Inform the school about allergies
Many children suffer from serious allergies to anything from eggs, to beestings. If some of these allergies are not treated correctly, they could even be fatal.

'It's vital that parents keep the school informed', says Johannesburg mother Jacqui Spence, whose children both suffer from life-threatening allergies to peanuts. 'I work in partnership with the school and I find the cooperation is great once people understand how serious this is. With the permission of the head teacher, I do staff training once a year for all teachers. I've also made available a video and two books so my children's teachers can explain it to their learners.

I also believe that ongoing contact is critical, so I keep them informed, e-mailing articles to the school.' Jacqui has extended her peanut-allergy awareness campaign to the public through radio interviews and media information.

Lice and fungi
Most schools suffer a lice epidemic at some stage. Luckily, there is a range of effective medicated shampoos on the market (ask your chemist for Lyclear or, if you want a natural alternative, rinse your child's hair in Apple Cider vinegar and water, keeping the solution on for about a day.), and the eggs can be removed with a fine-tooth comb. If your child has lice, inform the school so that other parents can watch out for the telltale signs, which include itching and small white dots (nits).

Fungal infections such as athlete's foot and ringworm also spread easily. Although you can't completely prevent your children from catching these, you can reduce the risk with precautions such as drying feet thoroughly after a swim, wearing slip-slops in the shower and around the pool, and not sharing a comb or towel with another child.

Eyes and ears
Being unable to hear the teacher or read the blackboard can result in learning problems. Hearing tests and eye tests are conducted at some schools. If there is a problem, parents will be sent a letter advising them to see a specialist in the field. If you notice that your child is squinting or getting frequent headaches, for example, make an appointment for them to have an eye test. Many opticians offer this service free at certain times – it's worth making enquiries.

Hearing tests are conducted by speech and hearing therapists. Signs that your child could have difficulty hearing include a lack of reaction to loud noise, frequently asking you to repeat yourself and speaking unnaturally loudly.

Stressed out at 16?
Children don't have the same experiences and coping mechanisms as adults, but they are increasingly exposed to the same stressful world. Whether it's a global war, local crime or the domestic strains of an unhappy marriage, children must cope with a great deal.

Add to this the social pressures experienced by teenagers, as well as the need to achieve in exams, and it's not surprising that many suffer from the symptoms of stress and even develop anxiety disorders. This can seriously disrupt their schoolwork. The physical symptoms that can result from stress include fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, aches and pains and even fever.
For more information about children and mental health, contact the South African Federation for Mental Health, (011) 725-5800 or the Mental Health Information Centre of South Africa , (021) 938-9229.

Bumps and scrapes
Injuries are an inevitable part of children's active lives. Once a year, someone is bound to fall from the monkey bars at an awkward angle, or twist an ankle on the hockey field, but such accidents do not mean that the teacher has been negligent. What is important is that your child's school is prepared for this kind of emergency.

Enquire whether there are trained first aiders on the staff and if they are present at sports events. Contact the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Southern Africa on (021) 685-5208 or e-mail CAPFSA for information on how to keep children safe.

Aids awareness
The latest figures show a shocking increase in Aids deaths among young people and your child needs to be aware of the ways in which HIV is spread. Older children should be informed about the risk of sexual transmission. And from pre-school age they should be taught to avoid touching other children if they are bleeding.

This doesn't have to be done through scare tactics – it's a safety rule just like crossing the road when the traffic light is green. For contact numbers of organisations that provide Aids education, call Nacosa (Networking Aids Community of South Africa) on (021) 425-4308, (012) 339-8602 or (031) 332-3825 or e-mail Nacosa.