As kids are heading back to school, here are five easy ways to take care of your family’s health and get the new school year off on the right foot!
Start with a checkup
We all want our families to be healthy and happy. Back to school is a great time to schedule your family’s annual checkups. Call up your family dentist and doctor to make an appointment before your kids go off to school. Before you make the appointments, identify any physical or emotional changes in you or your child and write them down, so you’re ready with your questions or concerns.
It’s important for your doctor to have a base line of your health, so if anything arises it will be easier to catch. And don’t forget your teeth! Be sure to see a dentist every six months for cleanings and checkups. Brushing and flossing are vital to the health of your teeth, but sometimes we have hidden issues that only the dentist can see.
Make healthy choices fun
Get creative with school lunch! The same sandwich every day can get boring, so use one of your cookie cutters to make a fun shape! Kids love fun-shaped food, or try cute little bags for snacks. Pack sliced apples with a little scoop of peanut butter and a few dark chocolate chips. Pinterest has a ton of creative ideas for healthy school lunches. And don’t stop with school lunches. Practice healthy eating all day long. Aim for at least two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables every day, and load up on water! Water is so good for your body – your brain, your skin, your overall health! Skip the junk and fuel your whole family with the right foods and water, and feel the benefits of a healthy lifestyle!
Get ready for bed
Bath time is a perfect ritual to calm your kids’ nerves and get them to settle down for bed. Follow the bath with pajamas, brushing teeth, mouthwash and flossing. Your family dentist will be able to tell the difference! Then, pull out a book and snuggle with them in bed for a bedtime story. These nightly activities will get them ready to go to bed and establish a ritual that will help them – and you – get a better night’s sleep! Looking for a new nightly read? There are tons of great books for kids and adults! Even if school hasn’t started yet for your kids, you can start this now. Then when school starts, it’ll ease the transition for everyone to get to bed early, so you can be early risers as well.
Get organized
Back to school shopping is in full swing, but be sure to first sort through what you already have. Go through the closets and pull out anything that is too small or too raggedy. If you have clothes that are outgrown but still in good condition, donate them to your local shelter. Then, tackle the school supplies! If your kids still have plenty of pencils, scissors or glue sticks from the previous school year, there’s no sense buying more. Just be sure to identify what isn’t worth saving and toss it to make room for new clothes and supplies! Give everything a place, and organize your drawers and your closets. This helps save time on those hectic mornings when everyone is racing to get out the door!
Don’t forget to have fun!
It may be time to get back into a school routine, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous and go for ice cream after school, hit the movies on Saturday afternoon, or zip off on a weekend road trip. The goal is to spend time with your kids, your family and your friends and have fun! Back to school is exciting on its own, just don’t let the bustle of back to school kill the good-time vibe you had this summer!
What are your back-to-school routines? Share them in the comments below!
