C R Y D E R P O I N T SEPTEMBER7 EASING STRESS DURING BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON Go healthy when kids go home The hours between the end of the school day and bedtime are a golden opportunity for parents to help children build healthy and safe habits that will last a lifetime. Here are some simple and free ways to incorporate messages about eating well, staying safe and avoiding injuries while kids complete homework, participate in team sports or recreational activities, and relax with friends. PERSONAL SAFETY Some kids engage in team sports after school. Others participate in school-sponsored extracurricular clubs. Still others go home and spend time alone until parents are finished working. Regardless of how a child spends the hours after school, personal safety should be important and a topic of conversation between parents and kids. Consider how your child will spend their afterschool hours, and work together to develop a list of relevant safety tactics. For example, if your child plays a sport, discuss ways to avoid injury and make sure they always wear appropriate safety gear. For students who will arrive home before parents, set ground rules, such as go straight home and check in via phone call or text once they arrive. Remind children not to open the door to strangers or answer phone calls from numbers they can’t identify. Safekids.org offers a wealth of safety tips that can be applied to virtually every child’s after-school situation. BETTER SNACKING Snacking is actually a very healthy habit when done smartly. Teach kids to reach for a sensible and filling snack to help keep their minds alert for homework and their bodies fueled for after-school activities. Encourage kids to use portion control and choose healthier snacks, like fresh fruits or veggies or fat-free options like pretzels. Portion-controlled, pre-packaged choices are convenient and healthy options for after-school snacking. Try a low-fat combination of pretzels with apple slices or carrot sticks, which are more stimulating to a child’s brain than something sweet and fatty. FOLLOW A SCHEDULE THAT BUILDS IN FUN AND EASES HOMEWORK HEADACHES Naturally, all children want to work some fun into their day, whether it’s before or after homework is complete. Since most kids thrive with guidance and structure, talk to your child about creating a schedule or “to-do” list for after-school time, and make sure it includes a combination of fun activities, snack time and homework. Keep in mind that every child is different. Some children need to run around before starting homework, while others do best when saving the fun time for last. SCREEN TIME Once kids have completed homework and gotten a little physical activity, many may prefer to spend hours online, playing video games or watching TV. Finding a balance can be tough. Many parents take a “homework first” approach, having kids complete school assignments before they’re allowed the treat of screen time. Also consider parental control software to set limits on when kids can use the PC, laptop or tablet and to restrict when and where they can go online. You can also encourage kids to use technology in a manner that stimulates their brain, such as reading a book on a tablet, working on a brain puzzle on the computer, or practicing their keyboard or typing skills. Many schools will provide a list of fun websites kids can access at home or the library to reinforce skills taught in school. Courtesy BPT WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015 | CRYDER POINT COURIER 7 The easy breezy days of summer are coming to a close, and families everywhere are preparing to go back to school. For parents, this is a particularly challenging time of year. To help simplify and make this time more enjoyable, “The Lifestyle Mom” Dana Hilmer has a few tips for busy parents: 1 The temptation to sign your kids up for any and every extra-curricular activity is intense. Before you turn in registration forms, think through how each activity will impact both your children and your family’s priorities. Perhaps you want one day of the weekend free or you want to have dinner together four times a week. Once you have assessed your needs, ask yourself if each activity aligns with them. 2 You have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while it may be easy to provide a good breakfast for your kids, parents often forget about fueling up with the right breakfast for themselves. 3 It may be easier said than done, but learn how to say “no.” Saying “no” gives you permission to say “yes” to things that are truly important to you. Next time you are asked to do something, let that person know that you need to check your calendar. That will give you time to decide if this new activity is truly worthy of your time, and to craft a polite explanation, if not. 4 Finally, create a to-do list that is realistic and achievable. Many people are guilty of having a huge to-do list and then feeling defeated at the end of the day when all of the boxes aren’t checked off. Often, a good chunk of things on that list probably have more to do with your own expectations than with what anyone else is expecting of you. Start a to-do list with three sections: the priority of the day for yourself, the priority of the day for your family and the priority of the day for your work. Start with these items and only move on to the others once they’re done. Chances are the laundry can wait until another day. Your children going back to school doesn’t have to be stressful. With these tips you can enjoy this exciting, coming of age time with your family.
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