Loyola Pediatrician Offers Back-to-School Advice

Hannah Chow, MD, is a pediatrician and medical director of the Loyola Center for Health at North Riverside

It's hard to believe summer is over and kids are going back to school. Parents have completed back-to-school shopping and are fine-tuning after-school activities and schedules for the upcoming year.

Going back to school signifies major changes after a long summer, so I’d like to offer a few tips to ease your child back into the school groove.

Gradually shift everyone’s sleep schedules. Start getting your children up earlier every day, so that waking up on that first day of school isn’t such a shock. Make sure that your teenager still gets between 8-9 hours of sleep nightly. Middle school children still need about 10-11 hours of sleep and elementary kids will need between 10-12 hours of sleep.

Make sure your school and sports physical forms are complete if your child is entering preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.

Additionally, all seniors must have a second meningitis vaccine before their graduation. Don’t wait until the last minute, as schools will not allow students to return to school without the forms.

Lay out expectations regarding video time during the school year. On weekdays, I suggest one hour maximum beyond what is needed for schoolwork. For more control over devices, I’ve seen phone cages that will lock up devices and only open when the timer goes off. Another suggestion is a device called the Circle, which controls bedtime, total amount of screen time and allows for parental content controls.

Remember to get the flu vaccine this year. Flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations for pneumonia, dehydration and reduces the incidence of ear and sinus infections. This year, no intranasal flu vaccines will be given, as the past two years the flu mist was not as effective against the flu.

Finally, remind your child that this is a new year, their brains are more mature and they can have a fresh start. I’ve seen children have markedly better years academically and socially, so if your child has any trepidations, remind him or her that this year can be different.