As the summer holidays come to a close, the next school year is on the horizon. Like many parents, your kids probably come first. You might already be thinking ahead and drawing up back-to-school shopping lists, as well as preparing for the inevitable change of routine.
So, what else should you be paying attention to? In this article, we’re going to offer up some health tips and tricks to ensure your child has their best school year yet.
Getting Ready for the New School Year
From heavy bags to slouching, there are many ways our children can experience spinal misalignments, injury, and pain. Luckily, taking the proper precautions can ensure your children stay safe and healthy as they continue to grow and learn. With that in mind, here are our top tips to pass on to your children this school year.
Tip #1: Encourage Good Posture
While this may seem hard to do, considering your kids are at school most of the day, you can still reinforce this at home, such as during homework or reading time. Basically, children should follow the same posture rules as adults. This means sitting with the knees, hips, and elbows at 90 degrees while having the feet firmly planted on the ground.
If your child’s legs don’t reach the ground, place a cushion or stool below for support. Additionally, as a parent, you should encourage your child to take frequent breaks from sitting so that they avoid aches, strains, and pain.
Tip #2: Prepare Nutritious Lunches
Many school cafeterias are getting better at offering healthy options. Yet, it’s much easier to ensure your child is getting the nutrients they need by providing them with a lunchbox full of nutritious and healthy snacks.
Most notably, it’s recommended to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and protein as part of your child’s diet. This can support your children’s health and prevent the development of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension.
Generally, vegetables and grains should make up about half of your child’s plates, with the other half divided into fruits and proteins.
Tip #3: Make Sure Your Kids Have the Right Shoes!
Improper footwear can cause issues from the bottom-up. This is why it’s so crucial to ensure your children have shoes that fit their feet properly, meaning they aren’t too big or too small. Avoid secondhand shoes or passing down shoes from one child to another.
Instead, make it a regular occurrence to buy your children new shoes to avoid pain or discomfort. Additionally, the best shoes are breathable and offer ample support for your child’s heels and arches.
If their shoes get wet, let them dry naturally as opposed to throwing them in the dryer. By doing this, you may actually shrink the shoes, which can decrease their lifespan.
Tip #4: Ensure Their Backpack’s Weight Makes Sense
Research indicates that heavy school bags are associated with increased back pain. In fact, carrying around a heavy school bag increases your child’s chances of developing permanent spinal deformities, such as a hunchback or scoliosis.
Ideally, your child’s backpack should weigh an appropriate amount when compared to their weight and size. For instance, a child weighing 30-40 kilograms should carry only up to two kilograms in total.
Tip #5: Make Health Fun!
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Foster a healthy lifestyle as your kids grow. The sooner they adopt healthy habits, the better. And the more likely they’ll grow into healthy and happy adults.
If you’re looking to improve your children’s wellness routines, chiropractic care visits can help encourage healthy development and a healthy spine. The Bradford House Chiropractic Clinic team is always here to help. Contact us today for more information or to book your children’s first appointments.
