Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to School
It is that time of year again where kids, and more-so their parents, are gearing up for the start of another school year. Transitioning from the relative lack of schedule during the summer break back to structured school time regimen can be challenging, and your child is going to have to adapt to a lot of changes. How can we make this transition period a little smoother for everyone?
1) Gradually get back on a more regular sleep schedule. One of my favorite things about summer time when I was a kid was being able to stay up late and sleep in even later. As we start counting down the days to school, try having your child gradually go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. Doing it little by little will make it easier come go-time.
2) Feed them healthy, hydrating foods. Good quality, nutritious foods helps your child adapt to life better in every way. Healthy eating decreases inflammation in the body, improves digestion, helps with sleep, supports immune system function and can also have an impact on you child’s mental & emotional well-being.
Bonus: feed them hydrating foods! Some great summer time foods for staying hydrated are watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cucumber, celery, zucchini, bell peppers and lettuce.
3) Make sure their nervous system is resilient and adaptable! This is where chiropractic care comes in. Getting adjusted improves the brain-body communication which boosts nervous system function. This makes your entire system more resilient and adaptable. Having a regulated nervous system is beneficial any time, but especially when going through a transition period. The more you have going on and the more you need to adapt to in your life the more beneficial chiropractic can be!
4) Soak up the last of summer! The weather is nice and they have limited time left to enjoy. Limit their screen time and encourage unstructured play time, especially outside! This encourages creativity and autonomy as well as providing all of the benefits of being outside, such as grounding, get vitamin D from the sun and releasing stress.