Hey NSTEPpers! It’s time for back-to-school. With this crazy pandemic going on, everyone’s school life looks different this year. So we wanted to talk about a few steps you could take to minimize your stress and anxiety and feel more prepped for the school year.
- Have a meal/lunch plan every week! Use one day a week to plan your meals, shop, and prep what you can. It will allow you to limit the visits to the grocery store and save you some time and exposure in the COVID world. During the prep, cut up some extra veggies so they’re a quick and easy snack. Make extra dinner so that you can have leftovers for the next day. Save yourself some time by laying out the cookware and utensils you’ll need in the morning. Another recommendation is to use an easy overnight recipe for breakfast. Overnight oats are also a terrific way to have a comforting, nutritious no-fuss breakfast.
- For many of us, summer means enjoying the sunshine and the later sunsets. While this is so lovely, it’s hard to get back on a regular sleep schedule, especially for kids.It takes time to re-adjust. So, we suggest changing your kids' sleep schedule about a week before school starts for a smoother transition. Sleep is key to making sure your kids can be successful in school (and for you too!). 8 hours a night at least, and then make sure you leave time for a good breakfast so that your kids are fueled up to think, focus, be creative and have fun with their schoolwork.
- For our Kindergarten kiddos, they may need to get used to being on someone else’s schedule and carving out a little bit of independence. If your kids are going to in-school learning, make sure your kiddo has access to easy-to-open containers for their snacks and lunch. For those of you doing at-home learning, it’s still a good idea to have easy-to-open containers of snacks that your kids can access themselves, and eat quickly, so they get used to that school-type routine of 15 minutes for snack and lunchtime. It’s also a good time to observe how much your kiddo is able to consume during a timed snack/lunchtime. You can adjust how much or how little you’re giving them so they don’t waste food, feel pressured to eat it all, or aren’t starving by dinnertime. Lastly, setting up this routine and helping your kids learn about their eating habits also gives you a great chance to teach them how to get their own food and how to re-seal unused food. You can also explain to your child what would go into Recycling vs Compost vs Garbage. These skills will help build your kiddo’s confidence and help make after-school lunch-box cleanup easier.
The summer season is short, and before you know it, fall is here! So make sure you take advantage of the extra sunlight and go outside for socially distanced walks, bike rides, hikes and playing outside. ☺