Congratulations you survived Summer 2015!
Your child is now heading back to school! Here at Olé Soccer, we’ve got you covered with some with some very hot topics all parents should know about during this very busy time. Our education support staff, Coach Ari & Ms. Kriscia are here to answer any and all academic related questions!
Here is what we will be going over:
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Sleep
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Homework Location
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Reading
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Night Before School
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Healthy Breakfast
Before Bed To-Do List
Sleep
What is one of the most important things besides great nutrition that kids need to grow? Can you guess? It is definitely sleep!
Plan on a minimum of 8 hours of sleep!
Make sleep a priority, it is vital you and you child get as much rest as possible. Pay careful attention to your mood, energy and health after a poor’s nights sleep versus a good one. Now imagine being a child and trying to pay attention and absorb the information at school if they are running on just a few hours of sleep. Try to have a schedule for them and set some rules.
We HIGHLY encourage no technology minimum of 1 hour before bedtime!
(Check out this quick article on sleep via Huffington Post)
“We know from previous work that light from screens in the evening alters sleepiness and alertness, and suppresses melatonin levels,” Dr. Anne-Marie Chang, an associate neuroscientist in BWH’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders who was a co-author on the study, told The Huffington Post via email. “This study shows comprehensive results of a direct comparison between reading with a light-emitting device and reading a printed book and the consequences on sleep.”
Still want to be up reading this on your tablet or phone? Think again and get plenty of rest for you and your kids.
Pick a quiet place to do homework
It is essential your child has a quiet place to do homework. This could be at home, grandma’s house, babysitter’s house, etc.
Working in a noisy environment is tough for adults, now imagine having distractions like the television, tablet, phone around? Unless he/she is using technology for homework, try to limit them from distractions and definitely TURN OFF THE TV!
Read quietly for 20 minutes and log how much they’ve read
We recommend joining your child and reading a minimum of 20 minutes in the evening each day. This allows time for you and your child to bond and see that you are also interested in learning. This could be a magazine, book, but try to avoid technology. A good option is going to your public library and applying for a FREE card to checkout some books.
Try to have their outfit/uniform ready the prior night
Want to save some time and headaches? We recommend having fun and helping your child pick their outfit for the next day and have it ready next to their bed. That way when they wake up and get ready the next morning it will be a little easier and not need to worry about deciding with 2 minutes before leaving the house.
Healthy Breakfast or not…
What is the typical thing kids love to eat for breakfast? Cereal, eggs, oatmeal, fruit?
There are even kids and adults who do not have any breakfast. Breakfast for kids has them focus more and also help keep weight in check. What are some of the best things we recommend for breakfast?
NOT CEREAL!
YES…we just said it. Cereal is actually not real food, it is processed foods. We encourage you to get used to drinking more water as soon as you wake up. Why? If you must know, here is a life changing podcast we highly recommend – Shawn Stevenson- Hydration & Water
Back to cereal…does cereal come from nature or made in a lab/factory? We recommend some fruit, oats, nuts or how about combining all of them and getting all the nutrients your body needs in a smoothie! Check out our August Ole Smoothie Challenge.
Whatever you decide to feed yourself or your child, please be sure you know where it is coming from and try to eat as natural as possible. Educate yourself and those around you on how to be as GMO free as possible. The power of your dollar is important. Whatever you decide to buy, you are giving the company the “ok” to do what they are doing…good or bad!
Let’s all come together and have these conversations where we are asking the right questions for a better future for our children. Don’t have all the answers? Ask Dr. Google or ask us and we will help find them with you. We are about empowering and becoming the best WE can possibly be together. No one has all the answers, but together we can create a better tomorrow for our children.
Please share your thoughts below and let us know if you found this information valuable. Did you learn something? What are your steps on back to school and what routines work for your children?
Thanks again for reading and feel free to share/comment below.
Olé Soccer Family