Balance is the key

In a few short weeks, summer 2024, as we know it, will be over. For some parents, it is a welcome back to routine, predictable days filled with organized chaos. For others, it is an opportunity to put into practice our promises to our children to have a school year filled with academic, athletic and emotional wins. For all parents, it is a time to utilize back-to-school tips meant to help their children become the best students they can be. What are areas of focus upon which all parents can agree will help their children soar in the upcoming school year? As a pediatrician, I often offer these practical suggestions to my patients that empower them and their parents to be the best they can be.

Sleep: Who actually gets enough sleep?

The clinician recommends eight hours of sleep per night for children to rest and recharge for the next day. As children find themselves more and more scheduled and more committed to after-school activities, sleep is often compromised. It is essential, as parents, to operate in grace. If your child has a late night of practice or activities three days a week, choose his off days to rest and recharge. Balance is the key for all of us, including parents and children. As children get older and homework demands increase, often children find themselves awake late at night finishing school projects and assignments. This may mean a sleepin day on Saturday or an early night on Sunday to ensure children are ready for the week ahead.

Nutrition: For today’s parents, including myself, dinner is often relegated to a quickly prepared meal, drive-thru or delivery service. Regardless of how it gets to the table, do your best to ensure children’s plates are filled with healthful options. If you have the traditional Taco Tuesday and Pizza Friday, add fruits and vegetables along the way. Again, parents, it is about balance. Breakfast breaks the fast of the night before, so offer your future leader options with sustainable energy, such as proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Many suggest keeping healthy snacks toward the front of the refrigerator or pantry area so that when children come home from school or practice, they are more likely to select items that are easy to grab. Meal prepping is also a fun way to get your children involved in their own nutritional wellness while spending quality time together.

Exercise: As summer’s heat rises, children often find themselves seated in front of electronic devices rather than playing outside. Children must get their heart rate up and engage in exercise/physical activity, averaging about 60 minutes a day. How do we, as parents, ensure that their physical well-being is addressed? For many, this involves after-school activities such as cheer, basketball, dance or swimming. Often, these extracurricular activities are cost-prohibitive, and parents search for other, more cost-effective options. Riding bikes, walking in the neighborhood or other safe spaces, and participating in community parks and recreation classes are alternatives to organized sports that offer the same cardiovascular benefits to children. We must be intentional in getting our children moving. The obesity epidemic continues to rise in our children, resulting in growing numbers of them being diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and Type 2 diabetes. As parents, we must set an example for our children to live the healthiest lives possible.

Mental Wellness: Do we as parents ever slow down? If the answer is “no,” then what example are we demonstrating to our children? Again, balance is the key. Please encourage your children to own their mental wellness and develop safe spaces to share their thoughts and feelings. I often encourage children to journal to put their feelings and emotions into words. Never be afraid to seek help for your children when you feel they struggle with fitting in with peers or measuring up to societal standards. We must be our children’s advocates and always let them know that it is OK not to be OK. When children feel safe and grounded, they explore and soar in this big place called the world. Ultimately, what better gift can a parent receive than seeing their children truly become the best human beings possible?

Hopefully, these tips will have everyone excited to go back to school. Summertime is winding down, and the hope of a new school year is upon us. With a lot of grace and balance, we can help our children be the best students they can be for the upcoming academic year.

Wanda H. Thomas, MD, FAAP, is a professor of pediatrics, associate dean for admissions for the School of Medicine, and the AHEC program director at LSU Health Shreveport.