With the summer slipping away and the fall approaching, it’s time for parents or guardians to start helping their children prepare for school. Between shopping for school supplies and new shoes, children should be taken for a regular physical examination in preparation for the start of classes. When it comes to making sure kids are ready to spend hours a day in the classroom, at recess and on the field with sports teams, nothing could be more important. The following are five reasons to take your children to get physicals before the school year starts.

1. Immunizations

It’s important to stay current on immunizations. Perhaps the biggest reason is take kids to doctor before the school year starts is to check their immunization record, and receive any immunizations they need. This is especially important because of all the contact with other children that happens at school. Sickness spreads quickly, and keeping current on immunizations will help kids avoid some of the nastier bugs their classmates could pass along.

2. Stay on top of Issues

The doctor can detect problems that might impair learning. A doctor can check for problems that might keep a child from struggling in school, such as something complicated like attention deficit disorder (ADD), or something simple like a vision problem that requires glasses or contacts. Without visiting the doctor, a child may struggle due to a physical condition with a parent or guardian knowing why.

3. Build Trust

A regular physical builds the relationship between doctor and patient. Establishing a relationship of trust and familiarity with a doctor is important. When children regularly see the doctor for a physical examination before school starts, the doctor will be constantly aware of their medical history and current prescriptions. This will help ensure ongoing awareness and treatment of conditions during the school year. It’s also important that kids, especially young ones, learn to trust their doctor. This will make them comfortable to share when they are not feeling well or have a troublesome condition.

4. Get Ready for Activities

The Doctor can “OK” kids for school sports. With the start of school comes the beginning of school-related sports. For many school sports, a permission slip verifying the physical health of the child is required, and a recent physical examination is often necessary. Whether it is or not, it’s still a good idea for kids to have a physical examination before participating in school sports to make sure that they don’t have physical conditions that would make sports too dangerous.

5. Easy to Remember

For some families, it’s the only time of year that works. Families are often busier during the school year, and making a regular physical examination happen during that time is difficult. Additionally, it can be hard to set an appointment with doctors around the regular school holidays. Planning a regular summer visit can ensure that it will actually happen each year, and the doctor will more likely have a more free schedule.

Call Rodriguez MD today and book your child’s physical! We can’t wait to see you.