The 2021-2022 School Year
While some schools brought students and employees back to campus in either hybrid or fully open operations this past school year, many have remained virtual. For the 2021-2022 school year, though, a majority are hoping to return to 100% in-person learning. We know how many parents and children alike have been anxiously awaiting a more normal school year, so this is exciting news! To help ensure your child has a healthy and safe school year, we have compiled a list of tips below.
Health Tips
- Teach Proper Hand Washing: Cold and flu germs remain infectious for several hours on surfaces and many people touch surfaces after sneezing, coughing, or rubbing their nose. In addition, it is important to remember that the COVID-19 threat is not completely over. That it is why it is so important to make sure your children know to always wash their hands with soap after using the bathroom, before touching their face, before they eat, and after they sneeze or cough. While most learned this during the pandemic, it can be easy to forget during the excitement of returning to school. This year, try adding hand sanitizer to your child’s backpack and lunch box to make sure their hands are clean throughout the day and before eating.
- Prep Your Home: There are many steps you can take within your home to keep everyone in the household illness-free.
- Routinely sanitize your home with wipes or cleaners. The Benefits Guide recommends focusing on door handles, phones, and kitchen surfaces, including the appliances and cabinets.
- Place sanitizing solutions near main doors to encourage sanitizing hands before using the handle on their way out and before touching anything else in the home one their way in.
- Consider a home air cleaner to remove dust and debris from the air, which can spread mold, mildew and germs.
- Keep entryways organized so items brought into the home are placed in the same spot every day, such as backpacks, shoes, gloves, and hats.
- Avoid Spreading Germs: Make sure your children remember to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. We know how excited everyone is to attend classes agin, however, schools are stressing the importance of staying home when your child does not feel well.
- Encourage Healthy Habits: In addition to the tips above, it is crucial to help your child adopt healthy habits that will improve their immune system and overall well-being. Cooking healthy dinners, sending them to school with healthy lunches and snacks, encouraging them to be active, limited screen time and helping them nurture their mental health are all important steps to a healthy and safe school year.
Children will be entering new grades and schools, and many will be returning for the first time since transitioning to virtual learning. There is no doubt they will be exposed to germs they haven’t built up immunity to yet and preventing an illness isn’t always possible, but these tips will definitely help. For more information, visit the CDC!
