Your Back-to-School Health and Wellness Guide

How to Get Your Kids' Health Ready for School

It’s back-to-school season, and that means last-minute homework, panic-packing lunches and the morning rush to the bus are all about to start again. But with these last few weeks of summer, there’s still a lot you can do to get your kids’ health in check and start the school year on the right foot.

Establish a Good Morning Routine

The jump back into early mornings and long days can be a jolt, but getting your kids into a good morning routine before school starts can ground them in a set of predictable habits, balancing the stress of the school day and putting them in a position to succeed.

Make sure they’re fueling properly with a well-balanced breakfast consisting of protein (eggs or yogurt), fresh fruit (bananas or oranges) and whole grains (oatmeal or whole-wheat toast). Starting the day with a nutrient-packed meal gives young brains the energy needed to power through sports, school and extracurriculars, while also reinforcing long-term healthy habits.

Helping your kids prepare the night before (by setting aside clothes, packing lunches or getting homework ready) introduces stability into their morning routines, reducing task overload and helping them start the day with fresh, focused minds.

Make Sure They’re Getting Enough Sleep

Long nights, sleepovers and late starts to the day – summer vacation can upend your kids’ sleep schedule.

But young brains are still developing, so getting enough sleep now helps ensure they grow into adults who can regulate their emotions, form healthy relationships and engage in complex cognitive activity.

In the two weeks before school starts, try the following:

• Stick to a sleep timeline: Our brains like routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (even on weekends!) can help prepare your kids for a restful night of sleep.
• Cut screen time before bed: Electronic devices emit blue light, which can make us more alert. The last hour before bed, replace screens with calming activities like reading or journaling.
• Create a sleep-friendly morning routine: Right when your kids get out of bed, make sure they’re exposed to direct sunlight. Also try gentle exercise or stretching to get their bodies energized.

Remember, depending on their age, kids tend to need more sleep than adults (between nine and 13 hours of sleep per night). So, factor that in when creating a back-to-school sleep routine, which might mean resisting the urge to overpack schedules (and being patient when they sleep in on weekends!)

Schedule Their Yearly Checkups

Massachusetts requires students are up to date on their vaccines before school starts, making the summer months a great time to schedule an appointment with your kids’ primary care provider.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, all K-12 students must have the following vaccines:

• DTaP/Tdap
• Polio
• MMR
• Hepatitis B
• Varicella

It’s important to know that if you have college-aged kids starting (or going back to) university, these guidelines will still apply. Depending on their age, they may also need to get the meningococcal vaccine.

Kids who play sports will also need to have a recent physical on file to ensure on-the-field health and safety, so consider using the vacation free time to get their annual check-up done as well.