Going Back to School

Going Back to School

Those of us who are parents know that the going back to school transition doesn’t come easily to many of us. Most children have had a long summer during which routines might have been quite different and must suddenly adjust to completely new schedules, to new learning expectations and perhaps a challenging environment at many levels outside of the comfort of our home.

During the summer months our family routines tend to be more lax and kids get used to going to sleep at later times in the evening since they have had more freedom to wake up later in the mornings. Outside of the school schedule, they can eat whenever they want and have mom & dad more accessible to them to provide them with their basic needs whenever they are stuck in difficult situations.

September brings along the beginning of the academic year and with it a lot more factors of stress both to parents and children. In order to minimize the challenges arising we need to be proactive and not reactive.

Getting to now the morning routine and getting ready ahead of time with the right clothes and shoes clean and at hand can make this busy time run more smoothly. Offering healthy snacks and lunches will ensure our children will get the right nutrients so maximize their attention span, ability to focus and their maintain their overall energy levels and increase their overall performance. Packing healthy choices: whole grains, fruits and veggies will ensure your children will get all they need to excel at learning and at playing.

Let’s not forget the importance of sleep. Children require more hours of sleep than adults do; and it is of the essence that they establish an evening routine conducive to good sleeping habits. Starting the going to bed routine at the same time builds consistency in their natural sleeping rhythms as well as ending the day on a positive note including some good memories from the day, some lessons learned and a sense of gratitude for everything, prepares  a good heart and soul foundation to start the next day with an uplifting attitude to life. Keep kids off the screen for a few hours prior to bed and keep lights dim. Reading calming material is also a great transition to ensure a peaceful and quiet mind. You know exactly what to do!

Finally, we must prepare our kids to deal with all the pieces of the going back to school puzzle: the bathroom routines, the social piece, the learning piece, the homework piece, the weight of their backpacks and even the many emotional burdens carried on their shoulders to boot.

Yoga con offer many tools to help kids live better and deal with the many paths they must travel while at school and during the school year. Children sometimes don’t have the emotional maturity to deal with emotions or disappointments we must coach them and provide them with the necessary tools to cope properly. For example, teaching them to validate their feelings, recognize when they are anxious or stressed. Teaching them to tense to release tension and reminding the to take full deep breaths when they are upset are all fabulous tools to offer for to your children to bring along in their backpacks for extra protection and to enhance their well-being.

Let’s hope we as parents can develop routines and habits that assist our children in becoming healthy, active and engaged individuals who truly care about their own learning process, their environment, friends and all the things which matter the most in their lives; so they may become the very best they can be!