Doctor reveals the five things you should NEVER do during back-to-school season

A doctor has revealed the five things that she avoids prior to sending her kids back to school.

Dr. Natalie Azar, a mom of two, appeared on the Today show to share what she's learned in preparing for the hectic start of the school year. 

The overarching goal, of course, is to get kids to school on time in the best possible physical and mental state for them to focus and learn.

First and foremost: Never skip vaccines. 

That includes the COVID booster as well as vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and meningitis - as well as the seasonal flu.

'This is vitally important to keep not only your child safe, but also the community safe,' she stressed. 

Second: Don't dive into the school year without an established bedtime routine.

Children aged six to 12 need between nine and 12 hours of sleep while 13- to 18-year-olds need eight to 10 hours of sleep.

'Kids who don't sleep well enough, that can not only impact their physical and mental health, but also their academic performance,' she explained.

She suggested preparing kids for the earlier wakeup times by having them go to sleep 15 minutes earlier and getting up 15 minutes earlier, incrementally progressing toward the target wake-up time until they've adjusted. 

Third: Don't send your kids out the door without breakfast. 

Eating a healthy breakfast is as important as sleep, argued Dr. Azar. 

Kids who don't get an 'adequate' breakfast can suffer from a poorer school performance, have less capacity to pay attention, and a worse ability to handle frustration.

Fourth: Never send them to school without an 'action plan' for any medical concerns or conditions.

This is especially relevant to kids with conditions like asthma, allergies, type one diabetes, epilepsy and so on. 

'You want to make sure that the school nurse has easily legible instructions from the pediatrician and medications that are not expired,' said Dr. Azar.

Lastly: Don't send them to school if they're sick with certain symptoms. 

A fever of 101°F or higher, or vomiting, or diarrhea, within the past 24 hours, means they stay home, no question.

A slight cough or sniffle, however, does not warrant keeping them home.