Every August, I work a second job: Managing the back-to-school process for my kids.

And after buying supplies, filling out forms, figuring out transportation and downloading this year’s apps, I’m ready for a break — not a sick child. And I’m guessing you feel the same.

So I asked pediatric nurse practitioner Jacquia Randson of Novant Health Pediatric After Hours Care - Poplar Tent in Concord, North Carolina, for her smartest tips to keep our kids healthy and in school.

Here’s what she shared.

5 tips for a healthier back-to-school season

1. Lead a handwashing boot camp.

At the start of the school year, teach your child handwashing skills.

Have your child practice turning on the water and finding a temperature that’s warm, not hot. Ask them to pick a favorite song or make up a silly handwashing song together — the key is that it’s at least 20 seconds long. (The ABC song or Happy Birthday both work.)

Teach them how much soap to use and how to scrub the front and back of their hands, up to the wrists, and in between their fingers. “If they have long fingernails, we gotta get in those a little bit, too,” Randson said. Then have them turn the water off and dry their hands thoroughly.

Teach your child the 6 most important times to wash their hands:

• After going to the bathroom
• Before eating a meal or snack
• After playing outside
• After touching an animal like a pet
• After sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose
• When walking into the house after school

Kids learn through repetition, so practice together for a few days in a row and give constructive feedback.

2. Stow hand sanitizer in these 3 areas: Lunchbox, backpack and car.

Although hand sanitizer has its limits, it’s definitely better than not washing hands.

So if your child has the dexterity to open and close a hand sanitizer container and the maturity to use it safely (Randson suggests this is usually around second or third grade), keep one in their lunchbox and backpack and encourage them to use it when they don’t have access to a sink.

And keep hand sanitizer in the car and create a habit of using it after buckling.

3. Keep germs at the door.

While washing hands is the best way to reduce your child’s possibility of getting a cold or virus, germs can survive on surfaces like polyester and cotton.

So Randson suggests creating an entryway drop zone for your child’s school shoes and backpack — “give those items a living space so they aren’t dragged throughout the house,” she said.

She also recommends having kids change out of their uniforms or school clothes when they get home. An after-school bath or shower isn’t necessary unless your child just finished a sports practice or game, but teens should bathe or shower at some point every day.

If your child plays sports, keep sports equipment and cleats outside and wash practice jerseys and uniforms between uses.

4. Wash every part of your child’s water bottle — and follow safety tips when packing a lunch.

Wash the inside and outside of reusable water bottles every day — and make sure you clean each piece, even if it’s annoying to disassemble. “It’s definitely worth the effort,” Randson said. “If you take that straw piece off, there’s some nasty stuff living in it.”

If you’re packing a lunch, make sure you:

• Use an insulated lunchbox if you’re packing dairy, meat or cut fruit — a brown paper bag won’t keep them cold enough.
• Include two cold sources in the lunchbox — one on top and one beneath perishable food. Ice packs and frozen juice boxes or water bottles count.
• For hot foods, fill an insulated container (like a thermos) with boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes before pouring out the water. Then add the hot food.
• Clean and sanitize the inside and outside of the lunchbox with Lysol wipes or a similar cleaner every day.
• Wash food containers in hot soapy water and let them dry thoroughly.

5. Get your child's flu shot, ideally in September or October.

Children should receive a flu shot every year, Randson said.

Getting a flu shot every year reduces children’s illnesses from the flu, doctor’s visits from the flu, missed school days from the flu, and risk of hospitalization and death from the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Randson recommends getting a flu shot in September or October to protect your child through the peak flu season. If your clinic has it in stock in August, you can add it to a back-to-school visit and still get good coverage for the flu season.

If your child has received a flu vaccine before, they only need one dose. If it’s your child’s first flu shot, they may need two doses, depending on their age. Your pediatrician can advise you.

If they’re sick — keep them home.

There’s no way to avoid all illness, because “kids are kids — they’re going to touch everything,” Randson said. “You’ll tell them not to pick their nose, but they’re going to pick it anyway when you aren’t looking.”

But teaching proper handwashing, minimizing germs brought in the house, following food safety guidelines and getting flu shots can help them get sick less often.

And if your child does have symptoms? “Don’t allow them to make the decision about going to school — they’re kids,” Randson said. Instead, keep them home if they have:

• A fever over 100.4, as measured with a thermometer (not the back of your hand)
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Thick yellow or green discharge from the nose that has been ongoing for a few days
• New onset rash
• A new, barky cough that started overnight, a deep productive cough, or an ongoing cough that isn’t getting better
• Red eyes or yellow discharge from their eyes — in this case, keep them home and notify your child’s pediatrician because they need to be evaluated

And if you’re worried about any of these symptoms, reach out to your child’s pediatrician — or, if it’s after hours, stop by a Novant Health Pediatric After Hours Care location.