September is here and the kids are back in school. Returning to school can bring varied emotions for both kids and parents; joy, anxiety, excitement, stress, eagerness, and fear – just to name a few. By incorporating four “pillars of health,” you can help your child have a successful and fun school year.
The Four Pillars
Encourage a Good Night’s Sleep
Letting go of the freeness of summertime and getting back into a routine can be difficult. Establishing a solid morning & nighttime routine as soon as possible can help. Make sure kids are getting enough sleep each night to ensure a successful school year. Not only is sleep important for their growth and development, but it is also critical for their health and well-being. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is recommended children ages 6-12 years old get 9-12 hours of shut eye and kids 13-18 years old 8-10 hours.
Focus on Nutrition with a Meal Plan
Making sure your student is eating nutritious meals is also important. Sometimes in the chaos that is summer, our meal plans can get a little lax and that’s understandable. Now that we’re getting back into the school routine, having a meal plan can be beneficial and help relieve some nighttime stress. If you’re able to, meal-prepping can be immensely helpful. Maybe you can get the kids involved in the kitchen to help make some freezer meals or help you come up with some delicious dinner ideas (that they will actually eat!). Pinterest can also be a great tool to utilize if you are struggling for ideas. If possible, consider eating as a family. It has been shown that family meals boost kids’ language skills and lowers their stress levels.
Make Time for Play and Relaxing
To further boost your child’s physical and mental health, don’t discount the importance of exercise and down time. Physical movement in the form of play is a great way to keep kids active, especially after a long day of being in the classroom. Equally important is giving your children the chance to mentally unwind to help with stress management. As adults, we don’t like to be bombarded with questions, demands, and activities the second we get off work and we can’t expect our children to enjoy it either after a long day of school.
Start Practicing Mindfulness
To help aid in their ability to unwind and relax, mindfulness is a great practice to start with your children, at any age. You, the parent, might be ecstatic for your kids to go back to school, but they might not be as eager. If they are young, being away from you might cause some stress and anxiety, or older kids might be anxious about entering a new grade. Mindfulness is the practice of recognizing what is going on inside and around you. Recognizing the emotion and finding ways to cope with it. Exercises in mindfulness include soft breathing, slow movements, and taking notice of how you feel. Over time, mindfulness can help your child regulate their emotions in a healthy way. This gives them better coping skills to take on the world. It can also help lead to better behavior in school and higher grades.
A Successful School Year
Sleep, nutrition, exercise, and relaxation/mindfulness are known as the “four pillars of health.” They work together to keep your mind and body healthy. Neglecting one pillar affects your health and impacts your ability to maintain the other pillars. Keep these 4 pillars in mind to set your child up for a successful school year. By making a few small changes to care for your child’s physical and mental health, you can help make the transition into the new school year a smooth one.