As kids return to school, teachers and parents everywhere are bracing themselves for the inevitable: cold, flu, and COVID season. This time of year brings an endless amount of “pleasantries” like loads of sneezing, coughing, and germ-spreading. As a parent, you’ll do anything to keep your child from engaging in this kind of sharing.
We’ve put together a list of things to pack for your child to prevent or decrease illness during the back to school season.
A Cleanable Backpack
One of the ways you can prevent your child from bringing home germs is by using a backpack made of vinyl, leather, or any other material that you will be able to wipe down, throw in the washing machine, or disinfect. Backpacks made of cloth don’t wipe down as easily, making it easier for those germs to burrow within the depths of your child’s backpack.
Sanitizer and Wipes
Alcohol-based disinfectants are an easy and effective way to reduce the likelihood of your child picking up germs when coming in contact with other children and their belongings. You can’t prevent kids from being around each other, touching each other, and playing with the same toys, but you can show your child how they can form useful habits like using hand sanitizer or how they can help prevent the spread of germs by sanitizing shared toys and door knobs.
Healthy Food
Foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients will help the body naturally build its immune system. Pack fruits that are rich in Vitamin C, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables such as leafy greens with high nutrient content. Citrus fruits full of Vitamin C and blueberries that are rich in antioxidants, will help your child build up the natural arsenal they need to fight off germs. Find some recipes your child will enjoy putting together and having at school that are rich in vitamins and taste good.
COVID Tests
If your child does end up catching a bug, it's hard to know which one it is based on symptoms alone. Stock up on COVID tests so you can get a quick "yes" or "no" when it comes to this fairly new virus. It's best practice to stay home if you're sick anyway, but COVID is a definite ticket straight to the couch.
Thermometer
Teaching your child to recognize the symptoms of cold, flu, and COVID and how to use a thermometer at school or away from home will help them know when to alert someone that they may be ill. Sending your kids to school with a Kinsa Smart Thermometer will empower them to track their history, how they are feeling, and what steps they should take. Taking time to explore the Kinsa Smart Thermometer with your child will help you create an agreed upon plan to manage their health through illness season.
As a parent, we know that germs coming into our household is inevitable once kids go back to school, but we can educate our kids and empower them with some sickness-fighting tools to take control of their own health and the health of their schoolmates during illness season.
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