Back-to-school time is a great time to ensure all your child’s vaccines are up to date. In fact, many school systems require children to be vaccinated to attend school. To ensure your child is up to date on their vaccinations, make an appointment with their primary care physician. Not having the proper vaccines could cause your child to get sick and miss valuable school time.

Back to school season is a busy time of year and the to-do list is long. Parents and caregivers often make multiple shopping trips for school supplies, backpacks, school shoes and other items. Another important trip is to your child’s health care provider. Most school systems require health forms prior to school entry, and it often feels like the list of required forms is growing. Here’s a guide to school health forms to help make sure your children stay safe and healthy at school!

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common virus that usually spikes in cases during the winter months. Unfortunately, this summer it’s unexpectedly spreading, especially in the Southern United States. The outbreak has been so concerning that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a health advisory about the spread of RSV in parts of the south.

Water makes up about 60 percent of human bodies. We constantly lose water through urine, sweat and breathing. So how do we replace all the water we lose and stay well-hydrated? Most people know that adults need to drink about eight glasses of water per day, but keeping babies hydrated has some special considerations.

It’s happened to all of us — you’re shopping at the grocery store and your toddler spies a cookie that they want. You say “no,” and next thing you know your child has erupted into a gale-force temper tantrum. How should you respond? Why do these meltdowns happen? Can they be prevented? We’ve asked child development specialist Tara Brennan for some tantrum tips.