By Jonah Charlton 

“Back to school” is set to take on a truly new meaning as many kids are set to return to the physical classroom for the first time in well over a year.

With the return to school comes a great deal of tasks to set your kids up for success this year. We’ve got you covered with our list of the four most important reminders ahead of the first day.

Make doctor appointments as soon as possible.
August is one of the busiest months for pediatricians who work to fit as many appointments in as possible to help complete back-to-school checkups.

While it varies depending on the school district, many children entering preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, or ninth grade are required to submit full physicals and immunization records.

Mask wearing is highly recommended.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all students, teachers, and staff – regardless of vaccination status – wear masks at all times while in schools.

The new mask recommendations come as the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly in the United States.

Review safety and sanitation measures with your kids.
While mask wearing will likely be a requirement in most schools, it’s easy for kids to forget best practices when it comes to maintaining social distances and washing their hands in school settings.

The CDC still recommends maintaining a 3-foot distance between students within classrooms. Consistent handwashing also continues to be one of the best defenses against the spread of COVID-19.

Get sleep schedules back into school mode.
It’s easy to let sleep schedules go over the summer, but our bodies need time to adjust to new schedules and sleep changes. Kids often complain about headaches, fatigue, and even nausea as the result of lost sleep in the first few weeks of school.

A few weeks before the start of school, get the kids into their anticipated fall routines. This means earlier bedtimes and less time sleeping in on weekdays.