Sending your child to a sleepaway Summer camp can be unsettling, especially if they have never been away from home before. Parents worry that their child will be homesick or exposed to situations that can mentally and physically challenge them.

Summer and sunny weather is here! However, summer is not the only time a child needs to be protected from the sun, and every child needs sun protection. Damage from exposure to UV rays builds up over time, so sun protection should start at an early age. It is essential for teachers and school staff to model sun safety and create an environment where there are sun-safe policies integrated with health education and practices. Teachers and administrators should recognize the importance of sun safety and create an environment that communicates these practices and sun safety education.

CBS recently covered news on the School Nurse shortage as a part of their “School Matters” series, and some are calling this a growing national crisis. They say “only three out of five schools across the country have a full-time school nurse... often forcing school administrators, with no medical training, to step in and provide some level of care.”

Technology is an intricate part of most of our lives, especially in the lives of our teens. Teens are checking their social media more than ever during the school hours and it’s likely a trend that won’t go down anytime soon. While schools may not be able to control how students use their phones at home, they can regulate how much they are used at school. Even though there is not a 100% guarantee you will stop kids from using devices like phones and tablets during class, there are ways that schools can cut down on unnecessary screen time during the school day.

Family issues, bullying, homework, and even world news are just some of the many triggers that can attribute to increased stress in a child’s life. Experiencing stress at an early age is common and normal, but too much stress can have negative repercussions on children’s health. Even though there are some stressful situations in life we can’t control, having “supportive relationships with adults as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress”. Here are some stress relief activities that can be implemented at school or at home to help reduce childhood stress:

Handing your child a phone, an iPad, or some other technology device to keep them entertained has become an easy fix for parents. Even though this solution may seem practical at that moment, it can have a lasting negative impact on children in the long run, if parents are not mindful. Children and teenagers between the ages of 8 to 18 years, spend an average of 7+ hours per day looking at screens.¹ Too much recreational screen time for children can impair their sleep and it attributes to poor cognitive development, affecting their overall health.²

Since the growing popularity of electronics, it has become more and more difficult to motivate children to go out and enjoy the great outdoors. Getting the kids to be active outside has multiple benefits: it helps avoid childhood obesity, it helps increase brain function, and it encourages them to think outside of the box. Parents know this, but how do they put that plan into motion and get children to go outside?

We know that it’s not always easy enduring the winter months in your classroom. The days seem so long, cold and gray, and winter woes affect teachers and students alike. Aside from your students feeling extra antsy, you’re probably also dealing with a lot of sick kids, especially during the flu season. When you’re in such close quarters, it’s very easy to share germs, so we have a few tips that can help you survive the winter!