Elemental Kids: Back to School Mindset In 1, 2, 3
Happy Back to School families! I’m here to help everyone transition back into the school year with ease.
Being a school teacher, going back to school can have ups and downs. Discussions I have had with parents, I believe going back to school affects everyone in the family. The summer routine/schedule can be very difficult to phase out of and the school routine can be challenging to phase into. Change is difficult for everyone in many ways. Even with the challenge of change, I believe it is good for our soul to embrace transition. Just like the seasons, the earth goes through cycles to refresh and renew. I have three ways you and your family can transition into this school year refreshed and renewed.
Sleep
“Sleep is essential to keep us happy, healthy, and doing our best.” Providing the appropriate amount of sleep for yourself and your family will create refreshed minds ready for the day. Parents, imagine a time you went to school or work without much sleep. How did you feel that day? Now, think about when your child hasn’t received enough sleep then has to go to school. They are probably feeling the exact same way you have from past experiences. Our summer sleep schedule can be very different from our school sleeping schedule. I suggest to keep your summer and school year sleeping schedule as similar as possible. For example: I wake up around 5:00 AM during the school year, but during the summers I wake up around 6:00-6:30 AM. This allows my body to adjust from summer to school schedule quicker. Now, summer vacations are an acception :). Check out my post called But Why (add link) and I discuss how yoga improves sleep for ALL. For more scientific information on sleep here is a website from the National Sleep Foundation that has a plethora of information on kids and sleep: http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/tp.html
2. Food
Food provides us energy throughout our day and without the appropriate amount of nutrients it can be tough for us to function during our day. Parents, again let us go back to your past experiences and think of a time you were eating a meal or snack that just made you feel blah! Now, envision your child eating a similar meal or snack and how it can have an impact on their mood, sleep, and learning. I completely understand children our PICKY when it comes to eating, but I promise it is possible to provide yourself and your family with delicious, quick, easy, inexpensive, and nutritious meals. To know more about the exact nutrients your child needs throughout their day then head over here to learn more. Keep a look out for more inspiration on Food in the Home(Blog Link). If cooking isn’t a strength in your family then try out a family cooking class or check out Emilie Maynor’s delicious recipes right here on her website!
As you nourish your body, you are also nourishing the mind.
3. Brain Breaks/Down Time
Parents, envision a time when you felt overworked and stressed out. Children can feel this way as well because of school, extra curricular activities, spending time with friends, etc… I think we ALL need to take a step back and think about how much we are putting on ourselves and family. I know we want to try and “DO IT ALL,” but if it is impacting our sleep, health, and learning/work then that is a sign we need to slow down for some down time/brain break. I promise this is the last time we have to imagine something, lol… Picture a time you took a break to relax and breathe. How did you feel before and after? Let us provide more of those beautiful moments for ourselves and families. We are allowed to take a break!
BONUS TIP: I know it can be overwhelming trying out a new routine, idea, method, etc… Take one idea, day, task at a time. There is nothing wrong with starting small and working your way up to the next. I give you permission to ease your family into any new idea. Don’t forget to give yourself and your family permission because sometimes that is all we need to hear. The knowing that it will be OK if I go at my own pace is refreshing to the mind, heart, and body.
If you decide to implement all three or even one tip to your families routine, I want to hear from you what changes you may have seen within your family.
Embrace the changes!
Yoga for All Love for All
Laura