Tips for a healthy school year

As you enjoy the last few days of the summer break; you create a mental list of all the things you need to do before the new school year begins. One important thing is a visit to the pediatrician. You may think that booster shots and regular check ups may be the key to a healthy child; but many pediatricians and we at Montessori Sugar Land believe that your child needs an overall health check up by you in the following ways…..

Getting enough ZZZs

Montessori Sugarland feels that a child of preschool age to elementary school age needs 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night. The importance of enough sleep cannot be stressed enough. As much as you’d like to stick to a good sleep schedule, often homework, late working hours for parents and other factors get in the way. It’s fine to have late nights during holidays, but as the new term comes closer, sleeping patterns need to change too. You can’t do this the night before school is about to begin! Many kids need a nap after school during the first few days of the new school year to revive and get adjusted to the new time table of their day. Remember, a child with not enough sleep will fall ill far more easily than a well rested one.

Lunchtime!

You may be spending hours poring over healthy recipes of snacks for you to pack in your child’s Mickey lunchbox. Try not to be too disappointed if the lunch comes back untouched or with a barely nibbled look. Pediatricians believe that what you should provide is a protein filled breakfast. As long as there is lots of protein in the food, your child’s energy levels will be high, leading to an alert child. A good way to encourage your child to eat his breakfast is to eat with him. Company always makes meals tastier, and you’re being a good role model! At Sugarland Montessori, children are always provided with healthy snacks, with enough carbs and protein to take them through the day.

Scrub-scrub-scrub

With new friends, a new environment and new activities….comes a new bunch of germs! Good hand-washing habits are always instilled at Sugar land Montessori. They are made to understand that germs can be bad for us.

Get Moving

You will see your child spending hours playing in the backyard during holidays, but once the school routine begins, he will have less time to exercise. Young kids need at least 20 minutes of regular exercise a day. While this may not be possible, try to go for a walk, a bike ride or a swim at least every other day. At Montessori Sugar Land, we do incorporate some exercise into your child’s daily schedule to ensure he gets his daily exercise dose!

If you can slowly start putting the above tips into practice, you will definitely notice that your child is not falling sick as often as he used to. Happy Parenting!