Getting ready for back-to-school involves more than shopping for new clothes and school supplies. Caring for your family’s health and well-being is also an important focus. Sheila Spears and Julia Tidswell, Certified Nurse Practitioners at Prowers Medical Center, offer the following tips for keeping your whole family healthy as kids return to school.

Schedule Regular Check-ups

It’s important to keep kids on a regular checkup schedule. This ensures their required vaccinations are up to date and also helps develop a relationship with a provider so when the child is ill, they are familiar with this provider and their staff when an office visit is necessary.

Get Ample Sleep

Sleep helps our immune systems work properly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 12-16 hours a day for babies, 11-14 for toddlers, 10-13 for 3- to 5-yearolds, 9-12 for 6- to 12-year-olds and 8-10 for teenagers. If your kids have been sleeping in during the summer, now is the time to start transitioning back to school-year schedules.

Eat a Good, Healthy Breakfast

A good breakfast includes both protein and complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or whole-grain cereals. This helps our brains work and keeps our energy levels up throughout the day.

 

Surgical Services at Prowers Medical Center

Expert care close to home.

• Highly experienced, board-certified surgeons

• Most procedures are minimally invasive

• Expert surgical support staff and state-of-theart facilities

For appointments, call 719-336-7005.

Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

Healthy snacks can be easy and convenient. Stock up on fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables (carrots, celery, mixed berries), apple slices and peanut butter, whole-grain crackers/bread/cereals, yogurt and unsalted nuts.

Gather for Family Dinners

Having a sit-down family dinner together most nights is a great way to keep tabs on how your child is doing physically and socially. Also try other regular family rituals, such as going out for a snack together, watching a TV show or movie, playing a board game or sharing an outdoor activity.

Exercise Every Day

Exercise keeps you healthy while also increasing your energy. And it promotes healthier eating patterns, mood and sleep as well as prevents or slows brain disease. Together with a balanced and nutritious diet, exercise is key to healthy bodies and minds.

Do a Family Safety Review

Have a family meeting about safety. Make emergency plans, such as what to do in case of a fire or other emergencies. Discuss the importance of helmets and seatbelts. Ask your children if they have any safety concerns, and talk about those as well. And test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly.

Emphasize Proper Handwashing

Kids get exposed to a multitude of germs at school, which they can then bring home to your family. Teaching children how and when to wash their hands is a critical way to help keep everyone healthy.

First the how: Wet your hands. Apply soap. Rub hands vigorously together for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing every surface completely—top and bottom. Try singing the ABC song as you wash because that takes about 20 seconds if you don’t rush it. Rinse well and dry.

And the when? Always wash your hands before eating, after blowing your nose, after touching animals and after using the bathroom.

For more information on surgical services at Prowers Medical Center or to discuss a pending surgery with one of our surgeons, call 719-336-7005.

2023 Health Fair Join us for our Annual Community Health Fair!

Every Wednesday from April 12 to July 26, community members can receive a wellness screen for a discounted rate of $25. Health Fair participants MUST preregister. Call (719) 336-8363 to schedule your wellness screen.