Ways to Keep Kids Healthy

Back to School season, isn’t it fun?  New classrooms, new teachers, new friends, new learning, new supplies, new germs… Um, what now?  Listen, it’s a fact.  Leaving home means exposure to other germs.  Germs make friends with other germs.  Kids share those germs like nobody’s business and then they share some more. I like to think of it as them developing stronger immune systems…. but we also work hard to teach the kids that they have ways THEY themselves can help to keep healthy and not miss school from being sick. There are three biggies to think about when looking for ways to keep kids healthy.  Rest, hydration and wash hands.  Really, the big big big one is hand washing.  The more they wash, the better off they will be.  Lysol’s Healthy Habits initiative seeks to reduce absenteeism and improve children’s performance both in the classroom and beyond. Today kicks off the start of 2015 Healthy Habits Week!  Healthy Habits Week is a nationwide educational effort to teach healthy habits to kids. Taking place September 21-25, 2015, Lysol works hand-in-hand with teachers and parents to teach children about health and hygiene through fun activities and simple lessons.

Lysol has teamed up once again with Football Legend and Healthy Habits Coach, Jerry Rice to garner his unique Healthy Habits anecdotes and best practices to implement to set children up for success.

• Rest Up! Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Children should be getting 8 – 10 hours of sleep each night to ensure they are well rested for a day of learning.

• Make Time for Fitness! During the school year, kids are definitely running on a busy schedule, but that doesn’t mean that you can skip out on regular exercise. Incorporate at least one small but easy physical activity into their daily routine. Some examples are doing chores around the house or opting for a hike over video games.

• The Twenty Second Rule – From the lunchroom to the playground children are always using their hands! Remind them to practice proper hand washing etiquette to help keep illness at bay. Teach them to w­­ash their hands for a full twenty seconds by having them sing the “Happy Birthday Song” twice from beginning to end.

Using products like Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, which kill 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria on commonly touched surfaces in schools and your home, can make a huge impact on the spread of germs. Key things to disinfect that many overlook: doorknobs, coathooks, light switches, phones, keyboards.  It’s not just tables, sinks and faucets that need to get some attention with the disinfecting!  Germs aren’t just on those surfaces!

Calling all Teachers! Lysol wants to reward teachers who are practicing and teaching Healthy Habits in their classrooms! Do they encourage hand washing before lunch or have a “cover your sneeze” policy? All they have to do is submit a short video sharing how they incorporate Healthy Habits into their classrooms. To learn more and participate in the Healthy Habits Contest, visit Lysol.com/healthyhabitscontest. Entries will be accepted up until October 16, 2015 and videos which have the most votes could win gift cards for classroom supplies!

Lysol has partnered with the National Education Association (NEA) and National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), with health messages from the CDC, to launch the Healthy Habits Program. Working together, they’ve developed materials to educate students on proper hand washing and other techniques to keep germs from spreading and reduce sick days. Lesson plans for teachers can be found at Lysol.com/HealthyHabits.

What are some things you do to keep kids healthy? 

Thanks to our friends at Lysol for sponsoring today’s ways to keep kids healthy post.  Opinions are my own.