As a parent, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear of COVID-19 is your child’s safety during the pandemic. While COVID has taught us to pay attention to tips to stay healthy, it has also given us another insight- Students get more than just an education at school. A lot of students also get the various vital resources they need to thrive.
As virtually(pun intended) every school in the country opens up for students to return for in-person classes, every parent faces the challenge of ensuring their child’s safety in the classroom through healthy habits, and very rightly so.
Here are five ways to help ensure you send your kids back to school safely, covering everything from preventive measures with a mix of vitamins and minerals, to long-lasting healthy habits:
1. Schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccination
The tips to stay healthy during COVID times - both for children and adults cannot begin without emphasising enough on vaccination. Children who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are at a much lower risk of getting extremely unwell from COVID-19. Fully vaccinated kids also have a healthy habit awaiting them- they don't have to spend plentiful time away from developmental activities including osmotic learning, time with friends, sports and more, which are important to develop and sustain their physical as well as mental health.
And even in the cases where a child has totally recovered from COVID-19 illness, they should, among other tips to stay healthy, undoubtedly go for the vaccine. Being fully vaccinated is one of the healthy habits you can form to not only ensure your own safety but also your child’s safety.
2. Reinforce routine COVID protocols
The innumerous tips to stay healthy are worth nothing if COVID protocols are not followed to begin with, and this is especially true for kids, who commonly slip away from healthy habits, getting in very close range of other children, not only removing but also often forgetting their masks in the car or at home itself, and keeping away from washing their hands after touching the numerous common surfaces present in school premises.
It, therefore, becomes an absolute necessity to make sure kids follow your given tips to stay healthy, as well as maintain healthy habits when with their peers. This includes, but is not limited to:
Social Distancing - Even when your child is fully vaccinated, it is one of the most important healthy habits to practice social distancing in order to avoid infection and transmission of COVID-19.
Masks - Wearing one or preferably two masks helps your child remain shielded from droplets or airborne particles containing the virus and is one of the best tips to stay healthy, especially in cases where social distancing is not in fitting practice.
Hand-washing - This healthy habit significantly reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from common surfaces, from the hands and through the nose & eyes.
3. Stay home if sick
If going to school, you should monitor your child’s health and healthy habits with a COVID perspective on a daily basis, and check them for the following symptoms of COVID:
- High fever
- Consistent cough
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Persistent fatigue
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Diarrhoea/Poor appetite
- Acute headache
- Muscle aches
- New loss of taste or smell
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
A majority of schools perform temperature checks every day for the incoming students, while also following numerous other tips to stay healthy. But the much-known overlapping of COVID symptoms has to be taken into consideration for your child’s safety as well. Therefore, it’s an essential healthy habit for you to monitor your child for these symptoms on a daily basis. If you find your child with any of these symptoms, it’s advisable to get them tested, and necessary to take care of them at home.
4. Pay attention to nutrition
A balanced, healthy diet is a healthy habit that ensures a potent immune system and lowers the chances of contracting chronic diseases and infections like COVID. Good nutrition for children is thus one of the most important tips to stay healthy for them.
As parents, it’s important to ensure children receive a nutritious diet while going to school during the COVID crisis. Providing food from at least the top 4 food groups- Grains, pulses, fruits & vegetables, milk products, and nuts thus becomes one of the healthy habits every parent needs to develop.
Varying evidence has collectively indicated the role of diets rich in vitamins and minerals with trace elements in strongly supporting children’s immune systems and thus helping reduce the risk of COVID infections as they step into schools every day. Foods that are rich in Vitamins C, D, and E help greatly improve the children's immune system as they increase infection-fighting cells inside their bodies. The antioxidants loaded in a number of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins C and E also play an important role in controlling numerous infections, including COVID-19, and ensuring the efficient functioning of the immune system.
5. Listen to your child's concerns
A parent’s role in their child’s life is more than that of a person who just guides them through tips to stay healthy and inculcating healthy habits in them - it’s one of a trusted source of knowledge and of a confida nte as well.
It thus becomes vital that the parent listens to their child- their fears, anxieties, vulnerabilities and other woes - both before and during their return to the offline world of classrooms.
It doesn’t matter what the issue is. For instance, your child might feel concerned about having to wear a mask all day, or their reaction to confirmed COVID cases at school. It’s critical that you form the healthy habits of making sure to listen to them with intent, empathizing and helping your child address their concern in a firmly reassuring tone.
The numerous benefits of offline school are significantly more than the risks in a comprehensive sense. Following the aforementioned tips to stay healthy can not only help you feel assured about the safety of your little one during the COVID-19 pandemic, but can also help them develop healthy habits in the longer runs, yet to come in their lives.
*All the information above is for educational purposes only. For medical advice, always consult a doctor or visit your nearest hospital.
