,” says Dr. Villarreal. Take kids outside to play on the playground at Twirl and at other parks. Start them learning how to ride bikes with training wheels and helmets. Take them out hiking with you in our gorgeous mountains.”
For elementary school students: Sports are important and in every season, there is something fun to do outside. In the winter, there is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and walking outside. Swimming at the warm pool at the Taos Youth and Family Center can be a great choice when it is cold outside. Get everyone moving, including Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa.
For middle and high schoolers: Chose safe sports like soccer, softball and baseball. There are nice track facilities in Taos and the surrounding communities so the whole family can get out for a walk after supper. Cheerleading, dance and mariachi band can be good ways to get exercise, too.
“Take your kids out in the mountains when you are fishing and hunting and teach them good safety techniques,” says Dr. Villarreal. “Families that are working in agriculture – tending the garden, baling hay and feeding horses – are living a healthy, active lifestyle. The key is to get kids and the whole family outside and away from the electronics. We all need to be outside in the sunlight getting exercise and keeping this machine we call the body moving. Also ask your health insurance company how they can help support your efforts to stay active and healthy.”
Advice from Taos Municipal Schools’ Lynn Brashar, director of exceptional programs and nursing staff:
• Limit sugary drinks and eat a healthy breakfast. The school offers both breakfast and lunch to all students.
• Be active. Children require at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
• Limit screen time. Children and adolescents should limit their screen time to less than two hours a day. Children under five should limit screen time to one hour per day. The term “screen,” includes computers, TV, iPads, video games, phone, etc. It is important to turn off all screens at least 30 minutes before it is time for bed.
• Create a daily routine, especially in the evening; include a time and place for homework, dinnertime and bedtime.
Sources/Resources:
To find out more and review Taos Municipal Schools health policies, including those on immunizations, visit taosschools. org and look for health services under the administration tab.
For tips on student health and how parents can support their kids, visit cdc.gov and search for “back-to-school health” and “parents for healthy schools.”