7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Healthy This School Year
Keeping your kids healthy is much more challenging than it seems, especially if you have picky eaters who only want unhealthy foods. Kick those negative thoughts to the curb and try these tips to keep your kids healthy this school year.
1. Encourage Eating Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of your kid’s day. It kickstarts their brain function and starts them on the right foot first thing in the morning. Breakfast replenishes your body with the energy and nutrients that you lose overnight.
Breakfast can decrease the chances of getting sick and boost your brainpower. Eggs and whole-grain toast is an excellent breakfast that provides the nutrients your child needs. Your child might not naturally be hungry in the morning and that’s OK. Make them a smoothie or try breakfast bars to give them some sustenance and brain fuel for their day.
2. Offer Well-Balanced Meals
Ensure your children are eating well-rounded meals with plenty of protein and vegetables that they need. Cook meals with immune-boosting properties that pack a powerful punch in the nutrient department. Put together lunches with healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, and cheese.
Offer healthy alternatives to junk food for after-school snacks or limit junk to only this time of day. Junk food is OK in moderation – depriving your child of soda or Cheetos once they’ve tasted it isn’t an easy task, but limiting it is possible.
3. Wash Hands Frequently
Frequently washing your hands is imperative to staying healthy. Teach your kids the proper handwashing techniques and ensure they clean them enough. Washing your hands prevents germs from spreading and can protect your kids. Ensure they use warm water and wash their hands for at least 20 seconds.
Encourage them to wash their hands every time they use the restroom and play with their pets and before every meal. When your child is feeling under the weather, insist on washing their hands after they blow their nose, cough, and sneeze to prevent their germs from spreading.
4. Establish a Sleep Schedule
A consistent sleep schedule can help keep your kids safe and healthy this school year. Make sleep a priority and instill good sleeping habits in your children from a young age. Kids need different amounts of sleep depending on their age and can benefit from adequate rest hours. Model a good sleep schedule to set an excellent example for your child.
Explain the importance of sleep and how it contributes to your overall health. Sleep is restorative and helps your body fight off infection and disease when you’re sick. Sufficient sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle, especially in teenagers experiencing a shift in sleep-wake cycles during puberty.
5. Support Their Emotions
Support your child’s emotional health by allowing them the space to feel their feelings. Ensure they know their feelings are valid and help them work through their emotions. Poor emotional health can weaken your child’s immune system and make them more susceptible to sickness. Recognize what your child is experiencing and let them express themselves openly.
Try not to minimize their emotions – respect them instead and notice that what they are going through is significant to them and that it is hard for their age. Give them room to breathe without telling them to move on or get over it to boost their mental health.
6. Encourage Daily Exercise
Exercise boosts the immune system and improves cognitive functioning in children and adults. Encourage your child to get outdoors as much as possible, like going for nature walks after school or playing sports with their friends. The lack of physical activity is a significant cause of sickness.
Rather than allowing your child to play on their phones for hours, limit their screen time and encourage them to play outside. Young kids likely get a little outdoor time at recess during school hours, but extra time outside with family is an excellent opportunity to bond and get your daily dose of mother nature as well.
7. Keep Them Hydrated
Hydration is vital to your overall health and can reduce your chances of becoming ill. Limit your child’s consumption of soda and juice and encourage them to drink more water instead. Hydration can help your organs function properly. When you’re sick, doctors usually advise you to keep pumping fluids into your body because it promotes healing.
Dehydration can cause headaches and brain fog and affect their learning abilities. It can also make your child light-headed, which can be dangerous and cause them to pass out unexpectedly. Natural fruit can sweeten your child’s water and make it taste better if they aren’t fans of plain water. Letting your child choose a reusable water bottle they can decorate and carry to school can also encourage them to drink more water.
Keeping Your Kids Healthy
Keeping your kids healthy can decrease their sick days at school and protect them from illness. Germs are everywhere and kids are exposed to them every day. Use these tips to encourage your children to prevent the spread of germs and keep them healthy all year round, especially during the school year.
