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By Brooklynn Curley, APRN-C
Wow! Can you believe it is already August? If you are a mamma like me, the anxiety of back to school season might be creeping up on you if it hasn’t hit already. It’s such a magical time of new backpacks, “first-day” pictures, new milestones, and more, but we sometimes forget the impending overwhelming mental load of keeping up with homework, field trips, last minute need for childcare, sick days, sports, chauffeuring kids in every direction, preparing dinners, bedtime struggle, early morning blues, time constraints, and all the in betweens.
BREATHE. Here you will find tips and tricks to help you gain a grip on this overwhelming but beautiful season of life. The biggest trend and one I think we can all agree we want to get on, is de-stress, de-clutter and self care for ourselves and our family. Let’s dive in.
Lets Talk Dermatology: Adolescent Skin Issues
Did you know that there are adolescent skin issues that directly correlate with back to school?
Lets talk about contact dermatitis. This is when the skin becomes irritated or inflamed after it comes into contact with a triggering environment. This can lead to new onset of rashes, itchiness, scaly skin or lesions. Being a kid, this can interfere with their daily life especially concentrating in school. Fungal infections and viral skin infections are among the most common causes of contact dermatitis. Remember good personal hygiene such as proper hand washing starts at home. Be sure to keep antihistamines and corticosteroid creams on hand for instant relief.
Lets talk puberty and Acne Vulgaris
Acne is a normal part of puberty but depending on the severity it can be debilitating and leave permanent scarring. Acne is caused by hair follicles getting clogged with oil, skin cells, and bacteria. It is important to know as a parent, there are safe and effective treatment options. If your child is suffering from mild to moderate acne, we can offer an in-office treatment that is FDA approved. It combines a gentle vacuum with broadband light technology. This is a comfortable treatment and your child will have no downtime with improvement seen as early as 2 treatments. See the results of one of our very own patients!
Additional tip:
Remember to apply sunscreen for the kids whether its school recess, after school sports, or weekend activities.
Lets Talk Healthy Routines and Habits
Good routine and healthy habits will ease the stress of the back to school blues. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to optimize the sleep, health, and productivity of your little ones.
• Limit screen time before bed and healthy sleep patterns
• The National Sleep Foundation recommends stopping the use of electronic devices which include phones, tv, and game consoles at least 30 minutes before bed time.
• Blue light can cause damage to retinas with extreme exposure
• Blue light increases alertness in the brain which makes it harder to fall asleep
• Blue light decreases total amount of REM sleep which can lead to next day drowsiness and sluggishness
• Maintain a pre sleep routine and a consistent bedtime to assure adequate rest
• Limit caffeine
• The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggest a max of 100mg of caffeine daily which is about two 12 oz cans of soda for adolescence 12-18 years old
• Caffeine is found in soda, tea, sports drinks, juices, and chocolate
• Excess caffeine can cause insomnia, hyperactivity, nausea, upset stomach, headache, fatigue, and problems concentrating
• Keep hydrated
• For kids in sports and regular outside activity, hydration helps improve muscle function and circulation. It also helps prevent fatigue and muscle injury.
• Hydration helps replace the water lost through excessive sweating and is key for thermoregulation and prevention of heat exhaustion.
Additional tip:
Get your kids active, outdoors, and moving. This is important for heart and lung health, boosting immune system, strengthening bones and muscles, maintaining a healthy weight, boosting a child’s mental health, improving concentration and memory, reduces stress, and improves sleep.
Mamma’s Put Yourself First…
Have you ever heard that saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”? How is your cup looking? Remember, we can’t take care of others until we take care of ourselves. There is so much truth and power in those simple words. How? With the chaos of back to school schedules, how do we find the time to put ourselves first? Read more for some tips and tricks…..
Exercise and Nutrition
• Exercise is a natural stress reducer
• Exercise reduces the levels of the body’s natural stress hormones being adrenaline and cortisol, while at the same time increasing the production of our happy hormone called endorphins
• You don’t need to go to the gym daily, it could be something as simple as walking the dog morning and night, doing family strolls, or 20-30 min of that Instagram or Ticktock video of at home body weight workouts you saw, after all the kids go down for bed.
• Nutrition is key, and this isn’t trying to stick to some FAD diet or trying a new approach every week. This is as simple as eating whole and nutritious dense foods while being mindful. Good nutrition also improves quality of life, sleep, inflammation, health, and stress.
• Simple foods that are packed with omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and other nutrients include
• Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, cinnamon
• Keep easy to grab no prep snacks like fresh fruit, mixed nuts, crackers and hummus, yogurt
Side note:
I am a certified personal trainer and what I always preach that we are stronger than our excuses.
Self Care Routine
• Let’s destress and make sure we are taken care of first. Make a schedule and plan out your days. Assuring you wake up on time with adequate time to complete morning tasks will help prevent the stress of a rushed morning.
• Give up control over things that don’t provide joy.
This includes endless hours of cleaning, cooking, and house chores. Make a split schedule and complete only certain tasks each day. This will pour time back into you and into your family.
• ASSESS THE MESS
• Categorize tasks by day, week, and month
• Set a timer for 30 minutes a day and accomplish household tasks within that time and then call it quits
• Now you have some extra time back in your day, what does self care look like? You can journal, take a bath, read, find empowering podcasts, meditate, try yoga, massage, facials, etc. Remember you are an individual who deserves a break too.
• Try meal preps, crock pot meals, ready to go dinners, make weeknights easy
Back-to-School Affirmations for Moms
(from theeverymom.com which is a great resource for moms in 2023)
• “My children’s successes and failures are not my own.”
• “I deserve help.”
• “I’m doing enough.”
• “I deserve rest.”
• “I’m a good mom.”
Let’s make this the best back to school season yet! Happy August.
MidState Skin Institute Services:
Medical Dermatology
The science of treating the skin, hair, and nails to relieve or cure skin disorders.
Surgical Dermatology
The practice of dermatology that specializes in surgical procedures & minimally invasive techniques to treat skin cancer.
Cosmetic Dermatology
The practice of improving the look and health of one’s skin through medical or surgical procedures, to help patients look and feel their best.
Aesthetics
Treatment for the skin, hair or body that is meant to enhance the appearance of patients through minimally invasive techniques & personalized topical skin care recommendations.
