The Medical Minute: Parents, add these health tips to your back-to-school to-do list
Backpack? Check. Ten different colored folders with brads? Double-check. But your child needs more than school supplies to be ready for the new school year.
Dr. Kate Sanchez, a pediatrician at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Susannah Christman, a pediatrician at Penn State Health Lancaster Pediatric Center, share what parents need to know to help make the back-to-school transition a little easier.
Health screenings
Annual wellness checks are always essential, whether they happen in the summer or during the school year. Many schools require paperwork to be completed by physicians before the start of school, so bring them along to the exam and fill out your section ahead of time.
Provide your child’s updated health history and current list of medications. Most pediatricians screen for hearing and vision every other year and refer patients to audiologists or ophthalmologists if needed. Schools may also offer these screenings.
Back-to-school checkups are also the perfect time to review medication for chronic conditions like asthma or allergies, Christman said, and create an action plan for school staff.
“Your letter should detail the medication and dose,” Christman said. “For kids with anaphylactic allergies to a food, that action plan will detail what medications the school nurse should give your child and when.”
Christman also recommends getting refills of important medications so your child has what they need at school and home. For asthma, check that they’re following the best treatment plan.
Boosters and vaccines
Sanchez said most students hit vaccine milestones at three key points: kindergarten, sixth grade and 11th grade.
Children ages 4 or 5 usually receive shots for MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), chickenpox, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) and polio.
Around age 11, they’re due for a Tdap booster, a meningococcal vaccine and are recommended to receive the human papillomavirus ─ or HPV ─ vaccine.
In 11th grade, the second meningococcal shot is required for school.
For COVID-19, the latest booster was released in fall 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it for adults and advises parents to ask their health care provider if it’s right for children ages 6 months to 17 years.
When the respiratory virus season begins in the late fall, Christman suggests contacting your pediatrician or visiting a local pharmacy to schedule a vaccine.
During the school year, if your child is sick and dealing with symptoms such as nausea or fever, Sanchez encourages parents to keep them home until they feel better.
Fueling up for school
School mornings can be frenetic, but Sanchez stresses that the best way to be prepared for a long day at school is to take a few minutes for breakfast.
“I hear so many kids tell me that they don’t eat breakfast,” Sanchez said. “I’m definitely ‘Team Breakfast’ all the way. Our brain needs fuel. That fuel comes from food.”
In a perfect world, breakfast should include a protein, a complex carb and fruit – like an egg, a slice of whole grain toast and some berries or a banana.
But if a sit-down breakfast is impossible, Sanchez suggests a cheese stick, a drinkable yogurt or a granola bar.
“For older kids, early start times mean it can be a real struggle to make time for breakfast,” Christman said. “While we want kids to eat whole, less processed foods, something is better than nothing. A premade smoothie, toast and a piece of fruit, or overnight oats are all good, fast options.”
While at school, a balanced lunch and plenty of water help kids stay focused. Most schools allow students to tote water bottles. Just remember to wash them regularly.
Don’t sleep on sleep
Proper sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, Sanchez said. Younger kids should get between 10 and 13 hours of sleep daily, and teens can function well with eight to 10.
Within a week before school starts, students should adjust their bedtime rituals to prepare for early mornings.
Sanchez said many of her patients say they can’t sleep because their minds are racing. She suggests breathing exercises ─ and putting the phones away at least 30 minutes before bed.
“A lot of the issues teenagers come into the doctor’s office for are related to sleep deprivation, including mood changes and short attention spans,” Christman said. “Be really thoughtful about what kind of activities they’re engaged in before bedtime.”
Don’t forget mental health
School can be both challenging and stressful, especially as students get older. Christman urges parents to find a time each day to connect with their child, ask open-ended questions and create space for them to tell you what they are experiencing.
Pediatricians screen for anxiety and depression during wellness visits, and their primary message is: Find trusted people to talk to when you feel overwhelmed.
“This is important stuff that you need to make sure to talk about with your friends and your family,” Sanchez said. “Normalize it. Because school is hard for everybody.”
She encourages coping exercises such as box breathing ― a deep breath for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four more seconds, pause for four more seconds and repeat ― to help calm and re-focus during anxious moments.
Related content:
- The Medical Minute: Take the Back-to-School Pop Quiz
- The Medical Minute: School lunches, the healthy way
- Timing and regularity of sleep may be key for adolescent heart health
The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature produced by Penn State Health. Articles feature the expertise of faculty, physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.
NOTE: This article was updated on 8/6/25 from a previous version posted in August 2024.
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