**Collaborative post**
What is a healthy lifestyle? This question probably has a different answer for everyone but the facts which usually remain the same are that regular exercise and a well-balanced diet feature heavily.
How important is a healthy lifestyle for your child’s academic and social education though? Can a child who attends a good school still do well even if they don’t have a great diet or get regular exercise? The answer to that question is…possibly not as well as they might do.
There’s so much evidence to show how a balanced diet and plenty of exercise can contribute to your child’s performance in school, but it goes deeper than that. Mental health is also an important factor in how well a child does in school…the good news about that is that exercise and a good diet also contribute to a healthy mind, so fix those things and the other naturally follows.
No matter how excellent your child’s school is, if your child is not eating well and getting exercise on a regular basis then their performance will be affected.
Developing a love of learning is crucial to helping your child grow; as the leaders of this prep school in Oxfordshire believes, encouraging children to give their all is a great start.
How to help your child embrace a healthy lifestyle
Before a certain age, children have an innate ability to live healthy lifestyles. They naturally pursue physical and mental challenges, they’re fearless and keen to try new things. Endlessly curious, they learn ‘on the job’ and constantly look for new activities and problems to solve.
As they grow, this natural drive slows down…this is normal and nothing to worry about. What it means though is that they need guidance and encouragement to carry on learning and living healthily.
A good place to begin is looking at the technology in your child’s life. Whilst being tech-savvy is important in today’s tech-driven world, playing endless games and living life via social media is not.
Place restrictions on your child’s screen time early on. Don’t let them get into the habit of staring at a screen when they could be outside playing or engaging in creative activities such as drawing or crafts.
Drawing, crafts, reading, running, walking and climbing are all ideal activities for children of all ages and will all contribute to their physical and mental health.
If your child is already in the habit of too much screen time then it’s not too late to get a handle on it. Restrict the time they’re allowed to spend online and join them in walks outside, perhaps with a dog as company…dogs make wonderful excuses to take a walk! If you don’t have your own and your child enjoys spending time with animals, perhaps ask a neighbour if they need help with walking theirs? This can be an excellent time spent with your child together. Bonding whilst engaged in easy exercise is valuable in many ways.
How can my child’s diet affect their education?
In many ways. Sugar is one of the major causes of obesity and so many processed foods are laden with sugar which might make food taste nice but is terrible for mental agility and for physical health.
Eating quick, sugary snacks might give your child a boost and stop hunger pangs but shortly afterwards, their blood sugar levels will plummet causing irritability and lack of concentration.
Try to ensure your child eats well-balanced meals with few if any snacks in between. Ideal snacks include nuts (without salt), carrot sticks with peanut butter, apples, bananas and air-popped popcorn with a little salt.
Say no to fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate bars and similar snacks…save these for parties and special occasions. Of course, there’s a balance…insisting your child never has these will only make them more attractive, so allow them occasionally.
Staying well-hydrated is also vital as thirst may sometimes be mistaken for hunger. Encourage your child to drink plenty of water.
At the end of the day, a child who is well-rested, eats healthily and gets plenty of exercise will always do better in school than a child who is not. Intelligence only accounts for some of the results…lifestyle counts for a lot more!
