Read on for five tips that will help you keep everyoneincluding youcommitted to a healthy routine no matter what back to school looks like for you
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Theres no way to live a healthy lifestyle without eating natural wholesome foods but thats easier said than done with children Many schools schedule lunch breaks as early as 11 AM knocking your childrens mealtime routine out of step with the rest of the family If this sounds like a familiar problem start planning a menu of nutritious snacks now so you can offer an alternative when you take sugary salty foods out of rotation
Parents of picky eaters know their childrens palates best but popular ideas for appealing yet healthy snacks include raw vegetables with a dipping sauce like hummus or peanut butter homemade granola bars or even air popped popcorn
Meanwhile if youre one of the many parents who worry more about their childrens diets than their own adding supplements to your diet can help you reach your fitness goals without spending the hours between snack time and dinnertime on cooking complicated healthy meals that your children dont want to eat Not sure where to start Try a well rounded natural supplement for instance Gundry MD Metabolic Advanced claims to support energy levels mood sleep and weight loss in ultra convenient capsule form
Support Consistent Sleep Routines
Children arent the only ones who have trouble winding down at the end of the day Endemic stress means that more people than ever have trouble falling or staying asleep and several studies have demonstrated that parental sleep problems are correlated with sleep disruption in children Fortunately adults and children both benefit from forming the same good habits
Everyone in your household should have a consistent bedtime even if the exact time varies depending on age and temperament as well as a calm dark and quiet room for sleep Encourage some screen free time in the two hours before bed and help children engage in pleasant relaxing activities to help them wind down Even though theyre young its likely that theyre stressed too
Has summertime devolved into bedtime anarchy You can fix sleep schedules that have drifted nocturnal during the past few months by working backwards to the time your child needs to get up for school Over the course of about two weeks move your childs wake up time and bedtime slightly earlier each day to traverse the distance between their current and required bedtimes Even if class is online make sure they stick with those schedules to maintain healthy sleep habits
Encourage Spending Time Outside
Among the rare bright spots in COVID 19 research is the consensus that while the virus spreads readily indoors outdoor activities are often safe due to the ease of maintaining distance from people outside your household and natural ventilation Not every outdoor activity is equally safe or even recommended but spending time in the backyard with other household members or going for walks and bike rides are great options
In addition to promoting physical activity being outdoors improves mood and concentration for both children and adults Some schools are even opting to bring classrooms outside so that children can be together in an environment thats likely safer than traditional classrooms but if youre sticking with remote learning for the foreseeable future try bringing classwork outside or incorporating the natural world into lessons If you can bring your exercise routine outdoors so you can supervise your children from downward facing dog
Schedule Time Without Screens
Everyone is spending more time behind a screen these days Parents are often working from home watching their children participate in remote classrooms and when school and work are over attention turns to social media TV games and good old fashioned mindless browsing Not only is this bad for your eyes at any age it also has negative effects on mental health Like sleep children will take their cues from you here if you unwind by scrolling through your phone and you regularly allow emails and texts to disrupt family events youll struggle to impress the importance of digital downtime on everyone else
While not all screen usage is created equally and reading studying or watching a quality show together are all positive uses of technology not everything in life can be experienced in a digital format Child development researchers have discovered that monitoring screen time can improve sleep social behavior and grades Set the tone by involving children in screen free activities you can do together You can play board games and put together puzzles paint draw sew or sculpt invite them to take on age appropriate tasks in the kitchen or garden or build a junior chemistry lab or robotics department You may even find that you dont miss the Internet as much as you thought you would
Plan Ahead To Prevent Stressful Days
Most advice for building a healthy routine includes finding a way to de stress but what if you could stop stress before it starts Advance planning before bed can take the chaos out of your mornings Begin by thinking about the problems you repeatedly encounter while everyone is trying to get ready for work or school somehow even though many households are no longer commuting or packing lunches textbooks and assignments are still mislaid and work outfits are never quite Zoom ready
To keep mornings moving have everyone set out clothes and important items the night before even if that just means putting school supplies and clothes next to their laptopsitll keep them from asking you to interrupt your own work to hunt down their stuff If your children are too young to finish getting ready without supervision wake up before they do and make sure youre ready first
Finally no one should be whiling away precious time on their phone or tablet even some adults have a hard time breaking away from screens in the morning so make sure that children who have less impulse control arent getting distracted from breakfast and hygiene by games or television Once theyre done with all their responsibilities a little screen time is fine as long as it doesnt bleed into the start of the school day
Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle while youre living through a pandemic is a tall order but as children go back to school its more essential than ever to support your familys health and your own with the power of a routine that nourishes the body and mind
Everyone is different even with how much sleep they need However one thing remains truewe ALL need QUALITY sleep to have a healthy life Alaska Sleep Clinic is the most comprehensive sleep lab in Alaska We look at everyones sleep troubles on an individual basis so they will have the most success in their treatment Call any of labs today in Anchorage Fairbanks Soldotna and Wasilla 907 770 9104
