School supplies are on clearance, making way for Halloween and Christmas decorations; so obviously, it’s almost mid-August. Right about now your kids are oscillating between mourning summer’s end and the excitement of the new school year.
We’re asking ourselves how to best prepare for this upcoming transition: A new backpack? New shoes? An iPad?
I think the answer is simpler (and cheaper!) than that: infection prevention.
The American Psychology Association confirms studies dating waaaay back to the 1980s that have shown direct correlations between a person’s stressors, whether good or bad, and decreased immune function.
Of course, we will be throwing our stressed kids into a building filled with hundreds of other stressed kids! The “bugs” are waiting, fully prepared to seek out these weakened chinks in our child’s armor. They are banking on the fact that the close proximity of their “hosts” (our kids) will help them take over the world.
So, you can ask yourself one of two questions:
1. How much sick time did I save over the summer to use this fall as bacteria invade my home?
OR
2. What can I do to prepare my children to battle these vicious little bugs?
I have five easy answers (everyone loves lists).
Editor's note: This article was originally published on THE MINNESOTA 2020 BLOG . To read the full article, click here.
