Send Your Kids Back To School Successfully

Doesn’t it feel like summer was only a minute long?? It is hard to believe it is time for the kids to head back to school, but the time is indeed here! As you are putting together your school supplies and making sure your kids haven’t grown out of every single pair of pants they own, we wanted to offer some suggestions to help your kid’s transition to school life be as successful as possible.

Start The Day Right

It’s important that you start your kid’s day off right and that means refueling their bodies after a good night’s sleep. I mean after all; breakfast is the most important meal of the day! According to PubMed Central, 20 – 30% of all kids skip breakfast each day, which is sad because their developing bodies and brains need fuel to grow! We know that mornings can be stressful, so we have some ideas for healthy breakfasts that are easy and can be prepped ahead of time:

• Hard-Boiled Eggs can be made the night before to sit peeled and ready for a protein-rich meal.
• Oats (1/4 cup) can be combined with milk (1/2 cup) and left in a mason jar overnight for a healthy whole-grain option.
• Smoothies are a great on-the-go option that makes sure they get a serving of fruits and veggies in to start the day!

Packing Healthy Lunches

If you prefer to send your kids off to school with a lunch packed with love, we are all for it! We know it can be challenging to give them healthy, well rounded portable meals so here are some ideas to help:

• Veggies (carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber) with Hummus for dipping. Round it out with popcorn and a piece of fruit for a snack.
• Yogurt with some fresh fruit (grapes, blueberries, or a banana) is great with a granola bar for an extra snack.
• If your kids love PB&J – put it on whole-grain bread and try different varieties of nut butter, add a piece of fruit and you have a well-balanced lunch.

Backpack Safety in Mt. Juliet

A brand-new backpack is an important part of getting ready for back to school. Unfortunately, an overstuffed backpack worn improperly can strain your child’s muscles and joints. We want to offer a few backpack safety tips to make sure your kid doesn’t come home with unnecessary back pain.

• Talk with your kids and stress the importance of wearing them properly instead of just over one shoulder because it is easier. This puts a strain on their neck and shoulders and can put them out of alignment.
• Be wary of backpacks with thin, narrow straps because the weight of the items in this type of backpack can dig into the shoulders and interfere with circulation and nerves.
• If your child’s backpack has multiple compartments be sure to utilize them! This will help to distribute the weight throughout the backpack.

Once the school year is underway, if your child complains of back pain or numbness in the arms or legs, they may not be using their backpack properly. Make sure you give us a call so we can help.

Have An Awesome Year!!

The entire TruRoots Health Center team is rooting for your family to have an awesome school year! If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with us! We would be happy to expand upon anything discussed in this blog.