Lessons In Back-To-School Strategies: How To Make This Year A Success

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By mia bolaris-forget

Since we’ve barely had much of a summer at all this year, and if your anything like me and my “cronies”, it’s not likely your eagerly looking forward to the cooler temps and shorter days. But, unlike your kiddies, you just “may” be looking to another inevitable event…the advent of the upcoming school year. In fact, many of you may have already started preparing for it. But, besides pencils, books, and back to school clothes, parents are likely focusing on not only having a fabulously productive and fashionable school year, but a healthy and safe one as well.

· Haute H-2-0: While kids will gladly and readily lap up sugary beverages on demand, getting them to sip some healthy and refreshing water may prove to be a bit more difficult. Make drinking plenty of cold water, cool with a hot and stylish aluminum water bottle that also less toxic and better for the environment.

· Encourage kids to “walk the walk”: It’s no secret that kids are getting MUCH less exercise than we use. Invest in a pedometer, proven by studies to help kids walk more than they normally would.

· Divide and conquer…at least when it comes to lunch: Take your cue from the frozen food isle circa 1960 and 1970-something. Remember the concept of compartmentalized meals a la Swanson’s frozen dinners. Well, it seems they may have been on to something. Lunch boxes with similar compartments make it easy for moms and dads to pack ‘just the right amount” of nutritious options for their little ones before sending them off to school.

· Back off: Keeping heavy backpacks (as they were once called) off your child’s or children’s back is probably a good idea, especially when it comes to helping prevent future back and shoulder problems. Instead think about a rolling backpack that is easy to push and pull.

· Handy-dandy hygiene: Try to trim the sick days by stocking up on little packets or bottles of hand sanitizer.

Long Island Family Life & Parenting Articles > Lessons In Back-To-School Strategies: How To Make This Year A Success