The last days of school are nothing short of exciting. Kids love celebrating their accomplishments and looking forward to weeks of sleeping in, swimming and playing at the park. For parents, the end of the school year can feel a bit overwhelming with all the parties and celebrations, not to mention the backpacks to empty and items to clean.
My Hair Helpers is a family-focused company that offers head lice prevention and treatment solutions using natural ingredients. We do what we can to make life easier for parents and guardians, and we have some tips that will help you get through the final days of school. Summer is almost here – let’s get ourselves ready to enjoy the fun!
1. Clean Out Your Child’s Backpack
Most families are ready to toss backpacks to the side, but now is the best time to go through everything. If you put this chore off, you’ll have mounds of papers to go through later in the summer.
Separate papers into piles – those you plan to keep and those you plan to toss. Wash gym uniforms, jackets, hats, mittens, etc. Also clean and disinfect your child’s backpack and lunch box so it’s ready for the next year.
2. Check Your Child for Lice
Another thing you’ll want to do is check your child for head lice. Adult lice are white or light yellow in color and oval shaped. They tend to hang out on the back of the neck and behind the ears. If you catch them early, you can drag them out with a lice comb.
Nits (lice eggs) can be mistaken for dandruff since they are found close to the scalp. The difference is that dandruff falls right out and lice eggs do not. Removing nits stops them from hatching and reproducing.
Checking your child for head lice ensures they’re not bringing lice home from school, and they won’t be spreading it to other kids during summer camp, sports or sleepovers.
3. Plan a Flexible But Structured Routine
Summer is meant to be more flexible, but kids and parents still benefit from having a schedule. Purchase a dry erase calendar and plan your month in advance. Try to keep your kids waking up and going to bed around the same time, and write down any activities you have, such as summer camp, football practice or gymnastics.
Head lice is a common occurrence at summer camp, and it pays to be proactive. By marking down the dates your child has camp, you can start early by checking their head for lice and using prevention products like a lice repellent spray and mint shampoo and conditioner.
4. Schedule Physical Appointments
Most schools require an annual physical and immunizations before the school year starts. These appointments fill up fast, so it’s best to schedule them now and get them out of the way. Plus, you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes time to register the kids for school and fall sports.
5. Encourage Your Child to Try New Things
iPads and televisions provide a nice distraction, but experts recommend limiting screen time to two hours a day for kids six and older, not including schoolwork. The best thing to do is set these boundaries early on so that your kids don’t fall into the trap of watching the screen all day.
Explore your area, sign the kids up for camp or encourage your child to try something new, such as a new sport or music lessons. Volunteering at a local animal shelter or food pantry is also a good way to give back to the community while teaching your child valuable skills.
6. Continue Doing Head Lice Checks
Many people assume that the risk for head lice is low once their children are out of school, but this isn’t the case. Your child can still pick up head lice at summer camp, daycare, sleepovers, sports and extracurricular activities. Continue checking your child once a week for head lice, and use prevention products as needed.
My Hair Helpers offers a full line of lice prevention and treatment products that you can purchase from us directly or on Amazon. We also have salon and mobile appointments if you believe your child has lice and you’d prefer us to handle the treatment. Let us know how we can help make your summer the best one yet!
