A nutritious, balanced diet, regular exercise, and plenty of sleep are crucial elements of a healthy lifestyle. Without these key ingredients, we tend to feel sluggish and unable to concentrate on even the simplest of tasks. This is true of adults, but children can struggle too. There’s lots of research and evidence to suggest that the type of lifestyle a child leads directly correlates with their performance in school. Regardless of how fantastic your child’s school is, if they aren’t eating well or sleeping enough, their grades will suffer. Read on for some more information from a sixth form in Hertfordshire about how lifestyle choices can affect your child’s learning.

Becoming Independent

Younger children naturally pursue physical and mental challenges because they’re curious and keen to try new things. They are not yet old enough to choose their own meals and snacks or what time they go to bed. Teenagers, on the other hand, are more independent. They have more control over what time they go to sleep, how much they exercise and what kind of snacks they reach for. Parents need to keep a watchful eye on their teens and pre-teens to ensure they are making healthy lifestyle choices.

Technology Use

In fact, you might want to start by considering your son or daughter’s use of technology. Whilst being tech-savvy is important in today’s modern environment, playing endless games or scrolling through social media for hours on end is not. It would be wise to place restrictions on your child’s screen time early on. Instead, encourage them to use their time more effectively. 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.

Extra Activities

Perhaps you could encourage your child to join some sort of extra-curricular club, like a football team or drama classes. This will give them an opportunity to get some physical exercise and develop key skills, such as teamwork and great communication. Essentially, the trick is to get them off the sofa so that their minds and bodies can be challenged in new, enjoyable ways.

Avoid Too Much Sugar

You should also refrain from having sugary snacks readily available to your youngster in the house. This type of food is great for providing a temporary energy boost. But shortly after, their blood sugar levels will plummet, making it almost impossible to concentrate which can impact your child’s learning. Fizzy drinks, salty crisps, chocolate and sweets are terrible options for snacks, especially during a school day. Some better snacking options are things like carrot sticks with peanut butter or hummus, fruit and nuts. Staying well-hydrated is also crucial, so make sure your child takes a bottle of water with them to school that they can fill up throughout the day.