Let’s Talk Healthier Habits for the Back to School Season & Beyond

Now that school is in full swing and fall is officially here it’s time to talk about healthier habits. As parents we all prepare for back to school by getting the usual supplies, pens, notebook sand more but now it’s time that we’re armed with the knowledge and tools for a healthier year. Lysol’s Healthy Habits initiative is all about helping to reduce absenteeism and improve children’s performance in the classroom and beyond.

Here are some products we’ve got on hand to help us with those pesky germs.

Let’s try and support teachers and children to utilize proper resources to help create a healthier school year by incorporating lessons in nutrition, fitness and hygiene. I know that teaching my daughter healthier habits especially for her nutrition made a huge difference. My daughter went from being the child who was a sick a lot to rarely sick. It took us a while as we didn’t know what resources were out there but now it’s easier for everyone to access resources and tools for healthier habits all year long.

To help with this worthy initiative Lysol has teamed up once again with Football Legend and Healthy Habits Coach, Jerry Rice to garner his unique Healthy Habits anecdotes and best practices to implement to set children up for success.

• Rest Up! Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Children should be getting 8 – 10 hours of sleep each night to ensure they are well rested for a day of learning.
• Make Time for Fitness! During the school year, kids are definitely running on a busy schedule, but that doesn’t mean that you can skip out on regular exercise. Incorporate at least one small but easy physical activity into their daily routine. Some examples are doing chores around the house or opting for a hike over video games.
• The Twenty Second Rule – From the lunchroom to the playground children are always using their hands! Remind them to practice proper hand washing etiquette to help keep illness at bay. Teach them to w­­ash their hands for a full twenty seconds by having them sing the “Happy Birthday Song” twice from beginning to end.

TEACHERS YOU CAN WIN GIFT CARDS FOR CLASSROOM SUPPLIES!

• Lysol wants to reward teachers who are practicing and teaching Healthy Habits in their classrooms! Do they encourage hand washing before lunch or have a “cover your sneeze” policy? All they have to do is submit a short video sharing how they incorporate Healthy Habits into their classrooms. To learn more and participate in the Healthy Habits Contest, visit Lysol.com/healthyhabitscontest. Entries will be accepted up until October 16, 2015 and videos which have the most votes could win gift cards for classroom supplies! 

• Lysol has partnered with the National Education Association (NEA) and National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), with health messages from the CDC, to launch the Healthy Habits Program. Working together, we’ve developed materials to educate students on proper hand washing and other techniques to keep germs from spreading and reduce sick days. Lesson plans for teachers can be found at Lysol.com/HealthyHabits.

Now let’s all have healthier habits all year long! What healthy habits do you encourage in your family? Feel free to comment we want to know.