The 5 golden rules for children to have a safe return to the classroom

(CRHoy.com) After almost 2 years in virtual and dual modality, on February 17, students will finally return to 100% face-to-face classrooms.

Therefore, it is important to take into account a series of recommendations so that this return is as safe as possible for minors, bearing in mind that this new school year will take place at the time of an increase in COVID-19 infections due to the omicron variant.

Dr. Olga Arguedas, director of the National Children’s Hospital, calls on parents to monitor a series of healthy practices and habits that allow improving the school performance and the health of the child population, at a time when many families prepare to return to school in person.

The return to face-to-face classes, after virtuality accompanied families, could become a stressful moment for the family nucleus. The activities must be planned properly so that this does not happen, so the specialist recommends a sleep routine, maintaining adequate nutrition, review the vaccination card and practice basic hygiene measures To prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases, these are part of the main recommendations that must be taken into account during preparation for the new school stage.

1. Hours of sleep

   The doctor expressed the importance of guaranteeing the recommended hours of sleep, for its influence on child well-being and learning ability. It is common for children to get out of the habit of going to bed early, getting up early, getting ready, having breakfast and going to school, so adopting healthy sleep habits before classes start will allow them to sleep between 8 and 10 hours so that the night’s rest is satisfied. It suggests that parents send their children to sleep at a suitable time and wake them up earlier than usual, so that their body begins to readapt to the routine and the new sleep pattern. In addition, it aims to avoid caffeine consumption and keep them away from electronic devices at bedtime to prevent sleep from being interrupted.

2. Healthy nutrition

   Arguedas stressed that “one of the recommendations made by the medical center’s specialists is to respect breakfast and the 5 times of eating per day, among the benefits achieved with this good practice is that it provides the energy necessary for academic performance, learning and recreation, necessary during the educational process”.

   For their part, the school snacks they must contain nutritional options, varied and colorful, with different flavors and textures, that are attractive to children, inviting them to try them, as well as not neglecting the consumption of fruit and drinking water during the day.

3. Extreme hygienic measures

   It is recommended to extreme hygienic measures with the purpose of reducing the increase in cases of diarrhea and respiratory infections that usually increase during the return to school. Applying the cough and sneeze protocol, as well as proper hand washing with soap and water, before eating and after going to the bathroom or changing diapers, are among the most effective measures to prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases, which They went down with the pandemic.

   The director of the medical center also reminds parents of the importance of vaccination in minors from 5 to 11 years against COVID-19, before this long-awaited return to presence. Likewise, that the child has updated the complete immunization schedule for his age and not forget the correct use of the mask, if possible, wear several to change during the day. The foregoing, together with rigorous and frequent hand washing, interpersonal distancing, adequate ventilation of work spaces and staying away from others, particularly when ingesting food or liquids. Families must collaborate with the collective health of the school by reporting respiratory symptoms in their children and family members and not sending them to educational centers in case they occur.

4. Road culture

   Likewise, it calls on parents to promote a Road culture to avoid road accidents that put the lives of minors at risk, so safety devices must be a priority when transporting these children to educational centers. If they are transported by car, they must use the car seat accessories corresponding to age, weight and height. Check on the website of the Road Safety Council (COSEVI).

   Parents, in turn, must insist that children must cross through safe areas and reinforce the importance of using the traffic lights and the signs in force in the national territory well.

And finally, the mental health of children must be watched carefully by parents, providing confidence, security and hope, the specialist pointed out.