Your summer break is almost over and it's that time again, back to school. Let’s discuss some important things to think about during this time.
If you haven’t already its good to make sure your child has had their yearly well check. There are so many important things that your pediatrician will go over at these visits. We discuss growth and nutrition; making sure your child is growing as expected. We will be assessing mental health as well and if needed make recommendations if there are concerns. We also complete a lot of pre-participation physicals, making sure your child is safe to be participating in sports. We screen to rule out there is no family history of cardiac disease that your child would need to be screened for prior to participation. Checking the spine is very important especially around the age of 8 years and yearly thereafter, scoliosis can progress rapidly during periods of fast growth and early detection can prevent surgery in some cases. We go over all the safety stuff to make sure your child is well protected. Things I personally discuss at visits consist of: fire plan, what to do if lost in store, car seats, bike safety, safe internet use, screen time recommendations, safe touch vs unsafe touch and self-esteem just to name a few. Health care providers will be reviewing vaccine history. With the new approval for covid vaccines for 6 months and older we can discuss obtaining the covid vaccine. Get prescriptions refilled and have them ready to send to school along with the proper documentation the school may need.
A few weeks prior to the beginning of school start gravitating back to the normal school routines. This is especially important for bedtimes. Back to school clothes shopping can be exciting and is the perfect time for buying school supplies from the class list. Schedule hair cuts and start planning for school lunches. Make sure to look over the school calendar and record the important dates so you are prepared. Go over any summertime assignments so your child feels prepared for the coming school year. Consider starting new traditions to create quality time with your child. You can create time for reading books, playing a game, cuddle on the couch watching your favorite show together. This should be time that your child has your undivided attention. As little as 15 minutes of your undivided time that you are devoting to you and your child’s relationship can really help children to feel connected.
