Well Families

From the desk of Carol C. . .

Ahhh…the perfect family…all smiles and laughter  This is called fantasy land, and since perfect families just don’t exist, let’s aim for having well families.  This means making your family the best they can be.  We know healthy students make healthy learners, so it is important to think about how well our families are when sending students off to learn.

What does a family need to be well?  Here are some ideas.

• Communicate– Communication means sharing ideas, thoughts, and feelings.  This is so important whether it’s parent to child, child to child, or parent to parent.  Talking to children lets them know you care.  Listening lets you know what’s going on in their lives.  Sometimes paying attention to nonverbal cues can give you as much information about your child as words would.  Open and honest communication allows families to show their love and respect for each other as well as to settle differences they have more effectively.  Be sure to check in on how they think and feel about what is going on at school.
• Balance activities-Make sure your children have an equal number of structured activities and unstructured time.  Horseback riding, scouts, dance, swimming, baseball, soccer…the list goes on…are all structured.  In order to provide a balance, these activities need to be limited.    Along with your children choose the activities in which they want to participate.  You set the limit.  In this way you’re making sure your children take part in outside activities but, also, have free play, a chance to grow their imaginations, and at times just decompress.  And don’t forget, this is on top of a structured day at school!
• Sleep-Enough sleep=happy parents and happy children.  Doctors tell us this all the time.  It is essential to good mental and physical health.  Set bedtimes give children the opportunity to get enough sleep and greatly enhances their chances for a positive tomorrow and ability to learn in the classroom.
• Go outside and exercise-This means play, walk the dog, rake leaves, or plant flowers.  Do something that increases your activity level.  Being active puts us all in a better frame of mind.  Also, it gives children a chance to use their imaginations…the trailer becomes a boat or the tree a place to hide from the bad guys.  Active imaginations have often fueled great writers!
• Establish routines-Routines may sound confining to some, but they’re not.  They can cut down on tantrums and arguments because children know what to expect.  Routines provide them with security.  Of course there has to be some room for flexibility, but having a general sense of what is going to happen is an emotional safety net that grows confidence in children.  This is an important trait in the classroom.

Families are complex, and each one has slightly different needs.  However, enough sleep, exercise, and structured and unstructured times are things we all need.   In addition making sure you have routines in place and open communication with your family has a positive influence on everyone’s mental and physical health.  Healthy children make healthier students!