This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
I always know when my kids are ready to go back to school. Like dessert, too much of anything, even a summer filled with adventure and ice cream for dinner and night swimming can be overwhelming. Despite the many tears shed at the end of our latest vacation, the weekend leading up to our first day of school was filled with excitement and anticipation for this next season in my kids’ lives.
I’m going to miss everything about summer including our lazy mornings and impromptu Disneyland trips. But there is something about the routine of the school year that evokes structure and organization. As we head into this new school year, I’ve already started reminding my kids of my unofficial list of back-to-school health habits.
Here are my best tips for a healthy start to the new school year.
Set and maintain a regular bedtime schedule. According to the National Sleep Foundation, school-aged children require 9-11 hours of sleep each night to support mental and physical development. Admittedly, I became very lax with my kids’ sleep schedules during the summer, so I spent the weeks leading up to the new school year reinforcing bedtime.
Model and support a healthy diet. Nutrition is vital to a child’s growing body. Breakfast, in particular, is essential and helps children begin the school day with the fuel they need to succeed.
Limit the amount of time children spend on devices. Setting limits during the school year is essential to ensure kids complete homework and school projects and participate in any extracurricular activities. We have a no-device rule during the school week. Over the weekend, I set aside some time for my kids to use their devices for education and entertainment. You might also consider setting a timer to help keep track of how much time a child is spending on his/her device.
Stay active. When the weather changes and we’re in the midst of homework and extracurricular activities, it is easy to forego exercise and time spent outdoors. I encourage my kids to be involved with sports in order to stay active during the school year.
Don’t forget the importance of hand-washing and personal hygiene. Without fail, my kids typically get sick at least once during the first half of the school year. While circumstances like weather, which forces kids to be in close proximity to each other, cannot be mitigated, personal hygiene habits like hand-washing or using antibacterial hand washes can help reduce the risk of illness. This is also a good time to reinforce other personal hygiene habits like proper oral care and schedule well-child check-ups.
Commit to staying organized. The stress of a busy schedule can affect kids. Try to avoid over-scheduling extracurricular activities and allow time for homework. I like to use Google Calendar to organize my kids’ soccer practices, scout meetings, and gymnastics lessons.
Keep a supply of multivitamins on-hand. As much as I try to support healthy nutrition, it can be difficult to get my kids to eat a rainbow of foods, particularly when it comes to leafy green vegetables. I keep a supply of Nature Made® KIDS FIRST® Multivitamin Gummies on-hand, which contain 12 essential nutrients including vitamins A, C ,D, and E B vitamins and minerals including iodine and zinc. These vitamins are availble in Orange, Cherry and Mixed Berry and taste-approved by my kids. As a mom, I take comfort in knowing that these vitamins are free from synthetic dyes, preservatives and yeat and contain all-natural fruit flavors with colors derived from natural sources.
How do you prepare for the new school year? I’d love to hear your best back-to-school health habits.
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.