Back to school: Six tips for keeping your child 'school healthy'

WITH children back at school for over a week, the chances are that many parents are already dealing with new-term bugs and sniffles, writes Sharon Ní Chonchúir.

TO help here are six simple steps that should help keep those common classroom health issues at bay.

1. Check for head lice

According to the Irish Pharmacy Union, one in ten schoolchildren has head lice at any one time, with 80% of infestations occurring in children between the ages of four and 16. Parents must be vigilant and check their children’s hair on a regular basis.

You’ll need a fine-toothed comb to part the hair and a bright light to help you see their scalp. If your child has lice, you’ll notice small sesame seed-sized insects moving around or lice egg cases – nits – attached to individual hairs.

Treat the lice as quickly as possible and let other parents at the school know that there has been an outbreak.

Don’t even consider keeping it a secret as it’s quite likely your child will catch lice again if you do.

2. Rethink those packed lunches

Early mornings can be so chaotic that parents can sometimes find themselves reaching for sugary drinks, crisps or chocolate to pad out their children’s packed lunches. If you’ve fallen into this habit, now is the time to do something about it.

Swap sweets for dried fruit. Include a serving of crunchy vegetables.

Use wholemeal bread for sandwiches and instead of sugary drinks, experiment with fruit-infused water.

3. Get into the habit of washing those hands

Flu viruses can survive for up to 24 hours on hard surfaces.

One of the most effective ways of ensuring that your family doesn’t pick up those germs is for everyone to practice good hand hygiene.

Teach kids to wash their hands with warm soapy water after going to the loo and tell them to sing the happy birthday song to themselves as they do so.

4. Book in for an eye test

Your child will struggle at school if they can’t read the blackboard. Because a child’s eyesight continues to develop until the age of seven or eight, it’s good to get into the habit of getting their eyes checked every September. Your optician will let you know if you need to visit more often.

5. Vaccinate

Ask your GP if your child is up to date on all of their jabs. You’ll be protecting them as well as their classmates by doing so.

6. Bolster their immunity

The best way of warding off coughs and colds is by having a strong immune system. Give your kid’s immune system a helping hand by making sure they eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day as part of an overall balanced diet and get a minimum of eight hours sleep a night.

It’s also a good idea to keep stress levels down by providing a calm environment for homework and plenty of time to relax afterwards.

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