Establishing a Healthy Habit
Valerie Huepenbecker, Park Elementary Counselor
People are creatures of habit. A habit is something we do daily without thinking. As parents and educators we need to help our children establish healthy habits for learning. Some say it takes forty days to move something from routine to a habit. That doesn’t seem like a long time when you consider the rest of a child’s life. The beginning of the school year is a great time to create and establish personal and family routines that will someday become lifelong healthy habits.
Create sleep routines-
According to The National Sleep Foundation, “Inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems that impact on their ability to learn in school.” You can help your child establish a good sleep routine by limiting TV and computer time before bed, make the child’s room dark and quiet, and set and keep a regular and consistent bedtime. The Mayo clinic recommends school-age children receive 10-11 hours of sleep every night. Set a bed time routine with reading and keep it consistent.
Create nutrition and exercise routines-
Good nutrition and daily exercise is essential to healthy brain development which is critical to learning. The American Psychological Association states that children who eat a healthy diet and exercise daily are more likely to perform better academically, feel better about themselves and their abilities, and avoid feelings of low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Simple things can lead to big health improvements for your child. Start your child’s day with a healthy breakfast, pack healthy snacks, and have fun being active with your child. Take a family bike ride or play catch in the yard, it is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of exercise a day. By starting these habits early, maybe we can change the almost 30 percent of American children who are overweight. (Retrieved from the 2007 National survey of Children’s health)
Create organization/homework routines-
Provide your child with a time and place to focus, study, and read their school work. This environment might look differently for different students. Some children need a quiet place, like a desk in their bedroom, others prefer the kitchen table. What is most important is that the time and place be consistent, so the child forms the habit of doing daily school work.
Keep things organized by helping your child prepare for the next day. Keep backpacks in the same place every night, lunches packed the night before, and clothes laid out. This will help the morning run smoothly and create the environment for an organized good morning. Help your child create checklists of things that need to be done at night and in the morning. Hang the checklists in their room or on a bathroom mirror. If your child is very young, try adding pictures to help them become more responsible and organized for the things they need to get done. If you have a busy family schedule, try putting up a white board by the door to have a weekly schedule and daily checklist. Often family members are going in different directions and this is a way to keep everyone organized and “in the know”!
Keep a positive attitude and start a healthy habit today!
