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How to help your kids slide back into school routine

Dubai - In order to reduce the prevalence of contagious infections in schools, parents should not send their sick children to school for three to five days.

Parents should begin rescheduling their children's routine a few days before school begins and ensure they eat breakfast before going to school, doctors have said.
Doctors at the Dubai Health Authority's smart_clinic, discussing the importance of back-to-school health tips, said: "Parents should also use icepacks while sending perishable food items, especially meat, to school so that food does not get spoilt."
Dr Hamed Yahyah Hussein, deputy head of schools and educational institutions health unit at DHA's primary health care sector, said that parents should begin rescheduling their children's routine a few days before school begins and parents should ensure children eat breakfast before going to school.
Hussein said: "Mornings are busy and a bit of planning in the night before will go a long way to ensure a stress-free morning. Laying out clothes, assembling the lunch box and deciding on breakfast the night before will make mornings fuss-free. This will also ensure parents have more time to ensure their children eat breakfast before going to school. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, in fact studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast function better. They do better in school, and have better concentration and more energy."
Dr Asya Jafar Ahmed Al Zarouni, head of section at clinical nutrition department, said: "Nutrition is such an important component for the growth and well-being of children. Parents should ensure all main meals have some form of protein and one rule of thumb is the more colourful the plate, the more nutritious it is. Find ways to include different colour vegetables in your child's meals.
In order to reduce the prevalence of contagious infections in schools, parents should not send their sick children to school for three to five days. "This is the best method to prevent spread of infectious to other children in class," said Dr Waleed Hasan Al Faisal, public health specialist in the schools and educational institutions health unit at DHA's primary health care sector. "The most common contagious infectious we find in a school environment are common cold, influenza, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, chickenpox and measles. Reducing the spread of infection among school children is also the responsibility of every parent and therefore they must refrain from sending their sick children for a certain number of days as recommended by their healthcare provider. Schools and parents should also ensure that children wash their hands before meal time as hand-hygiene is one of the most important ways of preventing the spread of germs." Al Faisal also said that parents must ensure children are up-to-date with their children's vaccination schedule.
Dr Nada Al Mulla, head of medical affairs unit at Al Barsha Health Centre, said: "Carrying heavy school bags is one of the most common ways to cause posture and spine problems in children. Your child's school bag should not be more than 10 per cent of your child's body weight."
Al Mulla also added that establishing a good school routine will lead to less absenteeism and children will have better attention span in school. "Establish "screen-free" zones at home by making sure there are no televisions, computers or video games in children's bedrooms. Turn off digital devices few hours before the child's bed time because watching digital devices before sleep time affects the child's ability to get a restful sleep. Ideally establish a bed time routine that involves reading books to your children. Finally ensure your child gets at least 10 hours of sleep every night."
reporters@khaleejtimes.com