Keeping Children Healthy This School Year

As local students head back to school, Dr. Sona Sadselia, a provider with Middlesex Health Primary Care - Middletown, offers a few tips for parents who want to ensure their children remain happy and healthy as they start a new year of learning. 

Dr. Sadselia cares for patients of all ages, including pediatric patients. 

“As you begin the new school year, it is important for you to be aware of your child’s new schedule and help them where you can,” she says. “Are they getting enough sleep and eating well? What do they do after school? We need to pay attention to these things so that we can help our children adjust and excel.”

Dr. Sadselia’s top 5 tips

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep throughout the school year. Getting enough rest can help children stay engaged and healthy, and it can also help with brain development. Enforcing a consistent bedtime and routine can lead to better school attendance, which ultimately helps the brain solidify the knowledge children are learning in school. It also sets children up to maintain healthy sleep habits as they get older and become more independent!

• Ensure that your child has a well-balanced diet. Starting the day with a healthy, nutritious breakfast is particularly important because it creates a routine. It also allows for better physical health. Ultimately, good nutrition helps with attention and learning! 
• Establish an after-school routine. This ensures that your child has enough time to complete their homework, and it sets expectations for what is required of them. An after-school routine also allows them time to participate in activities outside of school, which will help them learn more about who they are and teach them how to learn and work with others. 
• Prioritize your child’s physical health. Spending time outside, or doing something physical indoors, helps children expend energy and learn how to be creative in a different way. In addition, physical activity helps prevent fatigue, provides a medium to cope with stress and helps children expand their skill set.
• Communicate openly. Children have a lot of questions, struggles and aspirations as a result of their interactions with others, particularly at school. Set aside time, such as time at the dinner table or before bed, to ask your child about their day, their friends and what inspires them. This will help you learn more about your child, but it will also reassure them and encourage them to continue sharing.

What else should you know

Dr. Sadselia reminds parents that certain vaccinations are required in order for children to attend school. She says these vaccines are important because they protect your child and those around them. She adds that the vaccines, which you can receive at a medical provider’s office, help prevent your child, and those they interact with, from developing a serious medical condition or complications.  

Dr. Sadselia also encourages parents to remember that children grow up quickly. “There is no quality time,” she says. “It is about making every time about quality.” Optimize your time with your children by planning specific activities and creating schedules to ensure that they are happy and successful, recommends Dr. Sadselia, adding that it's best to take every experience as it comes and have no expectations. 

And don’t forget to be an active and involved parent!

“Remember that parenting takes a village,” Dr. Sadselia says. “That village includes your family, your children, their teachers, their friends and even their friends’ parents. Be as active and involved in that village, as each member is going to play a crucial role in your child’s life and who they are.”

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Sadselia, or if you would like to make an appointment with her, click here. 

Middlesex Health extends its best wishes to students and their families as the new school year begins! 

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