Healthy Habits for Spring Break

April 24, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Use these tips to have a worry-free, healthy vacation.

Mom applying sunscreen to child

Spring break is just around the corner, and many families are getting ready to go on vacation. While this is an exciting time for kids and parents alike, it’s important to make sure that everyone continues to practice healthy habits while enjoying their time off. Here are some healthy spring break habits for parents taking their kids on vacation:

  • Disinfect High Touch Surfaces: Regardless of where your spring break takes you, help protect your loved ones and reduce the spread of illness-causing germs by disinfecting surfaces while traveling. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes To-Go Packs are great for all your travel needs – they’re designed to clean and disinfect surfaces on-the-go while killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. Throw them in your bag, use them on planes, or anywhere else you might want some extra cleanliness while you travel.
  • Stay Hydrated: Traveling can be exhausting and dehydrating, especially if you’re spending time in the sun. Encourage everyone to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and avoid sugary drinks that can lead to dehydration.1
  • Beat the Heat: If you’re vacationing somewhere warm or spending a lot of time outside, make sure your child is fully protected from the sun by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a factor of SPF 30 or higher to all exposed areas of skin. Apply 15 to 30 minutes before heading outside and make sure to reapply every 2 hours or after swimming.2
  • Handwashing: Washing your hands is a simple and effective way to help prevent the spread of germs. Encourage your children to wash their hands frequently, especially after eating, playing outside, blowing their nose, and coughing or sneezing. As always, make sure your child is using soap and water and washing for at least 20 seconds.3

As everyone returns to school after break, remind your kids to carry these habits back into the classroom for the reminder of the school year. For more resources, visit Lysol.com/HERE.

1 CDC.gov “Heat Stress: Hydration.”

2AAD.org “How to Apply Sunscreen.”

3CDC.com “Handwashing: Clean Hands Saves Lives.”

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Keeping Healthy Habits Top of Mind this Summer

July 18, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Help Protect Your Children from Germs during the Summer Months with Healthy Habits

(Sponsored Post)

With summer vacation full steam ahead, help your children stay healthy and enjoy all that summer has to offer! Whether your family is soaking up the sun on the beach or running through the sprinklers at home, as part of the Healthy Habits Program, Lysol wants to spread the word on the importance of healthy habits by sharing easy and effective tips to help protect your children from spreading illness during the summer months. Some simple ways to do so include:

  • Wash Up: Getting sweaty and a bit dirty is inevitable for any summertime activity, so proper and frequent handwashing is a must! Use warm water and an adequate amount of soap to create a nice lather – scrubbing for at least 20 seconds!
  • Support Your School: To help protect your children from the spread of harmful germs during summer, purchase Lysol Disinfecting Wipes and Lysol Disinfectant Spray to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on hard surfaces in the home, while earning cash for your school! All Lysol products are eligible for Box Tops for Education redemption to help you support your school one clean surface at a time!
  • Bug Off: For time spent playing outside, it’s important for you to remind your children to wear insect repellent to prevent bug bites and diseases! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also encourages parents to check children and pets for ticks regularly![1]

Visit Lysol.com for more information and tips to help keep your family healthy.

Rory Tait is the Marketing Director at Lysol. He drives the Lysol Healthy Habits campaign, a program focused on educating parents across the country on the importance of healthy habits and good hygiene practices.

Box Tops for Education and associated words and designs are trademarks of General Mills, used under license. ©General Mills

[1] CDC.gov. “Make Summer Safe for Kids” (May 23, 2016)

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Kilgour Elementary: Healthy Food Zone

March 13, 2017 By Leave a Comment

“Healthy Hands.” Students creating permanent art installations for the cafeteria makeover

Change can be challenging to initiate, especially when you are just one elementary school in a public-school district with over 60 schools. It’s easy to feel too small.

But thanks to our Healthy School Meals grant, Kilgour Elementary School in Cincinnati, Ohio was given an opportunity to stand out and help make change happen. Not only have we been able to take steps to improve the perception of our school meals, we have also been able to create partnerships and momentum to improve our school’s wellness culture.

To help create a positive, healthy-lifestyle atmosphere, this year our school’s cafeteria will host six student-created permanent art installations, as well as a large scale “Farm to School” mural, illustrated by two talented collaborators—a Kilgour parent and school art teacher.

Ever wonder if Kindergartners know how to make a salad? Ours do! Thanks to our “Free Salad Bar Friday’s” every student and staff member can visit the school’s salad bar on Friday and create their very own green masterpiece. Every week over 100 students participate in the free salad bar—students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience school meals.

Kindergarten students enjoying “Free Salad Bar Friday’s.”

Growing a positive partnership with our school district’s Food Service Administrative team has given us many opportunities, like bringing in extra salad dressing for students and trying new food items like sweet potato sticks before other schools. Our partnership also has led us to the donation of a Tower Garden growing system to our school, which gives students firsthand experience in growing their own food and creating meals and snacks from the harvest.

Our partnerships have also blossomed in Kilgour Strong Cooking Classes. Local top chefs, in partnership with local distributors, have volunteered their time to help promote school meals. Students in grades 4-6 will be given an opportunity to participate in four free cooking classes, during which they will create a meal served in our school’s cafeteria. These students will be empowered to recreate these meals at home, plus learn why the ingredients are smart choices.

Being one school out of 25 schools awarded the National PTA School Meals Grant reminds us that no matter how small we may feel, we are powerful, we can create change and that we certainly can stand out.

 

Lauren Boehm is a proud mom of a second and third grader, and co-chair of Kilgour Elementary School’s Wellness Committee.

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A New Year for Family and School Health

January 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment


(Sponsored Post) It’s a new year, and for many of us it’s a time to assess our health and resolve to shed a few pounds, add more fruits and vegetables to our diets, get more exercise and generally do what we can to make ourselves and our families healthier.

It’s also a good time to take stock of the health of your child’s school. After all, that’s where they spend most of their time outside of your home—nearly 1,200 hours each year. Start with a simple quiz to see what you know about your child’s school. Does the school:

  • Allow adequate time for kids to have recess?
  • Provide active indoor recess to ensure kids get physical activity during inclement weather?
  • Ask parents to bring healthy snacks instead of sweet treats for birthdays and celebrations?
  • Incorporate active games and non-food rewards as part of classroom celebrations?
  • Provide opportunities for physical activity during the school day, such as brain breaks in the classroom?
  • Adhere to Smart Snacks standards for school meals and foods sold in school?
  • Host healthy fundraisers involving nutritious foods or physical activity?

If you answered “no” or “I don’t know” to any of these questions, don’t despair. Join your school’s or PTA’s wellness team and find out! Then pick an area where you can make a difference. Get inspired by others like Tara Fisher-Munoz, a parent in Austin, Texas who took her passion and expertise in gardening to form the Go Green Team PTA with other volunteers and start the school’s garden program. Or Dana Dougherty, a parent and substitute teacher in Arlington, Virginia, who worked with her PTA to set up the 2FIT2QUIT team, that organized 5Ks and family fitness fairs and secured pedal desks to keep kids active while learning.

These parents started with big ideas but small steps. They and many others will attest that once you get started, it’s hard to stop, because just one program can spur a culture of health at school. By getting involved in school wellness, you can also help reinforce those healthy habits your kids are learning at home – and likely learn something new for a healthier you, too.

Learn more about how to get involved in school health at ActionforHealthyKids.org and celebrate your school’s health and wellness during Every Kid Healthy Week.

Amy Moyer, MPH, RD, is the VP Field Operations with Action for Healthy Kids and mother of two girls.

Action for Healthy Kids is a National PTA sponsor and has been invited to submit a blog post as part of their engagement with PTA.

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