📚 5 Back-to-School Tips For Parents 📚

With back-to-school season around the corner, now is the perfect time to start building healthy habits that can help set your child up for a successful school year.

A new school year brings new routines, expectations, friendships, and challenges. By preparing your child ahead of time and encouraging healthy habits, you can help make the transition back to school a little easier and more enjoyable for the whole family.

Here are five simple ways to get started:

1. Set A Routine for Your Child

With school starting, it's the perfect time to create a new routine with your child! Setting a routine for your child will allow healthy social- emotional development. Children who have set routines are more likely to have stronger self-regulation skills and mental health. Routines set the foundation for adapting to stressors, challenges, new expectations, and healthy habits.

Start introducing your school-year routine gradually by setting consistent times for waking up, meals, homework, playtime, and bedtime.

2. Practice Washing Hands

Once your child returns to school, they will be touching shared surfaces and interacting with many people throughout the day! Removing germs from hands reduces the chances of getting diarrhea, respiratory infections, skin infections, and eye infections. It is crucial to remind your child of the importance of proper handwashing.

Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly, especially before eating and after using the washroom, playing outside, or coughing or sneezing. Remind them to use soap and water and wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. To make it fun for your child, ask them to sing the ABC song.

3. Limit Screen Time & Ensure Quality Screen Time

A lot of screen time can lead to negative impacts such as obesity, delays in language and social skills, inadequate sleep schedules, and insufficient sleep.

As the school year begins, set clear and consistent boundaries around screen use. Establish reasonable time limits and create screen-free times, such as during meals and before bedtime. To ensure there is quality screen time, review apps and programs prior to your child engaging to ensure it is age-appropriate and has an educational factor.

4. Healthy Lunch Snacks

It is important to provide children with snacks that have a high nutritional value and provide them with vitamins and minerals they need to thrive all school year! When packing your child’s lunch or snacks, aim for a variety of foods that provide important vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Try to limit foods that are high in added sugars, saturated fats, and empty calories.

If your child is having a hard time eating fruits and vegetables, try to make them more exciting! Try cutting foods into fun shapes, offering a variety of colourful options, or involving your child in choosing and preparing their snacks. Making healthy foods fun and giving children choices can encourage them to try new things

5. Encourage Your Children To Make New Friends

Starting a new school year is a great opportunity for children to meet new people and build meaningful friendships. Encourage your child to step outside of their comfort zone and connect with their classmates.

Making new friends helps children develop important interpersonal skills, including communication, cooperation, teamwork, empathy, and confidence. It can also give children the opportunity to learn about different experiences, cultures, and backgrounds.

Remind your child that making friends takes time. Encourage them to be kind, introduce themselves to others, invite someone to play, or simply start with a friendly conversation.

A Healthy Start to a Successful School Year

As the new school year approaches, remember that small habits can make a big difference in your child’s overall well-being and success. From establishing a consistent routine and practicing good hygiene to making healthy food choices, balancing screen time, and encouraging positive friendships, these simple steps can help your child feel confident, prepared, and ready to learn.

Every child adjusts to a new school year differently, so be patient and give them time to settle into their new routines and expectations. Most importantly, create an environment where your child feels supported, encouraged, and comfortable talking about their experiences.