Green Bay – Heading back to school can present physical and mental health challenges for both children and parents alike. At Prevea Health, Dr. Rebecca Gehrmann, pediatrician at Prevea East De Pere Health Center, routinely offers advice to parents to help ensure families are prepared to send their children back to the classroom.

“Children often struggle with change. The transition from summer to the school year is usually a source of anxiety for both kids and their families,” said Dr. Gehrmann. “I often encourage families to start their school routines at least a week or so prior to the start of the school year in order to make the first few days less stressful.”

Dr. Gehrmann offers the following back-to-school health tips for parents and children:

Manage anxiety: The start of school can be anxiety-provoking for many children. From worrying about new teachers to who their classmates will be, there are a lot of unknowns. Families should talk to their children about their feelings during the last few weeks of summer break. Parents should try to be positive regarding school and provide encouragement. 

Get adequate sleep: During the last week or two of summer vacation, families should work on getting their children back to their school sleep schedule. If bedtime has been later over the summer, pushing bedtime to 15 minutes earlier every night could be a good way to slowly get children back into a routine. Children should also start to be woken up around the time they would need to wake for school. Older children and adolescents can work on learning to be woken up by an alarm. Prior to going to bed, children and adolescents should put their phones and electronics either far away from the bed or even in a separate room. Screen time before sleep can make falling asleep difficult. Children should instead read before bed if they need to wind down. 

Continue staying active: Kids should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. To reduce anxiety, stress and to stay more focused in the classroom, kids need to stay active. Kids who get adequate exercise are also more likely to be able to fight off infections.

Verify your child’s vaccination status: Schools require all students to be up to date with vaccinations. You can contact your child’s doctor’s office to verify their vaccination status before school starts. Families should check with their pediatrician to see if their child is eligible for a COVID booster vaccination. The flu shot is also important come fall. Respiratory illnesses, such as flu and COVID are highly infectious and keep kids out of school for many days.

Schedule a physical: Yearly physicals enable your health care provider to monitor growth and development, update immunizations, determine risks for sports participation and discuss safety issues. A pediatrician can take an extensive look at a child's history and do a thorough exam to make sure they are safe to practice sports. Physicals are also a good time to bring up any academic concerns, such as if a child struggled in school the year prior. This way, parents and pediatricians can get a head start in addressing these concerns prior to and during the first part of the school year. It also is a good idea for students going off to college to be seen by their pediatrician prior to starting college. College is a busy time, and during the physical a doctor can address any health concerns prior to a young adult moving out of state or becoming too busy with coursework.

Prevea pediatric care is available in the Greater Green Bay region including De Pere, Allouez and Howard. At the Prevea East De Pere Health Center, located at 3860 Monroe Road in De Pere, Dr. Gehrmann provides comprehensive and routine medical care for children and teenagers; preventive medicine including immunizations and screenings; newborn care; well-child exams and behavioral and mental health care options. Appointments with Dr. Gehrmann can be made by calling (920) 431-1920, or online at: www.prevea.com.

For more back-to-school tips, visit: www.prevea.com/school.

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About Prevea Health

Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.