Staying Healthy in The New School Year
Fall always brings with it an interesting array of viruses, and children are especially susceptible to catching all kinds of things due to their still-developing immune systems. There are a variety of things you can do to decrease the odds of your child getting sick: Healthy Food Healthy food can affect how well our bodies fight off common illnesses. Fresher is always better! Avoid processed meals – they don’t provide the body with immunity-building power. Choose fruit and vegetables at least twice a day, whole grain over white bread, lean meats, and save treats as special events, not fillers between meals or rewards for behavior. Lots of Sleep Sleep is the body’s best friend when it comes to rejuvenation and repair – and children need LOTS of it. Most children under the age of four still need to nap to refill their energy tanks: Birth – 12 month olds: 14 – 16 hrs 1 – 3 year olds: 12 – 14 hrs 3 – 6 year olds: 10 – 12 hrs 7 – 12 year olds: 10 – 11 hrs 12 – 18 year olds: 8 – 9 hrs Lack of sleep affects the behavior of your children, and also compromises their immune systems. Healthy Habits Teaching children healthy habits from a very young age gives them an edge to staying healthy.
Hand washing - This is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs. Teach your children to wash hands with soap and water. Use sanitizer or wipes only when soap and water are not available.
Coughing - Young children have no awareness of what isn’t healthy. They have to be taught “coughing etiquette.” Cover the mouth when coughing, into the crook of their arm or into their hands – followed by hand washing, of course!
Physical Activity Children love to move, and physical skills are as important as cognitive skills to building academic success. Fall is a great time to take the children outside as much as possible. The great outdoors is the ideal environment to run, jump, climb, swim, dance and more. The epidemic of childhood obesity in the world today can also be ascribed to the fact that children are not encouraged to and have little opportunity to be as active as they should be. This fall, create some opportunities for your children to be active and gain some of the benefits for yourself too with these simple ideas:
1. Take a walk - Set aside time after dinner to go for a walk with the family. It’s great for bonding and also burns off the last of the children’s energy for the day, making bed time so much easier.
2. Morning exercises - Wake up 15 minutes earlier and have a family routine. Stretching, jumping jacks, hopping or pushups start the day off in the right way. Exercise is also a natural mood enhancer!
3. Weekend activity - Plan at least one active activity each weekend. Gardening, bike riding, swimming, a trip to the park, anything that lasts at least an hour. You will soon see the benefits!
