Now that everyone is heading back to school I wanted to give all you parents out there some tips on how to help your children be healthy and successful in class and at home. There are 4 major things that can really help your child be happy and healthy.
1) Balanced meals– It is really important for children to have balanced meals, especially breakfast. I also wrote a post about school lunches and you can read more about that in my next blog post. Breakfast starts their day off and can ultimately set your child up for a good or possibly a not so good day. Most importantly it is crucial to have plenty of protein but also a balance of fat and carbohydrates. You want some carbohydrates to give energy to get them to their lunch but not too much that will cause their blood sugar to drop and make them cranky and craving sugar or more carbohydrates. We want their blood sugar to be even and steady all day so that they are able to focus in school. We don’t want any hangry children out there.
Here are some ideal breakfast ideas:
- eggs with yogurt and berries
- bacon or sausage with some apples and peanut butter
- oatmeal with full fat cream and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, breakfast sausage
- breakfast tacos with sausage, eggs, onions and cheese on corn tortillas and optional salsa
- protein smoothie with pea protein, almond or coconut milk, spinach and some fruit of choice
2) Sleep– Sleep is one of the most important things children need. In this day in age because of the increasing amount of school and extracurricular activities, tv and other technology and our overall crazy busy way of life it can be hard to make sleep happen. Sleep allows the brain to sort through all the things that happened during the day, storing the important things and discarding everything else. Sleep is when your body heals and regenerates to be refreshed for the next day. Without enough sleep your mood and the body’s ability to handle stress or stimulation will be affected the next day. Sleeping well increases attention span, allows children to be more physically relaxed and mentally alert and that ultimately leads to better behavior and better concentration. Lack of sleep can lead to being easily distracted, impulsive and hyperactive. Children ages 5-13 need 9-11 hours of sleep. If your child is not getting sufficient sleep, try to set an alarm for yourself to remind the family when bed time is, and I believe you will see positives changes in your child’s overall health and behavior. I know sometimes we can forget how important sleep is for children. I hope this can be a reminder of the importance of it and serve as motivation to get your kiddos in bed early. Also, an important tip to help with sleep is to stop all electronics an hour before bedtime because the blue light from electronics can stimulate the brain, making it hard to fall asleep.
3) Deep Breaths and Positive Thoughts– Thoughts and emotions can affect our body in negative and positive ways and it is the same for children too. For example, laughter and positive thoughts stimulate the immune system so when children laugh and are enjoying life they have a better immune system. It is important to teach children positive affirmations and meditation or quiet and relaxing time so they can change their negative thoughts or get in touch with how they are feeling. Teach your kids to take deep breaths when they are stressed, in a situation they are uncomfortable with, or when they are feeling over stimulated and can’t focus. This is a great tool for them to learn early so they can use it into adulthood since we know life is never short on stressful situations. Allowing your children to express their feelings openly will give them a stronger sense of self worth and can create a stronger connection with you. You can use this time to help them learn to reframe some of their thoughts to more productive and encouraging thoughts. For example, your child may say, “My friend Alice was mean to me.” You can help them understand that their friend’s behavior does not necessarily have anything to do with them and teach them to reframe that thought to be more understanding and productive. So you would have them think it through and then say something like, “My friend was probably having a bad day like I do sometimes and hurt my feelings but she doesn’t mean to treat me that way and I choose to forgive her or/and not let her actions affect me in a bad way.” Talking through these situations and feelings can help them understand people better, be more successful in the future and ultimately be a happier and healthier kid because they will not be upset for a prolonged amount of time. Teaching them this simple tip will help them to be more successful in school and healthier throughout their life.
4) Essential oils– Oils can be great to help kids focus and concentrate more in school. They can also help with overall mood, fatigue, and even with sleep. Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that can be beneficial to your health through aromatherapy or topical application. Here are some of my favorite oils to use with children.
Lavender-use to soothe and calm, boost immunity, and it is fabulous for sleep. Apply on the feet, back, or behind the ears.
Peppermint-use for overall digestion, stomach aches and headaches (this oil needs a carrier oil because it can be very potent). Rub on stomach in a counter clock wise circular motion for digestion or stomach aches and apply on forehead and temples for headaches. Ideal use for kids age 6 and older because the menthol in peppermint oil could affect breathing in babies and small children.
Citrus oils (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and tangerine)- these are mood balancing oils and are especially beneficial for overstimulated children. Apply on the feet, back, or behind the ears.
Frankincense- this oil is anti-bacterial and is great blended with others to help protect kids from germs at school. Apply on the feet and back.
The best thing to do with kids and oils is rub them on the bottom of their feet before they put on their socks and shoes. I know you might be worried about the smell of the oils and that’s why it’s good to put them on the bottom of their feet, 30 minutes-1 hour before you leave the house. You can also apply them on the back if you want another location. Use 2-10 drops of whatever oil you want to use along with a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil. If you are using a single oil you can do more like 5-10 drops but if you are doing a blend of a few oils I recommend 2-3 drops of each. You can always start with less drops and work up to how much you feel comfortable using.
Oil brands that I recommend are Young Living, Mountain Rose Herbs, NOW and Aura Cacia.
I hope all these ideas help your children enjoy a healthy and successful school year and will assist them with maintaining happy and calm demeanors on a daily basis, especially in class. If you have any other questions or anything specific you want to ask regarding your child, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
