March 2023 - Healthy Lifestyle
Welcome to March! I hope in February you were able to cultivate compassion for yourself and others! I enjoyed baking cookies with a few classes and we sent cookies to military members, along with members of the fire hall. It was great to see so many students wear pink on February 22 as a way to bring awareness to a national anti-bullying initiative!
In January, our focus was on self-care and we discussed several things we can do to care for our body and more specifically our mind. This month’s focus, living a healthy lifestyle will be a further look at how we can care for ourselves to ensure optimal health. Living a healthy lifestyle includes getting enough quality sleep, eating a balanced diet, drinking lots of water, reducing screen time, and participating in regular physical activity.
Children ages 5-13 should be getting 9-11 hours of sleep, and children ages 14-17 should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep. John Hopkins University reports that “studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Not getting enough sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression.” Here is a sleep tracker for you to record when you fall asleep and wake up. It will help you to understand your sleep pattern, and how your rest is associated with how you are feeling. Maybe completing this activity will help you to realize it may be time to refresh.
If you would like information on developing a bedtime routine that suits your family’s needs, please reach out to me.
Screen time has been proven to inhibit children’s ability to read faces and learn social skills. Excessive screen time has been linked to behavior and mood disorders, obesity, and thinning of the brain’s cortex, which is related to critical thinking. Children need human interactions, and reducing screen time promotes healthy relationships, improved sleep, reduced stress, and increased productivity among so many other things. For a quick guide to reducing screen time check out this widget produced by the CDC:
UnlockFood.ca has some excellent resources when it comes to healthy living for the whole family. Check out the links below to help guide you in creating “SMART” goals for healthy living for your family.
10 "SMART" Physical Activity Goals.
A Parent's Guide to Physical Activity for Kids.
Many of us love sweet treats, why not try having a family baking day and bake some healthier versions of well loved desserts or snacks for your lunch bags:
Zucchini Brownies: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a48567/zucchini-brownies-recipe/
Samoa Apple Slices: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a49792/samoa-apple-slices-recipe/
Strawberry Sundae Bites:
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a19460595/strawberry-sundae-bites-recipe/
For more resources, check out the Healthy Lifestyle page of the NLPS website.
If you would like me to connect with your child or your family, you can contact me at the school at 780-594-1404.