Tip #2:
Put your child on a brain-strengthening diet.

Not all diets are for weight loss. Even children that have great athletic physiques are susceptible
to the after-effects of poor eating habits, including fatigue, anxiety, poor concentration, and mood
swings.

You can help your children feel better each school day simply by adjusting their diet and
getting rid of foods and snacks that are counter-productive.

Here are some healthy eating tips:

  • Purge the bad foods in your house.Open your refrigerator and get rid of the foods you know are unhealthy for your children including sodas, snacks that are high in sugar, and foods that are high in fat.

  • Create a healthy menu. Sit down with your child and create a breakfast, lunch,and afternoon snack menu together. Create at least five different healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and snack time and allow them to choose what they want to eat each day.

    If your children help with the process, they will be more intrinsically motivated to stick with the diet.

    Back to School tips

    You can make it fun by having them design a fun menu with their meal options and also have them go to the grocery store and help pick up all of the ingredients.

    If you are struggling with how to create a proper diet, do some research on the Internet or speak with a licensed dietician that can help make a list of heart and brain-healthy foods.

  • Lead by example. If your children see you eating unhealthy foods then you are contradicting what you say. Children are smart, and they will fight you on this subject if you don’t lead by example yourself. On the bright side, this is a great way for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle too!

Tip #3:
Make sure your child feels comfortable communicating with you.

Screen Shot 2015-09-01 at 12.24.08 AMCommunication is crucial when it comes to all of the challenges your children face each day at school.

It is important for your children to feel comfortable speaking with your about bullies, fears, and anxieties. You can turn any challenge around if you provide your children with the opportunity to do so.

Here are some important tips for helping your child feel comfortable about communication:

  • Never ignore your child’s anxieties or stresses. This is a crucial mistake that many parents make, and most of the time it is on accident. Sometimes parents get tangled up with all of their own responsibilities that they brush aside situations brought up by their child that don’t seem important.

    What you need to remember is: EVERYTHING your child says to you is important to them.

  • Ask them about their day to keep an open dialog. Sometimes children hold back sharing their fears and anxieties simply because they don’t want to bother you. By asking them how their day was and if there was anything they wanted to talk about, you are showing them you care.

  • Try to put their anxieties and stresses into a perspective that they understand. For example, almost everyone is bullied at one point in life.

    If your child’s stress is about bullying, share your bullying experience and let them know that you understand how they feel and then provide a simple solution that they can handle.