As the new school year approaches, the HSE’s mychild.ie experts share their top tips to help children and parents prepare.
Advice available on mychild.ie
Dr Abigail Collins, HSE National Clinical Lead, Child Health Public Health, said: “Whether your child is returning to school or starting, the transition can bring a mix of emotions from excitement to anxiety. It’s a very busy time for parents from sorting out school bags to helping children get into a routine after the summer holidays.
“There are some things you can do to help get ready. Letting your child know what to expect when they go back to school can ease their worries. Talk through the practical things like how they will get to school, who will pick them up, and what happens after school, so there are no surprises.
“Other ways to prepare include packing their bag a few days before returning, ‘playing school’ with younger children using their favourite toys, reading stories, or colouring together. Let them help get things ready like sharpening pencils and labelling uniforms so they feel excited and in control.
“There is advice on the HSE’s mychild.ie website to help you prepare for the year ahead – from coughs and colds, choosing a school bag to dealing with head lice and lots more.”
Top Tips for Back to School
Getting routine and sleep back on track
Summertime means that routines are often different. With longer evenings and more relaxed routines, sleep schedules can change. Sleep is important for children so in the lead-up to back to school, try to keep bedtime and morning routines consistent to ease the transition. A calm routine with time to read and chat supports a good night’s sleep.
You might find screen time and meals are more difficult to manage than usual. Try to be patient and reintroduce routines slowly. You and your child may be tired and out of sorts for the first weeks. Things should settle down as you get into a routine. Remember, nobody’s perfect.
Helping children get ready for school
After months of being with family, your child may feel nervous or anxious about being apart or any aspect of school life.
If your child seems anxious, take time to listen and let them know their feelings are valid. It helps to say something like, “I can see why you’re feeling worried.” Reassure them that we all feel anxious at times, there are ways to handle it and people to talk to such as your parent or teacher. Remind them of times they’ve faced fears before and come through it.
If things don’t improve, your child is constantly anxious, it’s starting to affect their daily life, or they’re struggling at school or with friends, it’s a good idea to talk to your school or GP for advice.
Choosing the right bag and shoes
It’s important to have supportive shoes and an appropriate backpack for the year ahead.
ü School bag tips
Whether it’s superheroes, unicorns or a favourite team on the front, try to choose a backpack-style bag for your child with:
- 2 wide, padded, adjustable straps
- straps tight enough to hold the bag close to the body
- a waist belt can help support some of the weight
- straps adjusted so that the bottom of the bag is just above the child’s waist.
ü School shoes tips
When choosing school shoes, check that:
- they are comfortable and support your child’s feet
- the shoe is not slipping up and down at the heel
- their foot is not being pushed out of the shoe at the back
- they can wiggle their toes
- there is about 1cm of space between the toes and the tip of the shoe.
How to keep classroom bugs at bay
As every parent knows, schools, pre-schools and childcare facilities can often be hotspots for common illnesses such as colds, flu, hand foot and mouth, RSV, chickenpox, and slapped cheek syndrome.
Teaching good hand hygiene, having a working thermometer and children’s pain/fever medication ready, keeping up-to-date with vaccines and planning how you would manage with a sick child at home can all help.
- When your child is unwell
Going to school regularly improves a child’s health, wellbeing, social skills and their ability to reach their potential. Your child can usually attend school with general cold symptoms such as a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat.
However, children should not go to school if they are unwell. For example, if your child has any of the following symptoms:
- a temperature of 38°C or above
- diarrhoea or vomiting
- low in energy.
- Getting medical advice
Save important numbers on your phone, such as:
- your GP’s out of hours service number
- Poisons Information Line on (01) 809 2166 – open 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
You may have injury units or urgent care facilities nearby that will treat children with injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening. It’s good to be aware of where those are and their opening times. Some may require you to phone ahead in advance. You can find this information on the HSE website.
Upcoming checks and vaccines
When your child starts school, they will be offered vision and hearing screening in junior infants as part of the HSE’s school health programme. These screenings help to identify any potential issues with your child’s vision or hearing early. The screening is carried out at school by a public health nurse and beforehand, your child will bring a consent form home in their school bag for you to fill out.
Junior infants and first year secondary school students are offered vaccination at school to protect them against serious illnesses. Check your child’s school bag for their school immunisation consent pack and return the signed form to the school as soon as possible.
There has been a rise in measles and whooping cough infections in Europe this year, so it’s especially important that your child is up to date with all of their vaccines. Contact your GP about catching up if your child missed:
- any of the routine childhood vaccines which take place in 5 visits from age 2 months to 13 months
- their second dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in junior infants.
The free nasal spray flu vaccine for children aged 2 to 17 will be available in the autumn from participating GPs, pharmacies and some schools.
Best of luck to all the children starting or returning to school this autumn!
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