Back to School Super Stars
Power up your childs health and give them a great start to the new school year!
Sleep
Summer is spontaneous and fun but sometimes that means sleep schedules are out the window. An easy way to promote both mental and physical health is to help your child get back to a regular and consistent sleep pattern. Its recommended that most school-age children get between 9-11 hours of sleep per night. Aiming for the higher end of that range during times of increased stress or physical activity is important for their bodies to fully recover. Additionally, getting to bed around the same time each night promotes a regular and consistent circadian rhythm
Make space for mental health
A new school year means a drastic change to a child’s life. As adults, it would be comparable to us showing up to a brand-new job with a new boss and colleagues, but without previous life, experience to show us how to navigate the situation. Learning to make new friends, and getting used to homework, and schedules can be overwhelming. Take some time to go out for a back-to-school treat and talk about how they feel, ask them about their concerns, and let them know that you are always there for them. Check out this great resource and others from Big Life Journal on how to make new friends.
Provide great nutrition
If you haven’t seen my Instagram post about added sugar yet, go check it out. Looking for ways to reduce added sugar in your child’s diet can have a big impact on focus, energy, and mood. A big culprit here is breakfast cereals, consider replacing breakfast cereal with something that has more protein and healthy fats. Premade egg cups like these are great because you can add in a few vegetables and modify them to your kid’s taste preferences. Other ideas might be full-fat yogurt with berries, oatmeal with nuts or nut butter, breakfast burritos, or chia seed pudding bowls. It’s also important to know that no one food is ever just breakfast food. Anything can be eaten at breakfast!
Fortify their immune system
Every parent knows that with the new school year comes sickness. Be proactive about your child’s immune health by providing them with beneficial nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. These can help prevent or lessen the severity of illness. I’ve created an easy access back to school protocol with my favorite kid friendly supplements. Always check in with your health care provider regarding dosing for these nutrients.
Schedule a wellness visit
If you have any concerns that need to be addressed or need to have your child assessed for participation in sports make an appointment to visit with me. We can make a target plan to help your child get off to a great start in school.