Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Medical information? That's right. One thing you don't want to forget when checking off your back-to-school to-do lists is your child's health.
Dr. Kim Giuliano is a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's. She says parents should call their child's doctor for a few things before that first bell rings.
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"Make sure that you have a list of their current immunizations, a signed copy of any sports release forms, and sign off that they're healthy for participation in physical activity. And make sure that your school has a list of your child's medications and allergies," advised Giuliano.
She says most annual check-ups for kids include a hearing and vision test but if not, be sure your child is evaluated.
"Hearing and vision problems definitely can impair your child's learning abilities and so we really want to make sure that all of their senses are optimized so they can be as productive as possible in school," said Giuliano.
If your child has any special medical needs, like asthma, allergies or diabetes, Giuliano says it's important for the school to know. Parents can also work with their pediatrician to supply the school with an emergency action plan for potential medical emergencies.
"So then the school nurse or the school office personnel know what to do if your child gets into trouble. It's also good for them to have a supply of your child's medication on-hand so that they can administer this at the time of emergency or just at their routine scheduled times if it's going to be dosed during the day," she said.
Giuliano adds that healthy kids do better in school, so adding things to your checklist like plenty of sleep, exercise and good nutrition will go a long way to successful learning.