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Back To School

When I was kid, summer was a magical season of slip-n-sliding, water balloons and the city pool. Heck, we even reveled in playing with that goofy thing that hooked to the end of the hose. You remember, don't you? The thing with the wild tentacles jumping around and spraying us like some kind of lawn sprinkler gone wild while we screamed and ran around the yard in the clothes mom had insisted we exchange for swimsuits just a few minutes earlier. Indeed, summer was pure distilled joy and we drank from its fountain for three solid months. But then, during the hottest dog days of late August, the denial of our impending fate came to a close - back to school.

But for my brother and I, summer wasn't just a homemade water park; it was also a kind of safe zone, because in our house there were no girls (well, of course, Mom, but she’s not really a girl). So going back to school meant that once again my brother and I would be exposed to the fairer sex, and more significantly, exposed again to that female epidemiological nightmare: what all little boys fear (at least all little boys in the early seventies in our neck of the woods)...COOTIES.

Now that I'm a dad and a doctor, I no longer fear cooties, or even girls. Still, I do maintain a healthy respect for going back to school, and in that vein, here's some thoughts on keeping kids healthy as they head that way later this month. Nothing here is beyond common sense to most adults, yet it all bears repeating, especially to kids.

1. Wash your hands frequently and with soap and water. And not just children; all of us. Of course, you see handwashing advice everywhere. But don't let its ubiquity dull its power. Hand washing is the most powerful tool in slowing the spread of the viruses and bacteria that cause the colds and stomach ailments of the season. It also slows influenza. Plain old soap and water and 20 seconds works great. Antimicrobial hand sanitizers also do the trick.

2. Keep your fever at home. Kids and adults who've had fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit need to remain fever free for 24 hours before returning to work or school. Fall and winter bring flu season, and fever usually accompanies the flu. When you or your kids do return, remember to wash your/their hands frequently.

3. Don’t share. Well, sure, share your pencil (if it hasn't been in your mouth) or a cookie (if you've both washed your hands) or a toy at daycare (if the daycare is daily wiping everything down with antiseptic), but don't ever share combs or brushes, lest you receive some lice as well. And all that hand washing good will be undone, if you share a cup.

4. Eat right. A good breakfast with complex carbohydrates and some protein is a great start. Avoid a purely sugary breakfast. Also, avoid soda. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who drink a single can of soda daily have a 60 percent increased risk of obesity. From someone who's struggled with his weight all my life, don't push your kids in that direction. And wash your hands before you eat.

5. Sleep well. A consistent bedtime goes a long way towards helping kids have more productive school day. And teenagers, especially, are at risk for not enough sleep. Sleep experts tell us that teens need 9 hours of sleep a night. And unlike younger kids, teens don’t respond well to being told to go to bed at nine. A better strategy might be trying to educate them and encourage them to figure out their own plan of attack for getting enough sleep.

That’s just five biggies; here’s a few more:

• Be careful of the weight of backpacks
• Talk about bullying and being bullied
• Wear your seatbelt or your bike helmet
• Talk about stranger danger

Finally, a few great Internet resources:

• Cooties defined: wikipedia.org/wiki/cooties
• AAP Tips: bit.ly/HealthyChildren
• Teen Health Topics: bit.ly/TeenHealth
• Hand Washing: cdc.gov/cleanhands/

Craig Bradley, M.D., is a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Family and Community Medicine and works for Texas Tech Physicians—Family Medicine.