It is so hard to believe our summer months are over and the
kids are back to school. It is sad for yet another season to be
over, however great to have a routine to keep us on track.
Kids need structure, as well as adults. Back to school also
means back to homework and extracurricular activities that keep
them and us running.
For many parents we live in the fast lane, therefore our
lifestyle choices often get put on the back burner. For kids
there are certain things that we need to keep in mind to ensure
we support their health and well-being.
Sleep
Sleep is a very important. For children between 5-12 years,
they require 10-12 hours of sleep. It is important to assist
our children to get the required amount of sleep with an
appropriate routine. This means keeping bedtime consistent -
even on weekends. This also means developing a nighttime
routine that does not include watching TV or playing video
games and drinks and foods containing caffeine, which increases
difficulty falling to sleep.
Lack of sleep can actually alter hormones and increase hunger.
At the same time, daytime tiredness decreases concentration
required for learning and cause fatigue supporting decreased
exercise during the day. By developing healthy sleep routines
during childhood, adolescents through to adulthood we will
benefit.
Unfortunately we cannot get those hours back, and long term
loss of sufficient sleep has shown to negatively impact our
health.
Nutrition
Nutrition is important to fuel our kids' brain so they are
able to learn more effectively. Our brains are equivalent to
the hard drive in the computer. If we do not plug in the
computer - well it doesn't work. Same is true with our brains.
Our brains need power and that is from glucose - good nutrition
is important to fuel our brains.
Every day should start with a good breakfast, including fruit
and protein. Having cereal is not enough to fuel children's
brains to get them through their morning. If the brain is
without fuel, it does not stay awake and therefore will
decrease learning potential.
Eating small balanced meals throughout the day will ensure
proper fuel for the day. As parents we are role models in this
area. If we are eating junk food, so will they. Same goes if we
eat fruits and vegetables. So - "do as I do" is the rule for a
healthy lifestyle in our children - it starts with us.
Activity
Getting moving is so important for children. They are now in
school all day and often days go by without physical activity.
So, it is so important that our children have the opportunity
to burn off energy. Choose age appropriate activities that are
fun. It really doesn't have to be organized sports; it can be
as simple as running laps around the outside of the house,
jumping jacks in the driveway, skipping or biking. Organized
sports are fine as well; just keep in mind the more organized
sports, the more stress we bring on ourselves and our children.
So, get back to the basics, keep it simple, have fun, eat well
and get moving. You will be surprised how much better your
children perform and so will you.
Karen Hourtovenko RN(EC), is a health and wellness consultant from Sudbury who writes columns about healthy living for Northern Life.
