Back to School

As summer comes to a close, it’s back to school season, and everyone needs help transitioning back into a routine. The daily schedule can become hectic with morning alarms going off, rushing out the door to make it to class or dropping the kids off before making it to work on time, then having a full-day of work, after school practices or events and late-night dinners. It can be challenging to prioritize health. Developing healthy habits that focus on nutrition, sleep, physical activity will influence long-term health and well-being and keep the family healthy during the school season. 

Nutrition

Kids tend to pick up eating habits from their parents or caregivers. Demonstrating good eating habits, having a healthy attitude towards food that does not focus on restricting but eating in moderation, can positively impact children’s habits. Establish a routine of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and aim to incorporate whole grains, vegetables, fruits, protein and dairy throughout the day. Starting the day with breakfast can help increase energy and mood, and help kids focus in school. A balanced meal does not have to be elaborate or time consuming. Breakfast can be as simple as whole grain cereal, milk and piece of fruit. Involve kids in cooking a meal or packing their lunch the night before to educate on how to make a well-balanced meal and stimulate a life-long interest and skillset in cooking. Have a designated snack area in the pantry shelf or refrigerator to include healthy options like granola bars, cereal, trail mix, applesauce, fruits and veggies with dips, yogurt and string cheese. 

Sleep

Summer can shift sleeping habits to staying up late and sleeping in and potentially lead to sleep deprivation once school starts, which can decrease growth hormone, increase stress, adversely affect lean mass and dietary intake, could promote illness, contribute to difficulty learning and poor concentration. It’s recommended for children and teens to get 8-11 hours of sleep per night, while parents should aim for 7-8 hours. Having a bedtime routine, such as avoiding phones, tv, laptop, and video games, limit daytime naps to 30 minutes, limit caffeine and junk food before bed and sleeping in a dark room can help ensure quantity and quality of sleep. 

Physical Activity

Kids and teens should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, which typically is from gym class or recess at school, dance or sport-specific practices. Finding at least 30 minutes of time for physical activity each day as a family, such as riding bikes, walking the dog or a sport everyone enjoys, can help keep everyone healthy, promote stronger muscles and bones, less risk of becoming overweight and help improve sleep. 

Establishing a daily routine that prioritizes nutrition, sleep and physical activity makes for a healthy transition back to school.