School-Age Kids Archives

EMOTIONS & BEHAVIOR

Anxiety in Kids: Know the Signs

While back to school season is usually an exciting time for most students, many kids and teens may also be feeling anxious or worried about what this school year might have in store. For many students, this is the first time they will return to in person learning since the COVID-19 pandemic began. While some may be looking forward to getting back to their normal schedules, there are those who are struggling with returning to school under new conditions. A lot of kids and teens have struggled with stress and uncertainty over the last year because of the disruptions to “normal” life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While returning to in person learning has many benefits for mental health and well-being, especially increased socializing that is crucial for kids and teens, your child may also have some concerns about heading back to school this year, including: Being behind other classmates […]

SAFETY

Water Safety

Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in children ages one to four, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Safe Kids Worldwide notes that more than half of drowning deaths in children happen in those ages 0 to 4. Nearly 1,000 U.S. children under 20 years old lose their lives to drowning each year. It’s important to know that drownings can happen quickly. The many rules written about pool safety come down to the same important guideline: Kids should always be supervised in and around water, no matter what their swimming skill levels. Young children especially must be watched—they can drown in less than 2 inches of water. That means drowning can happen when and where you’d least expect it. Get Them Swimming Early According to the policy statement, “Evidence reveals that many children older than 1 year will benefit from swim lessons.” And classes taught by qualified instructors at […]

SCHOOL-AGE KIDS

Going Back to School in 2021

Kids wear a lot of things to stay safe at school … shoes to protect their feet, sunscreen to protect their skin on late summer days and a jacket to protect against the fall chill. Once again, this school year, wearing a face mask may be included in that back to school list, depending on where your child goes to school. When Everyone at School is Wearing a Mask Since the Delta variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible than previous strains of the virus, some schools are requiring indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Changing rules over the past few years may confuse your child. Help them understand with these six tips! Explain why kids and adults are wearing a mask. Keep the explanation simple: “I wear a mask to keep you safe. You wear a mask to keep me safe.” Normalize by […]

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Physical Activity: A Key Ingredient to Keeping Kids at a Healthy Weight

Last year’s social distancing restrictions left many families cooped up inside. With more time indoors, screen-time increased and physical activity declined for many families. With the weather heating up, and outdoor restrictions lifting, many are eager to get back to their regular summer activities. Benefits of Being Active When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits: strong muscles and bones weight control decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes better sleep a better outlook on life Healthy, active kids are also more likely to do better in school. And physical competence builds self-esteem at every age. Additionally, regular physical activity improves mental health. It can have a positive impact on reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and ADHD. Exercise can boost overall mood. Getting outside to local parks and finding nearby recreation centers […]

POSITIVE PARENTING

Summer Slide: Tips to Beat the Seasonal Academic Slump

As kids enjoy the lazy days of summer, there’s no pause button for the brain. If you don’t keep your kids’ minds active, they could actually rewind a bit academically in what is known as the summer slide. What, exactly, is the summer slide? The summer slide is the academic setback kids sometimes experience over the long break from school. The seasonal vacation can allow the brain to forget the information learned and the skills gained during the previous school year when those skills aren’t being practiced or put to use. Just as our bodies need physical exercise to stay fit, our minds need mental exercise to stay stimulated and sharp. Research has shown that reading, math calculation, and other skills can be affected by summer learning loss. This past school year, the pandemic brought additional learning challenges for children as their routines were disrupted and they lost opportunities for engaging with […]

AWARENESS

Nut Allergies: What Friends and Family Need to Know

For parents whose children live with an allergy to peanuts or tree nuts, avoiding the ingredients can become a matter of cautious routine. It’s never easy, but parents grow accustomed to avoiding certain foods and contaminants, watching for symptoms, and carrying the necessary supplies in case of an accidental exposure. But what about friends, friends’ parents, or other family members? It can be hard to give a simple overview of the dangers and limitations that come with a peanut or tree nut allergy – especially when you’re trying to allow your child to live a life that’s as close to normal as possible. Here’s what friends and family members should know about caring for or spending time with a child who has a nut allergy – whether it’s a sleepover, family vacation, or a babysitting gig. It’s a real thing. No matter what your own experiences with peanut or tree nut […]

When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain by Thomas Craig Edwards, MD | Promise, powered by Nemours Children's Health

AWARENESS

When Your Child Has Chest Pain

When your child complains of chest pain, it’s natural to jump to heart-related conclusions. But most cases of chest pain in children aren’t caused by cardiac conditions. It can sometimes be hard to get a clear description of your child’s chest pain, but symptoms usually include: Tightness. Discomfort. Burning sensation. Pain when taking deep breaths. Coughing. Wheezing. So what should you do? Make an appointment with your child’s primary care physician, and keep in mind that chest pain in children is usually not heart-related. Chest pain can often be attributed to one or more of the following: Gastroesophogeal reflux disease, or ongoing heartburn Pain or inflammation in the chest wall Asthma Pneumonia Stress or anxiety Injury Viral illness Heading to the hospital is absolutely necessary in some situations. Seek emergency care if: Exercise brings about chest pain, or makes it worse. Chest pain occurs with rapid or irregular heartbeat. Fainting or […]

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Help for Hungry Children – Summer Food Program and School Meals

Summer and fun: two words that go hand-in-hand, especially when you’re talking about kids. However, summer break looks very different for many children. For millions of children from low-income households across the U.S., summer months mean no access to school meals, which may sometimes be the only nutritious food available. And even more children will have less food on their table this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For summer 2021 and 2022, the USDA has launched a new summer food program that will help all low-income children of all ages have nutritious meals and snacks. School Meals Help Keep Kids Healthy During the school year, many schools provide students with access to meals through federal school meal programs like the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. These programs are run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agencies, who reimburse schools that provide healthy meals […]

AWARENESS

Keep Your Kids Safe From TikTok “Challenges”

Rachel Simon, third-year pediatric resident at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, also contributed to this article. Teens’ use of TikTok, the social media app that allows users to watch, create, and share 15- to 30-second videos recorded on cellphones, has escalated during the pandemic. TikTok is now the second most popular downloaded app, after only Instagram. If you ask teenagers what they like to do online, chances are it’s TikTok. Almost half of TikTok users are between ages 16 and 24, and 90% of users engage with the app every day. The content varies widely and ranges from music, dance, exercise, and tutorial videos to humor and parodies. TikTok can get people moving, educated, and laughing. “It’s all good!” however, does not apply to all of TikTok. Here are just a few of TikTok’s dangerous “challenges”: “The Benadryl Challenge” involves individuals taking high doses of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter allergy […]

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

What You Could Miss If You Skip Your Child’s Well Visit

Your family has been doing their part and staying home as much as possible to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19. But messages can get confusing about whether you should take your child to their doctor for a pediatric well visit or check-up. Even during a pandemic, it’s important for kids to have their growth, development, and well-being tracked. What You Could Be Missing by Skipping Your Child’s Well Visit Physical Exam: A regular physical exam can help your doctor pick up hard-to-detect issues like high blood pressure, heart murmur, lumps and bumps, ear and hearing issues, and even cavities. Assessment of Growth: During a check-up, your healthcare provider will track height, weight, and BMI. These measurements can tell them if your child has any medical issues that impact growth. Assessment of Development: A development exam looks at parts of your child’s functioning, including things like reasoning and understanding, […]

BABIES & TODDLERS

Choosing the Best Yogurt for Kids

A walk down the yogurt aisle can be overwhelming to say the least. There is Greek, French-style, Icelandic, drinkable, squeezable, organic, fruit on the bottom, whipped, non-GMO, and dairy free. Supermarkets may have up to 500 different varieties of yogurt on the shelves. So which is the best yogurt for kids? What is yogurt? According to the FDA, yogurt is defined as a fermented dairy product. It is derived from the fermentation of milk by two species of bacterial cultures, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Other cultures such as Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, or different species of bifidobacteria may be added for taste, texture, or for their probiotic properties. There is no FDA standard for plant-based yogurts, which may be fermented using S thermophilus and L bulgaricus.1 Live cultures are living organisms which change milk into yogurt during fermentation. Some yogurts are heat-treated after fermentation and most, if not all, of the […]

POSITIVE PARENTING

Online School and Bullying – Know the Signs and How to Prevent It

Many children have gotten used to going to school and learning virtually since the beginning of the pandemic. But now, some students are facing a new form of cyberbullying via the chat functions on Zoom, Google Media, or whichever tool their school district uses for online learning. School administrators, teachers, and parents should know the signs of this type of bullying and work together to prevent and stop it. When the Chat Becomes Mean Virtual meeting and classroom tools have become useful to educate children during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, parents and teachers are seeing that some students are using the chat function to make fun of other kids, taking screenshots or photos to ridicule their looks, social status, and what they have or don’t have in the background. Unlike an incident that happens in school and is often quickly dealt with and then forgotten, shared photos and messages can […]

ARTICLES RELATED TO: School-Age Kids

ARTICLES RELATED TO:
School-Age Kids