Back to School Safety Tips

Jan 16, 2024

Your child’s back-to-school checklist likely includes a lot of things, like buying school supplies, signing permission sheets and packing lunch boxes. Getting sick or hurt probably isn’t on the to-do list, but it can be hard to avoid. After all, schools are petri dishes for all sorts of crud and playgrounds are … well, they’re playgrounds.

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Stuffy noses and scraped knees are inevitable. But taking proper safety precautions (and teaching them to your kiddos) can help make the next school year as healthy as it is exciting. Pediatrician Adam Keating, MD, shares his back-to-school safety tips to for everything from bikes and busses to backpacks and the buddy system.

Dr. Keating explains that no matter how your child gets to and from school, you want to make sure they bone up on these four safety basics:

If your child is responsible for getting themselves to and from school, it’s important that they have a way of communicating with you (and emergency services) if something happens. Cell phones are the most common way to keep tabs on a tiny (or not-so-tiny) traveler. And remember: If your child uses a buddy system to get to school, be sure you both have the numbers of their friends’ parents saved.

If your kiddo can’t use a cell phone, putting a GPS tracker on their backpack (or a kid-friendly smartwatch on their wrist) can help you know where they are on their route to and from school. Some of the GPS trackers even have virtual fence capabilities, so you get alerted when they arrive home.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), children are most at risk when getting on and off the school bus. If your child is riding the bus for the first time — or if they need a refresher — these are the most important safety tips to remember:

Biking to school isn’t just fun, it’s also great exercise! But Dr. Keating reminds us that it can also be dangerous if you and your child don’t take the proper precautions.

If you’re lucky enough to live within walking distance of your children’s school, that’s great! Here are Dr. Keatings’s tips for making sure the trip to school is as safe as it is invigorating:

For teenagers of a certain age, there’s little more exciting than the prospect of driving themselves to school. Dr. Keating suggests you and your freshly minted motorist put these items on your to-do list:

Once you’ve got those fundamentals down, Dr. Keating suggests keeping these safety tips in mind:

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all how important being able to go to attend school is for children’s mental health, growth and development. It’s also taught us that we all have a responsibility to protect ourselves — and the people around us — from infectious disease.

A completely illness-free school year probably isn’t in the cards, but Dr. Keating says doing these four things can help keep bugs at bay:

With all the hustle and bustle of a new school year, it can be easy to overlook preventive care. But it’s important for kids to attend those appointments. Without them, they can fall behind on the schedule of childhood vaccinations. Regular pediatrician checkups are also vital to maintaining their health.

If your wee one’s already a bit behind, it’s not the end of the world. Luckily, it’s never too late to get caught up.

“If you’ve fallen behind on well-child preventive care, make an appointment with your child’s medical provider,” says Dr. Keating. “There are more reasons than just immunizations to visit your pediatrician every year. We want to look at a child’s growth and development, do screenings, look at mental health and social situations and offer comprehensive advice.”

Your child probably got a lot of the vaccines they needed by the age of 2. But some shots require boosters and others — like the HPV vaccine — aren’t given to children until they’re older. These are the jabs children in the US need to get as part of their complete schedule of vaccines.

There are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing the schedule:

Dr. Keating also urges children and parents alike to get the flu (influenza) vaccine every year.

COVID-19 vaccination

While it’s the last thing we want to think about, it’s always possible that a new COVID-19 wave or variant could disrupt the school year. None of us want that. That’s why it’s equally important to take preventive measures now.

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently available and changing to meet the needs of the public as the virus changes. The COVID-19 vaccine booster schedule has changed recently. Check with your healthcare provider if you’re due or look at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s up-to-date vaccine recommendations.

“In the general population, kids do tend to be at lower risk for complications of COVID compared to adults, particularly older adults,” notes Dr. Keating. “But that doesn’t mean zero risk. And the vaccines really are safe and effective.” Kids ages 6 months and up are eligible for covid vaccine.

What if your kiddo recently had COVID-19? How does that change their vaccination schedule?

“Generally, if someone has an acute infection with COVID, it’s probably reasonable to have some time spaced between their booster and their acute infection,” he adds. “And it’s worth talking with their doctor about what that optimal interval is.”

For kids heading back to school, there are a few simple hygiene rules they can follow to stay healthy.

“We’ve all learned how important basic hand washing is for preventing illness, as well as not touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as you can,” says Dr. Keating. “These are great ways to transmit pretty much any respiratory virus. Keeping distance from those that are coughing and sneezing certainly decreases the risk as well.”

If your kid is the one coughing or sneezing, they can help keep their classmates safe by using the crook of their elbow, not their hands, to cover their mouth. It’s also a good idea to consider masking if your child is returning to school after any respiratory infection, not just COVID-19.

It’s also important to clean surfaces regularly and avoid sharing food and drink to avoid getting sick with conditions like norovirus, pink eye (conjunctivitis) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

No matter how cautious everybody is, schools are infectious disease incubators. So, when your child inevitably comes down with a contagious condition like the common cold, or hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), it’s important to keep them home until they’re better.

Dr. Keating reminds us that you should never send a child with a fever to school, even if all of their other symptoms have subsided. A fever is a sign that they’re still ill and potentially shedding germs.

In the case of bacterial infections like strep throat, it’s also important to keep your kiddo home for the first 12 hours they’re on antibiotics.

Between recess, gym class and team sports, it’s tough to get through an entire school year without a boo-boo or two-two.

Dr. Keating recommends teaching your wee ones the following rules to keep play time as safe as it is fun:

The dreaded back-to-school shopping list seems to get longer every single year. But when it comes to health and safety, the supply list is mercifully short! Dr. Keating recommends your child have the following on hand when they hit the hallways this fall:

If you’re feeling generous, consider donating disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and boxes of tissues to your student’s classroom. Trust us: If their teacher doesn’t need them, somebody else will!

For some kids, choosing the right backpack is a big deal. They want to make a fashion statement (who doesn’t?), but safety should always be priority No. 1. Dr. Keating’s advice for picking the best backpack is:

And it’s not just about choosing the right backpack, it’s also about what you pack!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child’s backpack should weigh no more than 15% of their weight. Carrying a backpack that’s too heavy can cause back, neck and shoulder pain and even affect your little bookworm’s posture.

Nobody ever wants to think about an emergency happening during the school day, but preparation is the best prevention. Here are some things you can do to put your mind at ease:

Your kid may not be back in school yet, but there are still plenty of lessons they can learn to ensure they stay happy, healthy and safe this year. From preventive healthcare and backpack selection to bus stop safety and playground rules, every little bit helps!