Let The Adventure Begin

Every year at this time parents begin to send their sons and daughters off to their first year in college. Student and parent are excited and scared at the same time because this is such a big event in their lives. I know, 2 years ago our daughter left home for the first time to attend school and what an adventure it has been. For all of us.

For parents with children who suffer from allergies and/or asthma it can be particularly trying time. For years we have worked hard to keep them away from the things that make them sick or uncomfortable such as: dust, pollen, mold, dust mites, animal dander, etc. Now they are headed off to live in a place we have very little if any control over. The good news is there are some simple things you can do that will help reduce the allergens their new homes.

When our daughter moved in to her apartment the first thing we did was help her clean it really good paying special attention to the bedroom. We encased her pillows, mattress and box springs in dust mite allergy proof encasings. Then we treated the carpet with the ADS anti-allergen spray.

She brought her Austin Air air cleaner from home and put it in her bedroom and uses it as a night / printer stand. Since it is made out of metal it has held up very well.

Of course she promised to keep her room neater than she did at home and do her laundry every week. Don't ask how that turned out.  We kissed her goodbye and said we would see her at Thanksgiving. While she had a few problems with her allergies, she pretty much managed to stay healthy throughout the year. 

Your children are starting out on a new adventure, one that they will remember and benefit from for the rest of their lives. If they suffer from allergies or asthma you can do a few simple things now that will help them all year long.

Let us help make the adventure as allergy free as possible. Click here to see our "Back to School" dorm packages.

Eating Nutritional Foods Can Help Children Be at Their Best Academically

Source: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

The start of the school year also means the return of school lunches, and the choice of brown-bagging or eating in the cafeteria. “Lunches served in school cafeterias are not always the best choice and I recommend that sometimes lunches need to be packed,” says Mary Pat Alfaro, MS, RD, CNSD, education coordinator in Nutrition Therapy at Cincinnati Children’s.

A nutritionist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center says that it may seem contrary to perception, but a lunch from home may be the better choice, nutritionally. “Although The Healthy School Lunch Campaign is urging schools to serve more balanced, lower fat meals, a packed lunch means the parents are in control of what children eat, including their portion size.”

Multiple studies have shown that poor nutrition adversely effects school performance and overall achievement. Improving health and nutrition in undernourished children is correlated with less absenteeism, more grades completed and better performance on tests. Good nutrition also improves mental and behavioral performance. Eating well everyday is good insurance for parents that children arrive to school ready to learn. (Read More)

Allergic to School?

Source: National Jewish Health

Back to school for kids means getting new clothes and supplies, seeing old friends and hoping the teacher will be "cool." For children with allergies, the fall season - and possibly school itself - also can bring an array of symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, headaches and hives. These children, and their parents, can manage back-to-school hazards with good planning, communication and awareness, say experts at National Jewish Health.

"Allergies that are properly treated should not keep these kids from doing what any other kid can do," says Michelle Freas, R.N., Coordinator of Medical and Health Services at the Kunsberg School on the National Jewish Health campus. Kunsberg is an accredited school that educates and treats chronically ill students in kindergarten through 7th grade whose medical conditions made it difficult for them to attend regular school consistently. (Read More)