High 5 Health Checklist for Back to School

It’s that time again. Families are gathering supplies and buying clothes to prepare for the new school year. Help your student get off to a great start with these five health and safety tips.

1. Backpack safety: Look for options with a padded back and wide, comfortable straps. Have your child wear straps on both shoulders with the bottom of the backpack resting at the waist to help avoid a back or shoulder injury. Your child’s backpack should be the right size for his or her frame and never exceed 10%-20% of body weight when fully loaded. The American Academy of Pediatrics has more information to choose the right backpack for your little ones.
2. Contact information: Make sure the school has your current emergency contact information in addition to a list of your child’s allergies, health conditions and medications.
3. Hearing and vision screenings: Squeeze in your child’s annual well-child appointment for ear and eye health screenings, which are vital for success in the classroom and for social development. Learn more about the importance of regular check-ups.
4. Immunizations: Keeping your child’s immunizations up to date is crucial for the health of your child and his or her classmates. Missouri requires documentation of up-to-date immunizations, including month, day and year of each, before your child can attend school. Visit the CDC website or speak with your pediatrician to learn which immunizations your child needs.
5. Nutrition: Learn about healthy school meal options and talk with your child about making good food choices. Encourage nutritious snacking with fruits and vegetables and avoidance of soft drinks. Help keep your child hydrated with water and low-fat milk, which contain less sugar than juices and sodas.

You’re all set to send your student off to school in good health. Have questions about immunizations, hearing and vision screenings or your child’s health in general, but aren’t sure whom to ask? Find a Meritas Health pediatrician or family medicine doctor.

Explore More

Managing Back-to-School Blues


Less Screen Time is Key to Better Sleep in Kids


Childhood Obesity: Risks & Management

  More articles

Randy Withers

Randy is the Media Relations Coordinator at North Kansas City Hospital and a new addition to the Marketing Department. Joining the NKCH family in October, he is the point of contact for all media inquiries and provides content for various projects. Randy is also a part of the high school football community in Kansas City, having coached and covered the sport since 2007. He and his wife, Erika, live in the Historic Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City, MO with their two dogs, Homer, and Hugo, and their cat, Zoey.