Back-To-School Tips for Parents

Did you know that the back-to-school period is always a vulnerable time for the one in eight Kiwi children living with asthma?

Hospitalisations from asthma attacks are at their highest during weeks 3 and 4 of Term 1, so we are encouraging parents and caregivers to fill-out or update their child's Asthma Action Plan to share with their school and their teacher.

Asthma is serious but it can be managed. Your child’s action plan plays a big part in making sure you know how your child is doing and what to do if there is a change. It’s your doctor’s job to create the action plan, but like everything with managing asthma, it’s a team effort.

Below are some important things that parents can do to help their child with the return to school. Here are his tips:

• Check you have the inhalers and spacers your child will need for the start of school
• Make sure your child's Asthma Action Plan is up-to-date, and if you haven't got a plan, download one and ask your doctor to complete it.
• Share your child's Asthma Action Plan with their teacher (the plan can be completed digitally and shared with teachers and other caregivers).
• Get your child into the habit of regularly using their preventer inhaler.
• Make sure your child takes their reliever inhaler with them to school.
• Ask if staff at the school know what to do in an asthma emergency, if they don't you can share our poster.
• Ask if your school has an Asthma Emergency Kit, these can be purchased here.
• Learn more about asthma using our Parent Toolkit
• You can also download our Back-to-School checklist for families.\