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How to Help Your Children Feel Their Best so They Can Focus on Learning
Oakland Tribune
Aug 21, 2005
GOODBYE LAZY DAYS, water parks and camp. Hello books, teachers and homework.
Along with all the new clothes and school supplies, this time of year brings a flood of questions about helping your child get the most out of school.
A good place to start is your child's health. A healthy child is much more capable of learning.
Here's a look at some of the major health issues -- diet, mental health, sleep, injury prevention and vaccines -- that are worth paying attention to so your kids can start the school year off right.
Chow down
With issues such as childhood obesity and the nutritional value of school lunches coming under more public scrutiny than ever, parents are paying more attention to what their kids are eating.
"Back-to-school time is a new beginning and a really good time for parents and children to work harder on making positive changes," says Karen Amorde-Spalding, registered dietitian and clinical nutrition manager at the Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland.
Breakfast is an important meal for all ages but is particularly vital in the pre-teen and teen years.
Studies show that youths who eat breakfast perform better on tests than those that don't.
"As long as you don't have a soda and candy bar I don't care what you have," laughs Amorde-Spalding. "Something with protein in it, like an egg or string cheese, or a turkey sandwich or a peanut butter sandwich and milk are all good."
While many parents focus on packing large, healthful lunches for their children -- which is certainly important -- Amorde-Spalding says it's the after-school snack that really makes a difference.
"Kids tend not to eat very much at lunch, probably because they're working very hard on their social skills -- plus they really do have the wiggles," she says. "Studies have been done showing that kids eat more of their lunch if they get to play first."
Often those half-eaten peanut butter sandwiches and discarded apples from lunchtime translate into ravenous appetites at the end of the school day.
"Kids are starving when they walk in the door," says Amorde- Spalding. "Part of it is the emotional transition from school to home -- it's a very vulnerable time when it comes to portion control and overeating -- kids will graze all afternoon."
Leftovers or a bowl of canned soup are good after-school choices, as are quesadillas, yogurt, crackers, cheese, cereal, fruit and milk. Avoid frozen foods, which can be high in fat and sodium. Foods like juice and granola bars can be deceptive because they appear to be healthy but are actually high in sugar and, in the case of many granola bars, in fat.
For picky eaters, Amorde-Spalding recommends getting them involved in food choices. Bring them to the supermarket or farmers' market and have them pick out three different fruits or two new vegetables to try in the next week.
"It's best not to cater to a picky eater," she says. "But you want to put something on the dinner table that they like. If you're serving something your youngest doesn't like, but she likes strawberries, and you know you have strawberries in the fridge, then put them on the table."
-- Jenny Slafkosky
Sleepy time
There may be no rite of passage more predictable than the bedtime battle.
Pre-schoolers and kindergartners don't want to miss out on any action, and beg to stay up a little longer. School-age children's eyes are bigger than their stomachs -- or at least their REM sleep needs -- and they wheedle for an extra hour. Teenagers closet themselves in their rooms and go online at all hours.
But some doctors think the bedtime battle shouldn't be a rite of passage at all and that poor sleep habits are learned.
"I find from my experience that parents who have not helped establish healthy sleep habits early on are still battling them," says Karen Pollak, a sleep counselor who has been an educator at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for nearly nine years. "They're still up in the middle of the night, the parents are still in bed with them." Pollak, who became a sleep specialist in part from her work with multiples, who often present more complicated bedtime struggles, offers advice for parents at her Web site www.doubletalkfortwins.com.
Essentially, her message is consistency.
"Having a good sleep routine means consistency, whether that means washing up with a song, special family time, or settling down with a transitional object like a blanket or stuffed animal that helps calm them," says Pollak. "It helps children get the message early that this is the environment we're creating to get a healthy night's sleep."
But how much sleep is enough? In general, kindergartners need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day, while children ages 6 to 12 require about 10 hours. Teens need at least nine hours.
Getting children into bed, though, is a whole other kettle of fish. The experienced parent In that case, the advice is universal: Set a bedtime routine so that kids are getting ready for bed before they typically get tired, about 30 to 45 minutes before it's time for lights out. And naturally, avoid adrenaline-boosting television shows and caffeine.
"Creating a conducive sleep environment needs to start early -- 3 months for a regular term baby is not too early," says Pollak. "And there are so many stresses in life. Whether you're going back to school to the fifth grade, or just starting out in kindergarten, being well-rested is a great way to start the day."
-- Candace Murphy
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