Doug’s 3-Point Back-To-School Guide for Parents

Young boy eating a bowl of cereal with a banana nearby.

Back-To-School Guide for Parents

It’s that time of year again where both children and parents experience a myriad of emotions. Going back-to-school can be both stressful and exciting. Therefore, it is important to wean a child back into a successful routine by establishing the ground rules early on in the school year for doing homework, performing chores, obtaining physical activity, eating healthy meals, waking up and going to sleep at a consistent, regular time.

“The secret in education lies in respecting the student.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson (American poet, essayist and lecturer)

Follow my 3 points to help you and your child effectively transition back-to-school.

Point 1: Healthy Eating Strategies for a Child

Stock the home with nutritious foods on a regular basis. What is readily available is what is consumed.
Provide options for a child to be actively involved in selecting these nutritious and delicious foods. This will prompt them more so to eat what is packed for them and fuel them for the school day.
A child should always eat a good breakfast! It is the most important meal of the day and will fuel him/her for the school day!
Pack a healthy lunch for your child including a fruit, veggies, and a sandwich (preferably on 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread).

Point 2: Keeping a Child Physically Active During the School Year

Limit the “tech time” and set a standard for daily physical activity.
Provide options for different “activity choices” versus calling it “exercise.” If a child does not like sports, there are a host of other heart-pumping healthy activities available.
Provide a child with chores to do around the house that increases activity levels.
You be the role model for a child and become involved with the child in the activity. Do a family activity together that gets everyone moving more.

Point 3: Effective Transitioning and Communication

Eat dinner together as often as you can as a family. One of the best times to bond with your child is during dinner time. Try to keep the television turned off while you are eating during this time.
Go at least a week (if not 2 weeks) in advance to pick up school supplies, shop for new clothes, etc.
Schedule a time (if possible) to walk around the school (especially if it is a new school) and also to meet your new teacher(s).
Each day, talk with your child about how his/her day went in school. Especially in the first few days of school, ask your child what the best and least favorite parts of the day were. This facilitates effective communication and builds a trust throughout the school year.
About a week or so before school begins, start to make subtle adjustments with encouraging a child to go to sleep a little bit earlier than normal. Begin to wean them off of the computer, texting, or talking on the phone for long periods in preparation for when they do their homework. They should be positioned away from all communication avenues with the exception for locating information pertaining to their studies.

For more information on helping a child obtain overall SUPER HEALTH, please visit: www.douglashaddad.com.

Douglas Haddad is the author of Save Your Kids…Now! The Revolutionary Guide To Helping Youth Conquer Today’s Challenges and a full-time public school teacher in Connecticut. www.douglashaddad.com.

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2011 Magazine

Doug’s 3-Point Back-To-School Guide for Parents

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