It goes without saying that if we make healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep, we are better able to concentrate and work hard. It also makes us feel happier and more fulfilled. This applies to children and their education, as well, so it’s important for parents to encourage their youngsters to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Your child might be inclined to snack and stay up late, especially during exam period when they want to cram in revision. However, burning the midnight oil and not focussing enough on their mental and physical health can take its toll and will make it harder for them to succeed. Here’s some advice from a private college in London on how parents can help their children make healthy lifestyle choices.
Breakfast is Important
They don’t say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for no reason. Eating a healthy breakfast before school will give your child the energy to get them through the morning, so make sure they don’t skip this meal. Try to feed your child breakfasts that are rich in protein and high in fibre, as well as omega-3 to help them with their brain function. Consider foods like yoghurt, eggs, fruit, and porridge over sugary cereal. If they eat breakfasts with high sugar content, they will likely crash at some point throughout the day, so stick to nutritious foods. It’s true that healthy foods feed the mind, as well as the body.
Swap Out Chocolate & Crisps
Your child might enjoy a snack at break time, so if you’re packing their lunch, be mindful of what food your sending them to school with. They should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, so consider swapping out chocolate bars and crisps for something like carrot sticks and hummus, or a piece of fruit.
Encourage Regular Exercise
Exercise provides many benefits for a child’s overall development. Not only is it good for their physical fitness and motor skills, its also great for mental health. This is because it encourages the release of “feel good” hormones, so it can help tackle anxiety, stress, and depression. As a result, your child will be in a better position to focus on their studies with a positive attitude. If you don’t think your child is getting enough exercise, try and incorporate physical activities into your home life. You could all take a family walk together after work and school and play out in the garden.
Hydration is Key
If your child doesn’t drink enough water, they will be irritable and unable to concentrate. With that said, you might want to give them a refillable water bottle to take to school so that they can stay hydrated throughout the day. You could even consider adding fruit to their water to help enhance the flavour.
Maintain a Routine
When it comes to bedtime, make sure your child sticks to a routine. Encourage them to switch off their digital devices at least half an hour before they go to bed so that they have adequate time to shut off and relax. They should get around eight hours of sleep per night, because adequate sleep improves memory and boosts concentration levels. Exercise during the day should also help your child have a better night’s sleep.
Essentially, when a child has a healthy lifestyle, they become better learners. Junk food, lack of sleep and dehydration reduces alertness and makes it difficult for youngsters to focus during lessons. Poor lifestyle choices also affect the immune system, which could lead to frequent sick days and missing class, which won’t help your child with their academic performance.