Your child’s physical health is extremely important to their overall well-being, so it’s vital that you make sure he or she is staying healthy. Your kid should be visiting the doctor regularly for his or her checkup, but how often is it exactly? Here’s everything you need to know about keeping your child in excellent physical and mental health.
Annual Physical
No matter your child’s age, he or she should be visiting the doctor at least once a year for a physical exam. During this visit, your child will be weighed and measured and will receive any immunizations that are appropriate for his or her age. Your child’s school will need a copy of the immunization records to keep him or she enrolled, so it’s important that you don’t fall behind on these visits. The doctor or nurse will also check your child’s vision, which could lead to a recommendation for an optometrist. It’s hard to over-exaggerate eye exam importance, especially for school-aged children who need to be able to see the board in class. Beyond exams during this visit, your child’s doctor will also ask about your child’s sleeping, eating, and exercise habits. He or she might want to discuss how to make healthier choices, and if your child is having serious trouble sleeping or focusing, his or her doctor might recommend medication. Your kid must have at least this annual visit every year, which is covered by health insurance.
Emotional Health
There are a few helpful things you can do to help your child develop his or her emotional health. When your kid is unable to express his emotions, he can actually feel physically unwell too. Give your child space to feel what she’s experiencing and express it in a healthy way. Your daughter might be sad because her pet died, so instead of telling her that it will be fine (or worse, lying to her that her pet has gone to live somewhere else), empathize with her and discuss her grief. Allowing your children to feel their emotions and express them will help them feel physically and mentally better. If your child isn’t getting enough sleep, he will feel lethargic, unhealthy, or short-tempted. Make sure your children are getting a full night’s rest, and if they aren’t able to fall asleep, talk to their pediatrician about what you can do. Sleep is very important for children, so make it a priority.
Health at School
Whether your child goes to public school or private school, he or she is exposed to dozens of other kids every day. This means he’ll also be exposed to a lot of germs every day. Help your child stay healthy by teaching him the importance of washing his hands after using the bathroom and before eating lunch or snack. This will help prevent him from catching another child’s illness. Give your daughter a healthy and immune-boosting breakfast of fruits and veggies (and little to no added sugar) and pack her a delicious lunch. If your son or daughter does end up catching lice from another student, you can use an easy professional lice treatment in New Jersey to get rid of them. Every child in elementary school catches lice at some point, so this is nothing to be concerned about. Take the proper steps to treat it and your household will return to normal shortly.
Children will inevitably become sick or experience emotions they struggle to comprehend, but as a parent, it’s your job to help your kids feel as healthy as possible. Encourage healthy eating and exercising, allow your children to express their emotions, and teach your kids about the importance of their overall well-being. Your young children will be healthy adults before you know it.
