Eight tips to keep your kids healthy as they go back to school
Wendy Ziersch and the team at Murray Bridge Medical Centre want your little ones to be as happy and healthy as can be for term one, 2026.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Murray Bridge Medical Centre.
Parents, you’ve done it: you’ve made it through the summer holidays and your children are about to go back to school.
You love them, and you want to make sure they’ll be healthy enough to get through every school day – no early pick-ups.
What can you do to help them?
Murray Bridge Medical Centre practice manager Wendy Ziersch and physiotherapist Sam Lutze have a few handy tips.
Make sure your child has any medication they might need
If your child lives with asthma or allergies, the start of the school year is a great time to double-check that the front office has medication that is appropriate and in date.
Children with asthma will likely need to have an inhaler on site, and those with allergies may need an Epi Pen.
The school will need a list of your child’s allergies, or a more detailed anaphylaxis plan, so staff can aim to provide a safe environment – ask your school’s front-office staff.
For asthma, you may also need to book an appointment with your GP and make sure your child has an up-to-date asthma plan.
In either case, it is a good idea to speak with your child’s new teacher and make them aware of anything they might need to know.
Check that their backpack is right for them
As a parent, your main concerns about a child’s school bag might be:
- Where is it?
- Is it filthy or falling apart?
- Does it have old food in it? (Really, child?)
But it’s also important to make sure that your child’s backpack is the right size for them, keeping in mind that they may have grown taller over the summer.
“Ideal backpacks are ones that blend within the contours of your child’s spine … (and sit) close to the body,” Sam says.
“The further away the weight is hanging back, the greater the load that is going to be applied to the spine.
“It’s the same as if you’re lifting a weight in front of you: you want to have it close to your body.”
The way you – or they – pack a child’s backpack is important, too.
It’s natural to think about putting heavy items at the bottom of a bag, but try to make sure that they’re spaced out so that the weight of the bag will be more balanced.
Shoes are important, too
School shoes seem to shrink and get holes so quickly, don’t they?
Even if they seem okay, it’s worth checking to make sure that they fit properly and are in good nick.
Not only will that prevent falls, it will help your child’s spine, too, Sam says.
Hopefully they can do up their own laces.
What else?
- Encourage your child to get plenty of sleep: ideally 9-11 hours for a primary school student, according to SA Health
- Pack healthy lunches with foods from each of the five food groups – see advice from the Cancer Council on healthy food, and SA Health on food safety
- Fill up their water bottle so they can stay hydrated, which will help them concentrate – here’s some info from Health Direct on recommended daily water intake
- Protect against head lice by plaiting or braiding long hair and checking your children’s scalps regularly, SA Health suggests
- Make sure your child’s immunisations are up to date – see SA Health’s info on vaccinations for preschool children and for students in years 7 and 10
If you’re doing all those things, congratulations – you’re a legendary parent!
Good luck as you head into the school year.
- More information: Visit Murray Bridge Medical Centre at 35-37 Adelaide Road between 8am and 5pm on weekdays, call 8531 2988 or visit www.murraybridgemedical.com.au.
Advertising to more than 20,000 highly engaged locals can do wonders for your business. Call Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
