☀️Things to do before Summer is Over!
Don’t let the season wind down before trying out somemeaningful and important things to do before the end of summer.
Spend time together as a family before the busy school year starts, reflect on memories shared together, and enjoy the final few days of summer before entering into a new season.
Before we get started, many of you commented that you really enjoyed our newsletters over the past two weeks, “Everything you need to Know about Snacking” and “My secrets for Eating Less” . If you missed them, you can use this link, Here.
The other day I was walking through the store to head to the seasonal section to load up on some more Tonka torches 🔥, but as I rounded the corner, I realized that the seasonal section wasn’t filled with summer items anymore……
But, school supplies filled the area 🚌📌📗✏️
It’s the sight that may or may not be welcomed come mid-July… the reminder that school is starting back up soon and the long, lazy days of summer are quickly coming to an end.
Seasons work like that, going through the cycle that leads into the next season. Each season offers something special, whether you like that season or not.
I’ll admit it, once July hits I start looking forward to the back-to-school season, mainly because that means fall is coming and the grass stops growing, LOL 🤣 Whew!
But I also enjoy summer, more specifically, I enjoy the family time we have in the summer. Especially near the end of July when most activities, day camps, and vacations are over and we have about two weeks of unstructured time to do what we want before the end of summer.
It’s a mix of both… planning some last-minute summer fun as well as starting to gently ease back into a more structured school schedule.
Before the backpacks start getting filled, it is important to take some time to make sure we are ending the summer well. Hey, that reminds me, I wrote a great blog on Backpacks last summer, “Can backpacks cause Scoliosis?”, you can check it out Here 🤩
No matter if school starts this week or in four weeks, there is still plenty of time for meaningful things to do before the end of summer.
OK, let’s take a look ☀️😎☀️
TAKE A PICTURE
How many of the photos you have taken this summer include you?
As I was scrolling through the photos on my camera this weekend, I realized that the majority were of my daughter, as expected, and I even had a few of my family with her. But there was not one single photo of me in any of them.
Not even one.
I realize that we are usually taking the photos, and sometimes because of how we feel about our looks and body, we don’t want to be in the pictures.
I am challenging you, and myself, to make a very conscious effort to get in a photo or two (or 3, or 5, or 10!) with your family before summer ends.
Take a selfie together while you are at the park, visiting the pool, waiting in line at the amusement park, or just hanging out at home.
Give the camera to those with you and ask them to take a few photos. Ask someone nearby to take a photo, it takes only a few seconds but it’s important.
You are a part of your family’s summer, so you should be in pictures too!
PREPARE FOR A HEALTHY SCHOOL YEAR
Parents are buying backpacks, pencils and notebooks, but there is a lot more than just school supplies needed to prepare for the return to school this fall. Studies show healthy kids learn better when encouraged to eat healthy and exercise in school. From scheduling check ups, sports physicals and dealing with a child’s mental health, there is a lot parents can do to keep their children healthy and ready for a successful school year.
Back To School Physicals: It’s important for children (even young adults) to have a yearly physical to make sure they are healthy. This can be done at the start of the school year or around their birthday. Having a physical before the start of school can be important for children who have health challenges, like an asthma action plan for example to be discussed with the school.
Importance of Sports Physicals: Many youth sports require students to have a sports physical before getting clearance to play. Sudden cardiac arrests, underscore the importance of a through sports physical. Doctors run tests to ensure players' cardiac, pulmonary function are ready for the rigors of their athletic training. This is important because studies show injuries like cardiac arrest are far more common in youth sports, than professional athletics especially when playing sports like baseball, softball or hockey. A sports physical is also an opportunity to discuss any sports related injuries, and injury prevention.
Nutrition: A balanced diet not only plays a significant role in children’s growth and development, but studies have shown it impacts on students’ school performance, for example skipping breakfast is associated with with decreased school performance, while participation in a school breakfast program has demonstrated to increase academic grades, standardized test scores and reduce absenteeism. Failure to eat foods with significant specific nutrients is associated with lower grades, higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness and an inability to focus. Read more, Here.
Empty calories from added sugars and solid fats contribute to 40% of daily calories for children and adolescents age 2–18 years, affecting the overall quality of their diets. Approximately half of these empty calories come from six sources: soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain desserts, pizza, and whole milk. Most youth do not consume the recommended amount of total water, underscoring the importance of packing healthy lunch and snacks for kids at school.
I can help by reviewing your child’s dietary needs and strategies, to get them to eat healthy foods to fuel their academic success.
Sleep and Cell Phones, Computers and Television: Going back to school means early wake up calls to catch the bus. It should also mean an earlier bedtime to ensure children get enough sleep. Children ages 3-5 years old need to get 10-13 hours of sleep (including naps), children ages 6-12 years old 9-12 hours of sleep and children 13-18 years 8-10 hours of sleep.
With the change in routine, it’s best to start adapting your child’s sleep routine prior to the first day of school. Practice good sleep habits such as making the bedroom a screen time free zone at bedtime. Blue light from cell phones, televisions and computers can disrupt sleep. Back to school is a good time to create a media plan designed to balance screen time with sleep, exercise and other healthy activities. Help your children choose high-quality programs or games and help them discern the difference from online sites that promote false information, negative body image or bullying.
Anxiety & Other Mental Health issues: Research has found in the 10 years ahead of the COVID pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased 40% among youth. The impact is even higher post-pandemic caused in part by isolation and a growing reliance on technology and social media for social interaction.
Many children are also dealing with anxiety in the post pandemic era. Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make children irritable and angry. Anxiety symptoms can also include trouble sleeping, as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves and, thus, the symptoms can be missed.
Air Quality Concerns: Wildfires and other issues mean we are likely to deal with periodic air quality alert days like we saw at the end of last school year and throughout the summer. School administrators, sports coaches and parents should closely monitor the air quality through a website like airnow.gov.
Backpack Weight - When shopping for backpacks, lightweight is better. A backpack and its contents should not be more than 20% of a person’s body weight. Check the weight of your child’s backpack with their books on the bathroom scale. Students should plan to take more trips to their locker rather than carry heavy weights for extended time. It helps to use a backpack with thick and padded shoulder straps, and a waist belt if possible
ONE LAST FAMILY ACTIVITY
Depending on how much time you have left, sit down together as a family and pull out the summer bucket list.
What have you already done? And what activities are remaining?
Prioritize based on how much time you’ve got left and what your budget can allow. Maybe you have a Saturday afternoon where you could knock out a few things together, such as going to the farmers market, then ending the day with a shady hike to the river.
If your family has already knocked off most items on your summer bucket list (good for you!) are there any activities worth repeating? Or have you heard of something another family did that sounded cool? Be creative!
Remember, You don’t have to go anywhere!
Maybe your summer has been GO, GO, GO! running from one activity to another. Perhaps carving out some time to spend a quiet weekend at home playing games, watching a movie, camping in the backyard, or grilling out is what your family craves.
The point is to carve out some intentional time to spend together before the busy new season begins.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“Traditions aren’t just elaborate holiday events. Intentional traditions happen every day in our family when we embrace the ordinary moments and focus on real family time.”
“I want kids to discover the wonder found in playing make-believe in the backyard on the days we don’t go anywhere.”
“Think back to the summer of your youth. What do you remember most?”
This summer isn’t someone else’s, but the kind of summer that youand your family will cherish for years to come, because it will be filled with only the best things you love.
You didn’t refer to what others were doing on social media or look at the never-ending list of ideas on Pinterest. Your family shared what was important to them.
It was simple, it was meaningful, it was fun, and it was memorable.
If you need help with your child or teen getting ready to start back in school (with their health physical, nutrition, anxiety, or backpack fitting), let me help you!
To make an appointment with me use this link: HERE
Or, you can give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! As the season is winding down, what meaningful things will you do before the end of Summer? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
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