I’m a pediatrician with 2 sons. Here’s how I keep my family healthy during back-to-school and 3 key items I always have on hand.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children’s. It has been edited for length and clarity.

It’s kind of a whirlwind that first day—going back to school, getting up on time, getting them fed, getting them out the door.

I have two boys. One is almost 13 and in middle school, and the other is 10 in elementary.

My husband and I are both working parents, and we miss a lot of school events because we cannot take time off. So, instead, we started a tradition that’s made back-to-school more fun for everyone.

My husband and I both take off work, and we all go out for breakfast. Then, while the kids are at school, my husband and I have a date, which is great.

My 3 go-to items for back-to-school

• Honey to help soothe coughs.
• Some good soap and hand sanitizers, so if people are getting sick, you can prevent the spread.
• Healthy prepackaged snacks so kids can stay full and aren’t tempted by unhealthy options.

How to plan for back-to-school germs

Back to school is a common time for families to get sick, and I recommend that working parents, especially, plan ahead.

Know what your work’s illness policy is and get your bench lined up of the people that you might need to rely on for those situations. Who is going to pick your kid up from school if you can’t leave work, and who can take care of them if you can’t get time off?

I also recommend having a few items, like thermometers, some OTC medications, and sanitizing agents, on hand so you won’t have to run out to the store in the middle of the night.

Keep acetaminophen and ibuprofen readily available for aches and pains—just make sure you know which one you’re giving because you don’t want to give both.

For coughs and congestion, my family likes to have honey and nasal spray on hand. We avoid cough medicines and decongestants since they have not been shown to be effective, especially in young children, and they can have side effects. Any store-bought honey should help soothe a cough, just don’t give it to any child under 1 year old.

We also enforce good hand hygiene and make sure to have soap and hand sanitizers around the house, so if people are getting sick, we can better prevent spread among family members.

The 1 thing I tell all parents

I cannot emphasize enough to all parents the importance of ensuring their kids’ immunizations are up to date well before school starts.

The other thing is to think ahead for fall and schedule your and your family’s flu and COVID vaccinations, ideally before November. We know that those vaccinations reduce the likelihood of getting sick, the severity of illness if you do get sick, and the days spent away from school and work.

I also recommend buying a couple of those influenza and COVID test kits that you can do at home, so you can try to figure out what’s going on with your kid. Those kits cost a lot less than what they would charge at your healthcare institution.

How else I keep my kids healthy for back-to-school

I would say in general, the most important thing that you can help do to strengthen your kid’s immune system, besides getting them vaccinated, is making sure they eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep and physical activity.

Eating fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains in moderation will be more effective than any over-the-counter supplement at keeping kids healthy. I get asked a lot about elderberry, vitamin C, and probiotic supplements. We avoid these in our family since they’re effectiveness lacks strong pediatric evidence.

When it comes to probiotics, I’d rather my kids eat fermented foods and foods with probiotics. One of the first foods I ever gave my kids was kefir, a fermented drink similar to milk but that tastes more sour. Instead of mixing cereal with milk, they mix it with kefir, which provides lots of different probiotics for a strong gut microbiome.

I also like to meal prep their lunches for the week, which helps reduce stress. I usually cut up veggies and fruits on the weekend so they’re ready to go for meals and snacks when the kids are on the go, which is often.

My eldest is in a lot of sports and usually wants something to eat the minute he gets into the car after practice. Washing hands is super important after sports, so I like to keep baby wipes and sanitizer on hand in the car. He also carries some hand sanitizer with him.

Nobody wants their lives disrupted by illness, especially during back-to-school when life can feel a bit chaotic. While there’s a lot we cannot control, staying up-to-date on immunizations, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and keeping some key medications and sanitizing items on hand can help prevent or reduce your number of sick days ahead.

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