Get set for a healthy academic year!

As children countrywide get ready to begin school in June/July, it’s important that parents plan and prepare children for a changed routine and ensure their physical health and well-being through the school year – Dr. Gita Mathai The summer holidays are over and it’s time for the new school year to begin. As 250 million children countrywide get ready to begin school in June/July, stressed-out parents are struggling to cope financially, emotionally and physically with preparing and equipping children for the new academic year. They are buying school books, uniforms, arranging for children’s commuting, co-curricular and sports activities, preparing study timetables, setting routines and drawing up meal menus. Without planning and preparation, these could become high stress duties for parents. Therefore it’s important that you plan and prepare children for a changed routine and ensure their physical health and well-being through the school year. Here are my guidelines for parents to ensure a healthy and fulfilling new school year for their children. Establish a sleep/waking routine. Holidays mean late nights and later mornings. Most parents complain that waking and getting children to school on time is a herculean task after the summer vacation is over. Therefore to minimise stress, it’s important to establish a sleep/waking routine at least a week before school begins. Wake children up at least one to two hours before the school bus is due to arrive. Encourage 20 minutes of aerobic physical activity. Running back and forth in any empty space at home is good. Alternatively getting children to run up the stairs fast and come down slowly is a good exercise to wake up sleepy heads. This 20-minute physical activity sharpens the intellect, improves memory, boosts academic performance, instils discipline and reduces stress. School-going children require eight to ten hours of sleep. Reducing sleep to study doesn’t necessarily result in better academic outcomes. Provide a healthy breakfast. Don’t send children to school on an empty stomach. Breakfast is the main meal of the day and essential to kickstart the body’s metabolism. And please note that milk and biscuits are not substitutes for a nutritious cooked breakfast. Traditional Indian breakfast of chapatti, puri, idli or dosa is an excellent source of non-refined carbohydrates which provide young children a continuous source of energy through the day. If preparing these meals is onerous responsibility, opt for porridge made of broken wheat, rice and ragi with milk. Add sugar and a few dry fruits and nuts. Chickpeas and soya chunks are also good alternatives. For non-vegetarians, an egg is an excellent breakfast meal providing 12 gm of protein. Immunity check. Ensure your child’s immunisation card is checked by a paediatrician to confirm all vaccinations and boosters are up-to-date. The immunisation schedule is complex with combined shots at varying intervals between doses and boosters which finally finish in a child’s 16th year. Please note that school classrooms, playgrounds and other spaces are also breeding grounds for germs and bacteria and that children can easily contract contagious diseases. Many child-specific/common ailments such…