5 things I never do during back-to-school season as a doctor and a mom

Sending your kids back to school can be a relief from nonstop summer activities, but it may also present challenges of starting a new routine and getting them back into healthy habits.

As a mom of a college sophomore and high school junior, Dr. Natalie Azar, NBC News medical contributor, is no stranger to the trials of back-to-school season. She stopped by TODAY on Aug. 27 to share some mistakes she strongly discourages fellow parents from making this time of year.

I never let my kids skip vaccines

There's a new COVID vaccine booster available to all kids ages 6 months and up, but that's not the only shot you should make sure your kids get or have already gotten this fall, Azar said.

Have them roll their sleeves up for the flu shot in September or October, and don't forget about other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio and meningitis.

"CDC.gov and your pediatrician (are) wonderful resources to make sure your kids are up to date on all those other (vaccines)," Azar said.

I never start the school year without a bedtime routine for my kids

Kids between 6 and 12 need nine to 12 hours of sleep, and kids 13 to 18 need eight to 10 hours of sleep.

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

Ahead of the school year, try moving up a child's bedtime and wake-up time by 15 minutes each day until you reach the target times to help them acclimate to the change.

I never let my kids skip breakfast

"As important as sleep is also eating a healthy breakfast," Azar said. "We know that kids who don't get an adequate breakfast don't perform as well in school, they're not going to have as much attention, as much energy, and they also can't deal with frustration quite as well."

To make time for breakfast, both you and your child can try getting up a little bit earlier, or make sure you have some grab-and-go options on hand. Azar recommended healthy cereal, such as whole grain — just make sure it has fewer than 10-12 grams of sugar and more than 3 grams of fiber.

I never send my kids to school without an action plan for their medical conditions

Common childhood medical conditions that may need to be treated at school include asthma, allergies, diabetes and epilepsy. "You want to make sure that the school nurse has easily legible instructions from the pediatrician and medications that are not expired," Azar advised.

I never send my kids to school sick

This tip is especially important as the U.S. is currently facing its biggest COVID wave ever during back-to-school season.

Keep children who have symptoms of COVID or any virus away from other people, especially high-risk family members. And if your child is showing signs of illness, do not send them to school, even if they test negative for COVID, experts previously told TODAY.com.

Once the child has been fever-free (without the use of medication) and symptoms are improving for 24 hours, the CDC says it's OK to take them out of isolation.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com