Back to School: Ready for September?
It’s that time of year again!
Backpacks are coming out, school supplies are being checked off the list, university students are getting ready to head back to campus and workplaces are settling back into their regular routines after the summer.
September always seems to arrive quickly, and once it does, schedules have a way of filling up even faster.
While you’re getting everything else organized for the new school year, it’s also a great time to take a quick look at some of the everyday health essentials you keep at home.
Not because you expect to need them tomorrow.
Because some things are simply better to have around before you do.
SOME THINGS SHOULD JUST BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM
Think about the things you already keep in your medicine cabinet or first aid kit.
Bandages. A thermometer. Pain reliever.
You don’t buy bandages because you’re planning to cut your finger next Tuesday. You keep them around because eventually someone is going to need one, and when that happens, you’re glad you already have them.
Masks and rapid tests can be thought of in much the same way.
You may go days without reaching for either one. Then someone wakes up feeling under the weather before school, a family member gets sick, you’re heading somewhere particularly crowded or you simply decide you’d feel more comfortable wearing a mask that day.
That’s when having a few clean masks and rapid tests already at home makes life a little easier.
No last minute trip. No searching through drawers trying to find the one test you thought was still there.
They’re simply part of the things you keep on hand.
GIVE THE BACKPACK A QUICK CHECK
If you have kids heading back to school, there’s a good chance a mask or two has been living at the bottom of a backpack since June.
Now is a good time to clear those out and start fresh.
Take a look at the masks you already have and make sure they’re still clean, in good condition and, most importantly, still fit.
Kids grow quickly! A mask that fit perfectly last school year may not fit quite the same way this September.
Keeping a couple of fresh masks in a backpack, locker or sports bag means your child has one available if they want or need it during the day. Individually sealed masks are especially convenient for this since they can stay clean until they’re ready to be used.
And if your kids are particular about what they wear, let them get involved in choosing their masks too.
A favourite colour can make something practical feel a lot more personal.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE RAPID TESTS AT HOME TOO
Remember that box of rapid tests tucked away in the cupboard?
Give that a check while you’re at it.
Make sure you know how many tests you have left and review the current expiry information so you know they’re ready when you need them.
Testing options have also come a long way. In addition to COVID-19 rapid tests, there are now convenient combination tests available that can test for COVID-19, Influenza A and Influenza B using a single test.
That can be particularly handy once fall and winter arrive and someone in the house wakes up with symptoms that could point to more than one respiratory illness.
Again, you don’t need to spend September expecting everyone to get sick.
It’s simply a lot nicer to discover you already have a test in the cupboard than to discover you need it and it isn't there or worse, its expired.
BACK TO SCHOOL IS REALLY A RESET FOR EVERYONE
Of course, September isn’t only a change for kids.
University and college students head back to campus. Teachers return to classrooms. Parents get back into regular work schedules. Public transit gets busier. Sports, clubs and extracurricular activities start filling evenings and weekends again.
For many of us, it’s simply the point in the year when life gets busy again.
That makes the end of August a great opportunity to do a quick household reset.
Check the first aid kit.
Make sure the thermometer still works.
Take a look at the medicine cabinet.
Check your rapid tests.
Make sure the masks you have still fit everyone who may need them.
Put a couple of fresh ones in backpacks or bags.
Then check it off the list and get back to everything else that comes with the start of September.
SAVE 15% DURING OUR BACK TO SCHOOL SALE
If your September reset shows that you’re running low, we’ve got you covered!
PPE Supply Canada’s Back to School Sale is on now, with 15% off eligible products, including masks, respirators, rapid tests and more.
Your discount is automatically applied at checkout, so it’s easy to stock up on the essentials you want to keep around for the school year ahead.
Get stocked up, get those backpacks ready and enjoy the start of a fresh new school year!