Healthy Habits for Back to School

Back to school can be exciting time for many kids and their parents.

There are many reasons to be optimistic about having a healthy and fun school year and starting your back-to-school planning early will help your child have a successful year. Read on to review a few ways to get into a new healthy routine.

1. Get into a good sleep schedule: Starting a bedtime routine is an important back-to-school tip for parents. Preparing children for bedtimes will help them stick to a regular sleeping routine and will relieve you of one concern. Make sure your kid receives a minimum 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

2. Limit Screen time: Kids often need time to decompress after a stimulating day at school and added screen time can hinder their ability to wind down. Instead, get them outside or into a good book.

3. Nurture their emotional health: For many kids the transition back to school can be stressful and anxiety producing. Helping your child’s emotional health over the summer will help get them ready for school.

4. Make those Annual Doctor Visits: Now is the time to contact your pediatrician and to work with your child’s health team to get your child ready for school. Students entering kindergarten, seventh grade, and tenth grade will require vaccinations. All children should have a yearly physical and if you missed a child’s physical during the pandemic, now is a great time to catch up and get them ready for school.

5. Prepare Ahead: The easiest strategy to ensure a stress-free morning routine is to prepare a to-do list for an entire week including the meal preparation, your kids outfits, and keeping a watch on your kids weekly school time-table. This will save your and your kids last minute hustle bustle.

Photo: ©iStock.com/Drazen Zigic