School has started and the change in routine in comparison to summer break can be tough on your kids. Some are all happy and smiles to go back to school because they missed their friends and teachers but others have a hard time adapting. No matter how your child handles going back to school, there are simple things you can do to make it easier for everybody, including yourself. In this little back to school series I already talked about having the right homework essentials and the right lunch and snack (hardware) essentials. Today I'd love to talk about healthy school night habits. The reason I'm doing this post is because I see so many children come to class that are just too tired to learn anything and I believe it can be different. I know, modern times, but sometimes the old ways are just what you need.
I won't pretend I'm a total expert on this topic since I don't have kids of my own but I've been a nanny/babysit for or a few years so I learned some valuable tricks along the way. There are little habits/routines that make your nights a lot more relaxed and will benefit your kids at the same time so today I'm sharing my four top tips for a healthy school night.
First: don't eat at least an hour before going to sleep
Getting kids ready for bed on time is hard especially if there are after school activities like playing sports, music school, etc. When you get home after this chances are it'll be already five or six o'clock. By then they still need to start homework and you'll need to prepare dinner. It's possible you can't even have dinner ready before seven. When you have smaller kids that need to be in bed by eight o'clock eating so late is not beneficial. Their stomach will be full and falling asleep will be harder. Eating late also makes the night seems shorter because after dinner they'll need to go get ready for bed immediately and kids don't really like that. What you can do to make dinner go smoother and faster after school activities without having to serve fastfood to your kids is preparing a meal in advice that can be put into the oven or microwave. This way it'll be fresh and healthy but it'll be also ready much faster, leaving more time to have a relaxing evening after! I'd also suggest only having after school activities once a week in the evenings, maximum two times because it's just stressful for your kids. First they go to school, then they have to listen to their coach/teacher after school, make homework, go straight to bed and start all over again in de morning. Just like you and me, our kids need time to wind down from the day.
Second: set a standard bed time
Research says that going to sleep at the same time every night benefits everybody, adults too, but it's especially true for kids. It's supposed to help you sleep faster and deeper. (Not going to link it, Google is your friend too, but the reasoning sounds very logical to me). Having a set bed time will make your kids know at what time they have to be in bed so they can prepare for it. As small as they are they then can plan their evening: know which tv show they can or can't watch, how much time they have left for a game, how long they can play with dolls, etc. It's hard enough to get them in bed by bed time so if you don't have a set bed time things can only go downhill from there.
Third: get ready for bed half an hour before the actual bed time
When you want to have your kids in bed by eight, start preparing for bed at seven thirty. I used to start preparing my nanny kids only ten minutes before bed but every time I failed miserably to get them in bed on time. They would keep playing, be very slow in brushing their teeth, have a fake struggle to take off their clothes, ... all to stay up a little later. When I changed the routine to get ready half an hour before, suddenly they could do everything thoroughly and super fast. Why? Because they knew that if they prepared fast, we could still read a story or listen to a few songs together. If not they'd have wasted half an hour getting ready and would be sent to bed straight from the bathroom. And they did not like that. So preparing on time is key to getting them in bed on time!
Fourth: do something relaxing before bed
Whatever your kids' evening activities are, right before bed when they've already brushed their teeth and put on their pyjamas: do something very calm and relaxing. Cuddle in the sofa, read a book together, listen to a soft favorite song, sing together, whisper in each others' ears, ... There are endless possibilities but the most important thing is that your kids don't play on their computers, iPads, phones or watch TV right before bed. I used to do this myself when I was in secondary school but I know now that it makes sleeping so much harder after that. When you're relaxed and in a mindset to go to bed, sleep will be come quicker and easier. So doing something calm and relaxing before bed will help your kids wind down from the busy day and sleep in no time!
I hope these four healthy habits will help you prepare your kids for school days! Have you ever tried any of these? If so, let me know if they work for you and your kids! If you have any tips and tricks of your own, please do share them in the comments, I'd love to hear them!
I hope these four healthy habits will help you prepare your kids for school days! Have you ever tried any of these? If so, let me know if they work for you and your kids! If you have any tips and tricks of your own, please do share them in the comments, I'd love to hear them!
love,
Margot
Margot
