After a summer of enjoying sunshine and the great outdoors, I know many of you cringe at the thought of your children returning to school and being exposed to all those germs. My good friend, Candy, shared on Facebook last night that one week into school her son is already home sick with the crud. I can totally relate. My son always get sick during the first few weeks of a new school year.
While exposure to germs at school is inevitable, there are some things you can do to better your child’s chances of having a healthy school year. This post is sponsored by CVS/pharmacy as part of a Find Your Healthy campaign. All thoughts are my own.
Get a back-to-school checkup. The start of a new school year is the perfect time to get a thorough physical, get up-to-date on immunizations and talk to your doctor about good health habits. Visiting the Minute Clinic at CVS/pharmacy is a convenient way to get your back-to-school checkup.
Get plenty of rest. My doctor always stresses how sleep is an important factor in good health. Did you know that it is recommended that children and teens get between 9 and 11 hours of sleep per night? It can be tricky getting your child’s sleep pattern to mesh with his new school schedule. It’s a good idea to start a school bedtime routine a week or two before the first day of school.
Promote a calm environment. It’s easy to get stressed out during the busy back-to-school season. Our children can sense when we are stressed out. That stress isn’t good for you or your child. Taking time for yourself will help you stay calm and relaxed during the busy school year.
Before things get too hectic, spend some time getting organized for the new school year. Use something like this Caliber Dry Erase Calendar, available at CVS, to keep track of assignments, appointments and after school activities.
Also, it’s important to give children plenty of down time and time for creative play and rest.
Consume a healthy diet. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is important. Abound Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats are a great heart healthy breakfast option. Adding a bit of protein will provide your child with energy throughout the day.
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrients to boost your child’s health. Having them throughout the day will help the body to use those nutrients to function at its best. Kids can be finicky when it comes to fruits and vegetables so providing a fun fruit-filled afternoon snack is a good idea.
It’s hard to avoid the occasional sweet treat, so I recommend Gold Emblem Gummy Bears and Fruit Cubes which are free from artificial flavors, artificial colors, gluten, gelatin, fat and GMOs. They are quite delicious too!
Make good hygiene a way of life. Keeping a clean home and always practicing good hygiene as a family is the best way to teach children to have good hygiene at school. Washing their hands with soap is a very good start. Always do it before having meals, after using the bathroom, after playing, and after handling pets.
Remind kids to wash their hands at school, and send along some hand sanitizer for your child to use after touching communal tools, such as scissor. Also, encourage your child to cover their mouths when they cough so they don’t contribute to germ spreading.
Keep your home clean and free of germs with Total Home™ products from CVS. Total Home features high-performing household cleaners, paper goods, light bulbs and more for up to 20% less than national brands.
While you’re stocking up on paper goods and cleaning products, don’t forget that CVS also has a great selection of Caliber brand back-to-school supplies.
CVS/pharmacy has what you need for a healthy start to the school year. Follow the #FindYourHealthy hashtag for more tips and ideas for staying healthy.
Please leave a comment below and share your tips for a healthy school year.
Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy for the #FindYourHealthy campaign. I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.
It’s giveaway time!
One About a Mom reader will win an awesome back-to-school prize package from CVS which includes a Caliber Dry Erase Calendar and school supplies. The winner will also get Abound Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats, Gold Emblem Gummy Bears and Fruit Cubes, and Total Home Paper Towels. You deserve it! Giveaway is open to US readers and ends on August 28, 2015 at 11:59pm EST.
I always start this stuff, and never keep to it! I lack motivation to keep getting up early to eat breakfast, or lay out my clothes, or anything like that.
These are great tips. We’ve eaten steel cut oats for years. They’re extra delicious with fruit!
Plenty of rest and healthy food is a great combination for anyone, but especially for kids in school. It can be tough!
definitely get lots of rest! That is so important! Sometimes when my kids don’t get a lot of rest, they just cannot function.
My tip is to bring veggies and fruits for lunch every day
Getting plenty of rest and eating a good breakfast are two things that i think help to have a healthy school year. thanks for the chance
A healthy school year requires lots of healthy food, sufficient rest, exercise, and the ability to think critically when faced with opportunities for risk-taking!
I love that you added a little bit of everything to this post because that is what true overall health is to me – balance! We are looking forward to a successful school year.
Eating a balanced diet is really important. You are much less likely to get sick.
I always have my son wash his hands as soon as he walks in the door from school and he takes a daily vitamin.
Eating the right foods and getting enough sleep is so important! It makes a huge difference.
I plan to be reminding my Grand-daughter to wash her hands often.
I think a well child check is a big one for me. Taking their vitamins, eating healthy and getting enough sleep are others.
Getting plenty of rest, exercise ,healthy meals and a good a
attitude.
A good breakfast and good nights sleep is needed. Healthy choices make a nice school year.
A good schedule… an early bedtime and a good breakfast to start the day helps keep my kids healthy starting the school year.
Lots of fresh fruits, hand washing and sleep!
Great post! As a teacher and mom, I believe in having a schedule so that your body can rest. Eating right is also very important!
My tip for a healthy school year is to plan ahead for weeknight meals. This way you’re not tempted to make choices with fast food.
This is such an awesome giveaway and I love the healthy snack foods from Gold Emblem
My tip is to make sure everyone gets enough sleep to try to stay healthy
Some great tips and we will need all the help we can get as our school starts almost 2 hours earlier than the school we previously went to. Will be an adjustment for all of us.
Eating well, and getting a good proper amount of sleep always ensures my kiddos stay healthy and get sick way less than any other kids I know!
We try to stick to a consistent routine, drink lots of water and fit in some exercise to help have a healthy school year!
Have easy to eat cut up fruit and veggies in the fridge for snacks.
Getting plenty of sleep at night is so important and to be on an organized schedule is also helpful, thanks!
A nutritious breakfast is the perfect way to start each day. Steel cut oats are a great choice.
The germs are my least favorite part of going back to school. If they start with great foods, I feel like I’m giving them a fighting chance.
Drink a lot of water and waking 30 minutes everyday!
Thank You
Great tips! I don’t have children so I’m not going to enter the giveaway, but thanks for offering a great giveaway with the tips! 🙂
Don’t underestimate how important a schedule is! Kids need that structure in order to stay on track!
Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water and eat a healthy diet.
getting ready for the school year is important. Being organized makes the days run much more smooth
My tips are make sure your kids have clean hands, eat well, sleep well, and get a lot of exercise. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
We start by eating a good breakfast everyday, as well as keeping hand santizer with us. Organize as much as possible the night before school, and pre-plan as much as possible so that mornings are not so hectic.
Pack your kids a healthy lunch everyday! Do not get fast food or put candy or juice!
I agree that everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax a bit so they aren’t so stressed. It only makes this worse during the B2S season.
My tips for a healthy school year is to eat lots of good healthy foods and get plenty of sleep.
These are some great tips! And those Gold Emblem Gummy Bears and Fruit Cubes look so delicious! I know my daughter would eat those up.
I think a basic health tip is to not overdo. Don’t run yourself ragged so that your body can’t protect itself from the basics.
Wash your hands and get enough sleep.
Thanks for all the great tips. We try our best to stay healthy throughout the school year especially when it is so easy to get sick from all the other kids.
Well packed, balanced lunch. Healthy snacks. Bottled water.
My Tips For A Healthy School Year Is To Take A Daily Vitamin, Wash Hands Often, Eat Healthy And Stay Active.
Rest, healthy and balanced diet, fresh air, and a yearly flu shot!
My tips are getting plenty of rest and sleep. Also visit the doctor for a yearly checkup in the summer.
My best tip for a healthy school year is to make time for a good, balanced breakfast;.
Take the kids out to exercise everyday, bring healthy fruits and veggies and lots of water! Don’t forget to always apply SPF!
My best tip for a healthy school year is to always have plenty of sleep, taking walks for 30 min., drinking lots of water, and always have a balanced & nutritious diet. & always have a good positive attitude every morning!
I make sure that my kids eat a lot of healthy foods, wash their hands, and I also give them daily probiotics.
My tips are: Drink lots of water, get sufficient sleep, eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and wash your hands frequently.
Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, wash your hands frequently and eat healthy to stay well this school year.
my tip is to wash your hands alot
Excited to find out the winner, thanks for the chance! 🙂