Fit for School: Local Experts’ Advice for Keeping Kids Healthy

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The wheels on the bus go round and round … and round and round a few more times for many children in the Lake Superior region. In fact, that long bus trip to school, say health experts, may be one of the wellness issues regional parents should understand heading into the new school year.

When it’s time to send children off to school, parents’ health checklists might include vaccinations and teaching children to cover when they cough. But there are a few extra regional health tips for children in our northern clime that might surprise you, like adequate sleep, proper clothing at bus stops, plenty of outdoor activity and, believe it or not, drinking enough water.

Get Enough Zs

Early to bed does help when it’s early to rise for so many rural children catching a school bus.

Independent School District 166 in Grand Marais, Minnesota, has the distinction of the longest school bus route in Minnesota – up to 50 miles one way – bringing children from the end of the Gunflint Trail or from Schroeder or Grand Portage into town.

“A first-grader can get on the bus at 6:30 a.m. and get home at 5 p.m.,” says Kay Borud, school nurse for Grand Marais schools.

That early rise may make for exhausted children. “A lot of kids are really busy over the weekend, and they get to school Monday, and they’re exhausted,” Kay says. “Oftentimes kids come in my office asking to just lie down for a while.” Children face similar challenges in other parts of the Lake region. In Wisconsin, Madeline Island middle and high school students take the ferry, windsled or ice road to Bayfield to attend school, though some may live in town for the school year. Bus routes for the elementary school in Baraga, Michigan, cover more than 220 miles of territory, and students average an hour one way on the bus.

Nurse Kay recommends parents take an active role in their children’s sleep health. “I would encourage everybody to keep aware of the sleep requirements that kids need.”

The National Sleep Foundation advises that preschoolers get 10 to 13 hours of sleep each night; elementary kids need nine to 11 hours; and teens need eight to 10 hours each night.

Lack of sleep might send a few kids to nap in the school nurse’s office, but there are other subtle and significant effects as well.

“Getting enough sleep affects their school performance, their health and their ability to fight off infections,” says Dr. Sharon Hammond, board certified family medicine physician at the St. Luke’s Chequamegon Clinic in Ashland, Wisconsin.

A regular bedtime sets the stage for a good night’s sleep, the doctor says, along with limits on nighttime TV watching, no late caffeine consumption (including soda and chocolate) and no up-to-the-bedtime stressful activities, including homework.

Shelving the electronic devices before bedtime – and forbidding their use after lights out – is critical.

High school students who interrupt their sleep to receive or send text messages are unlikely to get to Stage 4 sleep – the important REM, or “rapid eye movement,” period of deep sleep, health experts report.

“Turn the phones off,” the Chequamegon Clinic doctor recommends. “Don’t receive texts. They can see them in the morning.”

There are other safety and health concerns connected to bus rides, such as traffic even in rural locations or along busy highways.

In the Lake Superior neighborhood students need to dress for off-to-the-bus conditions, but should be ready for those changing temperatures that mark our region. In fall, for example, students might arrive at school wearing shorts, but may need long pants and jackets by the ride home.

The basic rule is like the Scout motto: “Be Prepared.”

Cover the Basics

There are, of course, the basics of good health regardless of where you live, including vaccinations, flu shots and plenty of hand washing.

Certain vaccines are required for all public and private schools in the Lake Superior region in Minnesota, Ontario, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Preschool and day care centers also require immunization records before students are admitted.

According to the family practice physician, most families in her clinic agree with vaccinations. “Some families are afraid that they’re too hard on the immune system, and they want to space them out, but this is more difficult for the children psychologically. They get more pokes more often,” Sharon says. “Many studies show that grouping vaccines doesn’t harm immune systems, and children respond just fine to it.”

Flu shots are also important for all family members, she advises. Infants as young as 6 months old can get the flu shot. “Children still die of the flu these days. We don’t see it often, but it does happen.”

As you have heard, sending children to school does mean that every virus there can be brought home and passed to the whole family.

Teaching your children the basics of covering a cough and frequent hand washing can keep viruses from spreading. The doctor also advises teaching them not to rub their noses or eyes because viruses are easily transmitted that way. The rule, Sharon says, is “keep your hands off your face.”

Regularly washing or sterilizing everyday household items, like toys, dishes and toothbrushes, will go a long way to staving off illness. “You can re-infect yourself.”

Whatever you do, though, kids will get sick sometimes. That can actually be a good thing, the doctor says. “Every cold they get will help build their immune system, but there are so many viruses out there, they can’t develop immunity to everything.”

Hydrate for Good Health

“Have you had enough water?”

Kay in Grand Marais frequently asks that of the students in her school office. Often they have not.

Kids need five to eight cups of water every day, according to a study by researchers at Queens College of the City University of New York (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010).

Water is especially crucial for children in our region, which surprisingly can be quite arid. In Grand Marais humidity can get down to a dry 15 percent.

“I am pushing water all the time,” Kay says. More often than not, she finds that a student’s headache may simply come from being dehydrated, and 12 ounces of water takes care of the problem.

Although it’s a myth that caffeinated beverages can dehydrate you, water is the best way to stay hydrated. Lake Superior tap water does the trick best.

Most of All, Get & Stay Active

Physical activity is another key to good health for everyone, especially for children. With so many electronic distractions today, it can be hard to push the kids out the door – sans video games – for playtime.

“They’re spending way too much time sitting in the house,” says the doctor at the Chequamegon Clinic. “They need to get out and wear off some of that excess energy.”

Interestingly, Sharon adds that “organized sports don’t really count. Kids have to behave, sit still and listen. They need free play. Kids just aren’t allowed to be kids these days. Everything’s organized.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children and adolescents need at least one hour of physical activity every day. The doctor recommends that parents spend that time outside with their kids.

Keeping active helps the mind as well as the body. Research shows that active kids perform better in class. The Institute of Medicine indicated in a 2013 report that active children have greater attention and faster cognitive processing speeds than less active kids.

Parents play a vital role in making sure their children get enough physical activity all year long.

“It’s good to get them out during the winter,” the clinic doctor says. Sharon’s list of optional activities includes snowshoeing, building snowmen and snow forts, and cross-country skiing, all heat-producing tasks. She advises that kids should wear waterproof gloves to avoid frostbitten hands. Hand warmers can be useful, as long as they’re not placed directly against the skin.

Weather conditions and a child’s age will be factors in determining when it’s safe to romp outside.

“Below zero is not safe to take really young children outside unless they have scarves over their faces, but they’re going to be at risk for frostbite, especially if there’s wind,” the doctor says. “The smaller their body size, the more you have to be aware that they will get cold faster.”

Schools know they have a role, too, in getting kids active. “Students need to get outside,” says Sarah Ching, director of Promise Preschool in Duluth and mother of two grade school-age children. “They’re going to be more focused when they come back in the classroom.”

At Lester Park School in Duluth, the parent-organized Health and Wellness Committee, on which Sarah serves, is exploring ways for students to get enough exercise when recess stays inside.

“Extreme cold is so difficult,” says Susan Lehna, Lester Park School principal. “That’s part of why we wanted to develop the wellness committee and target things we want to do more of.”

Most days, Lester Park students get 20 minutes of outside recess. Within an eight-day rotation, they also do two periods of physical education totaling one hour and 45 minutes, and teachers conduct lessons in the school forest or take classes on walks outside.

But when the weather keeps students inside at recess, they often play games or watch movies. The committee wants to include active ideas for indoor time. “Incorporating movement games in the classroom, or even putting on music, will help students get the unstructured movement time they need while indoors,” Sarah says. “On extreme cold days – and there are a lot of them – we’re looking at organized games and activities in the gym.”

After school, when it’s too cold to play outside, facilities like the YMCA or community centers offer great options. Swimming, a running track or organized gymnastics can give children the action they need. Some Ys offer parent-supervised free play for young children.

“It’s so important for children to become members of the Y. It keeps them active throughout the year,” says Lyndsey Pilkington, supervisor of children, youth and family programs at the YMCA in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The Sault Y has day care, before and after school care and special children’s programs on school holidays. “Playfit” gives parents with young children access to age-appropriate equipment. Family Play Zone opens the gym for families two evenings and on weekends.

A physically active childhood lays the groundwork for a lifetime of fitness and well-being, says Lyndsey, who should know. A women’s national ice hockey champion for Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, she holds many North American and Canadian speedskating records in her maiden name, Parissenti.

Lyndsey, her husband and children, ages 4 and 2, all joined the Sault Ste Marie YMCA and put in time on physical activity.

“Time spent with family is worth every second,” Lyndsey says. “What better way to stay active than to do it with the ones you love?”

7 Checks on Your Child’s Sleep

  1. Make sleep a health priority for everyone in your family. Talk about the importance and benefits of a good night’s sleep with your kids.
  2. Set appropriate and consistent bedtimes for yourself and your children … and stick to them.
  3. Know how your child uses electronics in the bedroom. Create a plan for appropriate use at night and set boundaries about use before bedtime. (Light from electronic device screens may interfere with sleep.) During bedtime, the devices should be shut off and shelved, or taken out of the room.
  4. Ask teachers about your child’s alertness during the day. Tell them you want to know if your child is falling asleep in school.
  5. Create a sleep-supportive bedroom and home environment. Dim lights or shut some off around the house prior to bedtime. Adjust the temperature for sleep – above 75° F or below 54° F may disrupt sleep.
  6. For at least half an hour before bed, encourage activities such as reading or listening to music. Turn off the TV, video games and web surfing.
  7. Make sure children’s activities, including homework, can be completed well in advance of the scheduled bedtime.

Source: The National Sleep Foundation.

Worth a Shot

Vaccine requirements for public and private schools in the Lake Superior region are consistent in Minnesota, Ontario, Michigan and Wisconsin. They include immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella (chickenpox). Up-to-date immunization records are required to get into kindergarten. Booster shots are required about age 12 and again at about age 16. Find more details at these websites:

Is Your School Active?

Sarah Ching, director of Promise Preschool in Duluth, suggests that families inquire about their schools and day care health goals. “The more parents ask,” Sarah says, “the better for the school.”

Sarah’s suggested questions include:

  • What is the school’s treat policy? Do students get sugary treats as rewards?
  • If the school serves snacks, are fresh fruits and vegetables included?
  • How often and for how long do students go outside each day?
  • Is there physical activity at recess in bad weather or just movies and sit-down games?

Duluth-based writer and outdoorswoman Felicia Schneiderhan sends her oldest child, Rafe, off to kindergarten this year.