Getting the kids ready to go back to school this year might not be as easy as boosting their confidence and buying a new backpack. School districts throughout the country are implementing new medical requirements, including a variety of immunizations and checkups, which are necessary in order for children to attend school this fall. While many schools offer free vaccinations and physical tests (including hearing and vision), here are a few ways to make sure your child is able to go back to school healthy and well-prepared!
- Prepare your child’s immunization record. This simply means that you should keep track of what vaccinations your child has and has not received. Keeping an immunization record allows your child’s records to be readily available to you and the school’s medical officials in case of any emergency, as well as making sure your child has all the proper vaccinations for his or her age. Because the list of required vaccinations and immunizations is always changing, check with the American Academy of Pediatrics or consult the district’s nurse if you have any questions as to what shots are appropriate and necessary.
- Schedule a vision checkup. While many parents would like to think their child would tell them of any problems they might have with their vision, many young children either aren’t aware of, or don’t report, vision trouble. Children who are able to see well perform better in school, so it is important to take the necessary steps in your child’s eye-care. Many schools perform vision tests, taking your child to an optometrist is probably your best bet for detecting any irregularities and correcting them before they become a larger problem.
- Keep an up-to-date contact list. If your child has an emergency, it’s extremely important that the school has an accurate, up-to-date emergency contact list. Contacts and their phone numbers should be prioritized, and it doesn’t hurt to give a few contacts in case you aren’t available. Many schools require the contact information for your child’s doctor and dentist in case immediate transportation is necessary. It really doesn’t hurt to leave as much information as possible, and it’s better to be over-prepared than it is to leave the school looking for more information if anything should go wrong.
- Make your child’s allergies and medications known. If your child has to take medication for any reason, even if it’s not during school hours, it’s important that the school nurse is made aware. Likewise, if your child has an allergies, especially food allergies, make sure the school is notified. If your child an allergy attack, or a bad reaction to a particular food, the nurse will take the necessary steps to help your child based on their medications or allergies.
There are several other examinations that the local school district might require, like weight reports or scoliosis screens, but often times those are not mandatory. The steps listed above are simply suggestions as to how to keep your child healthy throughout the school year, as well as how to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the ever-changing regulations put in place by school districts. For more information on getting ready for getting your family ready to go back to school this fall, check out this article.
