Boosting your child’s education is not always about honing in on their reading, writing and arithmetic skills. Many outside factors contribute to a child’s ability to learn, including the amount of exercise they get and the food they eat.
Due to dwindling school budgets and new regulations, schools are limiting physical education and other activities that promote exercise during the school day. Unfortunately, vigorous movement has such an important role in a child’s ability to learn. Physical exercise improves attention spans and also increases strong performances on standardized tests.
In ancient India, children would practice yoga every morning before their morning lessons. The flowing movement rejuvenated their blood flow and was intended to “get their sillies out” before learning. Morning exercise is a terrific way to stimulate young minds and wake up a sleepy brain. By encouraging your child to run a few laps or take a quick bike ride before school, you can help improve his or her classroom performance.
It is easy to think that our kids are better off working on a puzzle or playing an educational game on the computer. However, more and more research is suggesting that activities like soccer and dance are just as important to a child’s educational growth.
So what happens during the winter when it is too cold for your kids to run around outside? For starters, there are lots of cardio-based videos designed for children. Trips a few times a week to the local YMCA are also a great way to get your kids swimming or playing. Additionally, bundling up your kids in warm clothes and putting them to work building a snowman is also a fun way to get their blood pumping.
Keeping your child on a healthy diet is also important for improving his or her learning skills. That is not to say that you should restrict your kid from all things sugary and delicious, but it is essential to include a good amount of nutrition in most meals and snacks.
Healthy foods like fruits, whole grains, vegetables and proteins are energy boosters. They are also fillers. While foods like pop tarts and sugary cereals are more agreeable with your child’s taste buds, they cause hunger sooner. Nothing is more distracting to a child in a classroom than a growling stomach. Foods like eggs, oatmeal and fruits for breakfast will keep your child fuller for longer and will provide them with sustained energy throughout the morning.
For lunch, the best thing you can do for your child is to avoid packing lunch bags with fruit rolls-ups, cookies and chips. These too, will induce hunger earlier and cause a crash before the end of the school day. Lunch is the perfect opportunity to feed your kids celery sticks, carrots, broccoli, healthy sandwiches, apples and yogurt.
Never, of course, over-deprive your child. A cookie here and there and an occasional fast-food run are fine. Let moderation be the biggest goal for your child’s eating habits.
By maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your children, you are providing them a major boost towards classroom success. Education isn’t solely about flash cards and textbooks. Energy control and proper nourishment are just as important as studying.
