It's an exciting, albeit busy, time of year.
With kids in Burnaby now back to school, there's plenty to keep both children and parents busy.
In between shopping for back to school outfits and figuring out new class schedules, there's a few other considerations that can help keep kids healthy this month and beyond.
Margaret Ng, health and wellness manager with Burnaby-based Pacific Blue Cross, recently offered up these tips for getting a jump on back-toschool time:
Healthy lunches don't have to be hard: keep portion sizes small and varied, include plenty of "finger foods" like nutritious dips with veggies or crackers; and talk to your kids about what they'd like best.
Get walking: consider starting a 'walking school bus.' Already in place in several Burnaby schools, the walking school bus concept involves one or more parents who walk through the neighbourhood to collect students at prearranged stops and times. Kids get a healthy walk while parents know their kids have an adult keeping an eye out for them.
Get a heads up on healthy hair: Head lice is a very common occurrence, especially after back-to-school time when kids are spending time together in classrooms. Check your child's hair weekly for signs of lice or nits, and don't allow your child to share a brush, comb or hair accessories with friends.
Stay calm to tackle stress: For many kids, back-to-school can be a challenging time with adjustments to new teachers or classmates. Pacific Blue Cross' My Good Health site (www. pac.bluecross.ca/corp/default.aspx) has plenty of information to keep an eye on stress, with information on topics as varied as headaches to bedwetting.
If there's a problem, talk to your child about coping solutions - and be sure to keep the teacher in the loop if appropriate.
