Dr. Dylan’s back to school health checklist

It’s not just the supplies you need to head back to school, Dr. Dylan Wyatt shares his health checklist.

1. Immunizations: It’s important now to review your child’s immunization history with your doctor. Immunizations keep your kids as well as their classmates safe from preventable illnesses. They can tell you what vaccinations your child needs for the coming school year. 
2. Sports Physicals: Think ahead to the coming year – if your child will be participating in sports, getting a sports physical, or having the physical part of your appointment, is very important for their ability to compete safely. Talk with your child before the appointment about any issues they have while playing outside/exercising this summer – this might be the first sign of an issue that their doctor can address. Schedule early as for many offices these appointments fill up fast
3. Reset the Routine: Kids don’t do well with quick changes in schedules. Start them off early (up to a week beforehand) with moving their summer bedtime and routine back towards their school year routine. They may push back, but they will thank you when it comes time to get up early for school. Remember to work on resetting their bedtime and their wakeup time. Plan some meals together – breakfast is easier when you prepare parts of it the night before. Try pre-making breakfast burritos, overnight oats, etc – but get the kids involved in choosing. They’ll be more likely to not skip breakfast if they’re involved.
4. Wash your Hands: One of the most important steps we can take to protect the health of our children and our community as a whole is to wash our hands. When we talk about the importance of washing our hands, we are trying to target certain germs that are transmitted from person to person – breaking the chain of transmission to keep more people safe.

Here’s Dr. Dylan’s hand washing instructions.