It's that time of year: Back to School Wellness for your kids

It's that time of year friends... Back to School. Summer time is great but there is definitely something about starting a fresh, new school year. New notebooks. New teacher. New pencils. I can practically smell the brand new pencil crayon box and freshly lined paper. But it is also challenging starting to get yourself (and your kiddos) into a routine for the school year. This blogpost we are going to focus on getting your kiddos back into gear for a successful new school year!

SLEEP

Sleep is so, so, so important. During the summer any sleep schedule your kid had probably went out the window right? Which is fine because summer means they can likely sleep in later in the morning... but during the school year? As if. Those 7 am (or earlier) wake up calls come EARLY and your kiddos feel it if they have had an irregular sleep schedule during the summer. Harvard University recommends initiating a school sleeping schedule about 1 week before starting school! Children require about 8-10 hours of sleep a night so an easy way to figure out a bedtime is counting back from when they will need to wake up! Remember that consistency is key and

Screens & Sleep - It always seems easier to give your kiddo the iPad or your cellphone before bed to "unwind"but the blue light and screens actually wake your brain up. Screens emit "blue light" and exposure to that blue light 2 hours before sleep can have a detrimental impact on the quality of your sleep and leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Blue light has actually been linked to disrupting your body clock!

LUNCHES & SNACKS

There is a mountain of research out there suggesting that healthy nutrition radically improves cognitive function and academic achievement. The most powerful study was the Carolina Abecedarian Project, a study of more than 100 low income children that started in 1971 and followed the children through to age 40. Children who were given healthy meals and provided access to wellness resources were:

• less likely to fail or repeat a grade in school
• 4x more likely to graduate from college
• 4x more likely to hold a skilled jobs

Why could this be? Specific vitamins and minerals that our body gains from nutrient-rich food plays a hugely critical role in brain growth, development and learning. Studies have shown that obese children or students with poorer nutrition show less brain activity, especially in the frontal cortex, which is associated with attention, short-term memory, planning a motivation. An easy way to promote good nutrition is involving your child in their lunches and having their input. Try out new fruits and veggies, cheese, sandwich combinations, etc and involve them in the recipes and container shopping! If they have some time to plan with you and get excited, you may be more likely to avoid them choosing the sugar-filled-junk that graces so many kid's lunches these days!

HOMEWORK

Does anyone actually LIKE doing homework? I know I didn't. But having a specific space to get your work done is a great way to set up your kiddo for success. Another great tip is deciding with your kiddo before school starts when they will do their homework - right after school? after dinner? Obviously this could always be changed and adjusted but outlining your expectations and coming up with a plan with your child starts things off on the right foot!
Scholastic has some other great homework success tips check them out HERE
Make sure that as much homework your kiddo has, they also need to have downtime everyday regardless of their age for their mental health.

What are some of your favourite back to school tips to set up your kiddos for success?

Resources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/4-back-school-tips-get-child-off-great-start-2016081610118
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/evening-screen-time-can-sabotage-sleep
https://blog.jumpinforhealthykids.org/how-does-nutrition-affect-student-performance/