Parents, back-to-school season is the perfect time to take stock of your child’s physical and mental health to help prepare them for a successful school year.
Starting in a new school or classroom can be an exciting or stressful experience for kids. Parents should recognize not all stressful emotions are bad and dealing with stress is an important step in a child’s developmental growth.
Dr. Preeti Parikh, Executive Medical Director at GoodRx and a board-certified pediatrician, shared tips parents can use to prepare their children for a healthy school year:
- Consult with your pediatrician. Let your pediatrician know at their yearly physical if your child will be involved in sports during the school year. Sports physicals are important to check your child’s heart and mental health before they engage in activities.
- Create an Asthma or Allergy Action Plan. For kids with allergies or asthma, have your pediatrician fill out an Asthma or Allergy Action Plan. This document will ensure the school knows what steps to take when your child has an asthma flare or allergic reaction. Your pediatrician can also sign a medication release form and provide tips to manage the costs of inhalers and other medications. GoodRx offers discounts for all FDA approved inhalers and medications; a discount can save up to 80% on your out-of-pocket cost.
- Recognize the signs of learning difficulties. Conditions that affect children’s learning ability, such as ADHD or dyslexia, can develop at any time, and the signs are not always obvious.
- Set digital media boundaries. Studies have shown 1 in 4 adolescents are constantly connected to their phone, and the pandemic drove an increase in screen time among kids of all ages. Back-to-school season is an opportune time to reevaluate your child’s media boundaries to ensure it is not impacting their writing or communication skills.
On KPRC 2+, Dr. Parikh will also dove into why staying ahead of stress by practicing mindfulness techniques with children can help avoid it manifesting into worrisome physical symptoms. For all her insights, watch the video at the top of the page.
You can stream KPRC 2+ weekdays at 7 a.m. on click2houston.com and on the KPRC 2 app.