It's School Time!!!

Those buses were making the rounds this morning!! School starts early down South where I live.  I think it’s partly to avoid the heat (though it’s hot as the dickens right now, so I guess they mean the heat in June).  And, it’s  partly to make sure there are enough days to cover snow which shuts us completely down and partly the threat of tornadoes which has us running for cover.  If you are tending to a child who is headed back to the routine of school, here are a few things you may want to consider.

For minority children the additional challenges of physical environment, health costs, activity and education and access to health care and healthy food contribute significantly to the impact of the epidemic of obesity and related diseases/health conditions in their community.  (Children’s Defense Fund)

For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020:

  • The prevalence of obesity was 19.7% and affected about 14.7 million children and adolescents.

  • Obesity prevalence was 12.7% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 22.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds. Childhood obesity is also more common among certain populations.

  • Obesity prevalence was 26.2% among Hispanic children, 24.8% among non-Hispanic Black children, 16.6% among non-Hispanic White children, and 9.0% among non-Hispanic Asian children.

  • Obesity-related conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and joint problems. cdc.gov

Here are a few recommendations that can help your kids have a healthy school year:

-Choose a plant-based diet that offers a good variety of fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables.

-Plan your meals......for the month......and include your children.

-Do Not Skip Breakfast!!!!!  It is the  most important meal of the day and significantly improves function and learning in school.  

-Consider your schooling process.  Homeschoolers have complete control over the meals served; the planning, shopping and preparing as well as opportunities to learn about nutrition.   If your child attends a traditional school but needs to bring their lunch, you still have a lot of control.  Serve them a healthy breakfast and involve them in the lunch-planning process choosing and sending foods that they won’t want to trade.  If your child eats breakfast and/or lunch at school, they are pretty much in control, so look over the menu that the school provides with them, and turn it into an opportunity to make healthy choices.

-Lead By Example!!!  Much of what our children learn and remember is “caught” rather than “taught”. They will model what they see you do.  Plan healthy meals with them.  Eat healthy foods in front of them.  Show them how enjoyable eating healthfully really is and enjoy healthy lives with them.  This will become their “normal”.

-Listen to them With Your EYES!!! Kids know when you are really tuned in!!  My son schooled me when he was a pre-schooler!!  And, it’s something I have worked hard at doing.  Connection in any activity with children is what they remember because they remember how good they felt!!

-Put down your devices and give them your undivided attention

-Do some physical activity with them - walk, dance, play sports, “Wii”

-Snuggle up and read together

-Cook some healthy food together

-Ask open-ended questions and give them a chance to really share whats on their heart

-Set a regular “date” time that is NEVER compromised

-Set and stick to an early bedtime.  Good sleep helps everything!!

-Teach then the value of the power of prayer/meditation!!

Don’t wait!!  Make and implement your plan!!  Stick to it!!  They will be grown before you realize it and you’ll be attending college graduations!!!  My son is almost 35 now!! Seems like yesterday we were buying lunch boxes, book bags for traditional school and planning field trips for homeschool!!!  Whew!!! Oh, and here are a couple recipes that are always a hit!!  Have an AWESOME, FUN  and HEALTHY school year!!!

Fruit Smoothies

½  banana

5-6 strawberries

1 strip of fresh pineapple

½ cup their favorite milk or juice

Honey and their favorite flavoring

Blend ingredients until smooth and serve.

VARIATIONS:  Experiment with their favorite fruits – mango, blueberry raspberry, fresh peaches.  When fruit is in season, you won’t even need to add a sweetener. And, if fruit is frozen smoothie is thicker!  Just like a milkshake!!  You can also make ahead and freeze into ice-pops!!  Yummy!!!!

Ivey’s Breakfast Burritos

½ -1 roll Gimme Lean Sausage or your favorite vege sausage

1/3 cup each of red, green, yellow, orange bell pepper

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 recipe simple scrambled tofu

1 package taco seasoning mix

10-12 flour tortillas-whole wheat

Your fav non-dairy cheese

In a skillet, brown sausage.  Add veggies and sauté.  Add beans and simple scrambled tofu.  Season to taste with taco seasoning mix. Spoon about 1/3 – ½ cup of mixture into warmed tortilla.  Serve with optional grated non-dairy cheese, sour cream and salsa!  Yum Yum!!  Serves 8.

It’s School Time!!  Have a Healthy, Happy School Year!!  It’s First Thursday Yawl!!

I’m Still Shoutin’ Ova Here!!

Donna

#school #schooltime #children #kids #breakfast #healthychoices #eatwell #leadbyexample #sleep #laugh #cookinupgoodhealth #stillshoutinovahere #firstthursday

Donna Green-Goodmanschool, schooltime, children, kids, healthykids, healthychoices, eatwell, leadbyexample, laugh, cookinupgoodhealth, stillshoutinovahere, firstthursday